Program Manager

About the role

• Has lead role and responsibility for planning and managing all aspects of the delivery of large and complex projects that will significantly affect the organisation at the LOB level. Is likely to manage multiple projects at the same time and will input into the management process as the leader of projects’ management teams. Supervises the work of other project staff and will delegate work to external contractors / suppliers / consultants to ensure deliverables.
• Defined management responsibilities for several teams of Project Managers and coordinates, through team leaders/managers, the work of multi-disciplinary workforces and/or external sub-contractors or consultants. May also be responsible for delivering a portfolio of projects (i.e. multiple large projects) to deliver against understood and agreed criteria.
• Responsible for the delivery of projects within defined financial targets.
• Must have developed the appropriate communication skills with a sound ability to negotiate internally and externally in significant client and stakeholder relationships including those at board level. Will interface with 3rd party suppliers, which involves the selection of suppliers, agreement, planning, timelines and quality of deliverables

Responsibilities

• Demonstrable experience and capability in the delivery of projects requiring the creation of large project teams with multiple elements on a cross discipline and/or multi supplier basis.
• Expert understanding of concepts, procedures and application of project management and an extensive knowledge in other subjects or disciplines, which are relevant to the content of the project (e.g. ITIL and network management processes). Brings this knowledge to bear to ensure reuse and best practice across projects.
• Plans, manages and delivers the most complex long-term, transformational or international projects that will significantly affect the organisation at LOB level and which will deliver strategic benefits to client and/or stakeholders
• Evaluates complex situations using multiple sources of information. Solution will typically require some new planning and resource elements, potentially generating bespoke adaptations.
• Projects will involve the highest level of risk to the business and/or external clients and require ability to use and adapt recognised project management methods and processes, depending on the elements of the risk profile and governance needs.
• Delivers projects to contracted service levels and within defined financial targets whilst maintaining and developing customer satisfaction.
• Is recognised as the key supplier in delivery of a client critical or internal long term business benefit.
• Must have proven ability to apply relationship management skills in the longer term and to be able to build and own client and stakeholder relationships at executive and Board levels (e.g. external Board Director or prime external customer or key 3rd party supplier) during and beyond the project duration.
• Expected to coach / mentor and guide Project Managers.
• Acts as lead change agent with ability to channel resources effectively internally developing best delivery practice or ability to identify the change impact on the organisation, identify stakeholders and manage relationships, risk and engagement to deliver the project’s outcomes successfully.
• Responsible for benefits identification and realisation and seeks innovative ways to develop ling term strategic growth of projects and to manage the cost base

Requirements

• Experience of very critical and complex, typically bespoke in elements, project delivery and relationship management as defined by the needs of the business, including customer, project team, project suppliers and other affected parties.
• Demonstrable record of ability to innovate to resolve major problems and has a record of getting buy in to radical solutions to resolve issues that threatened to delay or seriously disrupt the project goals (resource, budget or stakeholder in nature).
• Will have had significant experience of leading and delivering the most complex projects, requiring management of medium-term and long-term timeframes, financials, major resources, including third part suppliers, and project and service deliverables (typically gained over a period in excess of five years).
• Experienced delivery agent with specific experience of delivering to clients directly and delivery of significant and/or time critical products as part of major BT and client programmes. Typically experienced in the development of complex plans and management of multi-disciplinary teams to deliver against them.
• High degree of business and commercial acumen
• Ability to have the robust/difficult conversations with senior customer representatives, third party suppliers and stakeholders
• Experienced practitioner of a formal Programme Management methodology such as MSP and of a formal Project Management methodology such as Prince2, APMP, ITIL qualification, Risk Management Qualification or 6 Sigma