Programme Manager

Aviva plc; Norwich; Hybrid; GBP 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Aviva plc in Norwich seeks an experienced Strategic Virtual Assistant (VA) Programme Manager to lead end-to-end transformation across multiple workstreams. You will oversee strategy, design, delivery and governance, coordinating with senior stakeholders across Aviva, BCG, and Group CIO teams to ensure alignment and timely milestones.

This leadership role requires strong programme management, structured planning and stakeholder engagement, with a solid understanding of Aviva's Change Delivery

Qualifications

• Proven experience leading complex digital or AI transformation programmes.
• Knowledge of Aviva's Change Delivery Framework and governance.
• Understanding of architecture, applications, infrastructure, security and data integration.
• Excellent planning and organisational skills with milestone management.
• Strong financial management including budgeting and benefits tracking.
• Excellent stakeholder management and senior-leader communication.
• Experience managing risks, issues and dependencies with escalation.
• Experience with Agile delivery and cross-organisation collaboration.
• Collaborative, outcome-focused mindset and adaptability under pressure.

Responsibilities

• Lead the Virtual Assistant programme across all workstreams, including Orchestration, Build & Launch, and Technology & Data Foundations.
• Drive programme governance and reporting, preparing and leading steering committees and governance forums, tracking decisions, actions, risks and accountabilities.
• Work closely with executive sponsors, Aviva and BCG programme leadership, and senior stakeholders to maintain strategic alignment and delivery momentum.
• Develop and maintain the programme roadmap, scope, design principles, business case and value framework.
• Coordinate delivery across business, digital, technology, data and operations teams, ensuring effective management of milestones, dependencies and critical paths.
• Oversee build, testing and launch readiness, coordinating activities towards key programme milestones.
• Manage programme financials, including budgets, forecasts, expenditure, variances and benefits tracking.
• Identify, assess and mitigate programme risks and issues, ensuring alignment with Aviva’s risk, control and governance requirements.
• Support the integration of Risk, Compliance and Data Governance requirements to enable the safe delivery of Generative AI and Virtual Assistant capabilities.
• Lead stakeholder communications, providing clear and tailored progress updates to sponsors, steering committees, product owners and delivery teams.
• Drive organisational readiness, including capability development, change adoption and process readiness.
• Coordinate third-party suppliers and delivery partners, ensuring clear responsibilities, aligned priorities and effective management of contractual commitments.
• Facilitate constructive challenge and timely decision-making to resolve blockers and maintain programme progress.

Skills

Programme leadership

Stakeholder management

Agile delivery

Risk & governance

Financial management

Communications

Ambiguity management

Third-party management

Change delivery framework

Job description

Strategic VA Programme Manager

Location: Norwich, NR1 3NS

IR35 Status: Inside IR35

Contract Duration: 6 months

A bit about the job

We're looking for an experienced Strategic Virtual Assistant (VA) Programme Manager to lead Aviva’s end-to-end Virtual Assistant transformation programme, overseeing strategy, design, delivery and governance.

Working across business, digital, data, technology and operational teams, you'll be responsible for bringing together multiple workstreams to deliver a coordinated and successful programme. You'll work closely with senior stakeholders across Aviva, BCG, Group CIO teams and specialist functions, including Risk, Compliance, Legal and Architecture, ensuring alignment on priorities, delivery milestones and strategic outcomes.

This is a key leadership role requiring strong programme management, structured planning and stakeholder engagement skills, alongside a good understanding of Aviva's Change Delivery Framework. You'll drive programme governance, manage risks and dependencies, oversee financial performance and ensure the programme remains on track to deliver its objectives.

Skills and experience we're looking for

• Proven experience leading complex digital, AI or technology transformation programmes within large organisations.

• Strong knowledge of Aviva's Change Delivery Framework, programme governance, quality gates and change delivery processes.

• A good understanding of technology domains, including architecture, applications, infrastructure, security and data integration.

• Excellent planning and organisational skills, with a track record of developing robust programme plans, managing milestones and coordinating interdependent workstreams.

• Strong financial management experience, including budgeting, forecasting, cost control and benefits tracking.

• Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills, with the ability to influence senior leaders and communicate complex concepts clearly to technical and non-technical audiences.

• Experience managing risks, issues, dependencies and delivery challenges, with the confidence to **escalate concerns** and drive timely decisions.

• Experience working with third-party suppliers and managing delivery across multiple organisations and partners.

• Experience with Agile delivery approaches, including supporting teams to work effectively and iteratively.

• A collaborative, outcome-focused mindset, with the ability to remain adaptable and calm under pressure while managing ambiguity.

Day-to-day responsibilities

• Lead the Virtual Assistant programme across all workstreams, including Orchestration, Build & Launch, and Technology & Data Foundations.

• Drive programme governance and reporting, preparing and leading steering committees and governance forums, tracking decisions, actions, risks and accountabilities.

• Work closely with executive sponsors, Aviva and BCG programme leadership, and senior stakeholders to maintain strategic alignment and delivery momentum.

• Develop and maintain the programme roadmap, scope, design principles, business case and value framework.

• Coordinate delivery across business, digital, technology, data and operations teams, ensuring effective management of milestones, dependencies and critical paths.

• Oversee build, testing and launch readiness, coordinating activities towards key programme milestones.

• Manage programme financials, including budgets, forecasts, expenditure, variances and benefits tracking.

• Identify, assess and mitigate programme risks and issues, ensuring alignment with Aviva’s risk, control and governance requirements.

• Support the integration of Risk, Compliance and Data Governance requirements to enable the safe delivery of Generative AI and Virtual Assistant capabilities.

• Lead stakeholder communications, providing clear and tailored progress updates to sponsors, steering committees, product owners and delivery teams.

• Drive organisational readiness, including capability development, change adoption and process readiness.

• Coordinate third-party suppliers and delivery partners, ensuring clear responsibilities, aligned priorities and effective management of contractual commitments.

• Facilitate constructive challenge and timely decision-making to resolve blockers and maintain programme progress.

Desirable experience

• Experience delivering Virtual Assistant, conversational AI or Generative AI transformation programmes.

• Experience working with major consulting partners and technology delivery teams in complex, multi-party environments.

• Experience developing business cases, including cost-benefit modelling, containment rates and operational efficiency benefits.

• Experience delivering AI-enabled customer service solutions and integrating them with existing business and back-office processes.

• Experience leading organisational change, adoption and operational readiness activities alongside technology delivery.

• Experience managing programme delivery through formal governance frameworks, with a strong focus on risk management, controls and measurable business outcomes.

We’re inclusive and welcome everyone – we want applications from all backgrounds and experiences. Excited but not sure you tick every box? Even if you don’t, we would still encourage you to apply.

We also consider all forms of flexible working, including part-time and job shares. We flex locations, hours and working patterns to suit our customers, our business and you. Most of our people are smart working, spending at least 50% of their time in our offices every week and combining the benefits of flexibility with time together with colleagues.