Three recently merged companies are bringing everything together into one IT environment. The programme has been running for over a year and is now in the delivery and testing phase. The first go-live is planned for November 2026, followed by releases in February and March 2027. The work can't slip, and the programme needs a new lead. We're looking for a Freelance IT Programme Manager who takes over immediately, gets a grip on every track in the first weeks and lands the programme through go-live and into run.
What You'll Do
- Take over the programme and quickly build a clear picture per track: what's done, what's still running and where the blockers are.
- Bring everything together in one integrated plan, with explicit dependencies and ownership and a clear critical path towards each release.
- Close open dependencies between tracks, architects, developers and suppliers. Make sure decisions get made, escape where needed and guard the scope.
- Kick off and drive E2E testing and UAT: a clear test approach, a plan, entry and exit criteria, and a workable defect process.
- Prioritise defects with track leads and architects, and use the test results to judge whether the planned releases are feasible and to adjust in time.
- Set the go/no-go criteria and prepare the decision-making.
- Plan and direct cutover, go-live and hypercare.
- Lead the phase-out of the legacy systems, including data, integrations, licences and contracts.
- Prepare the move to run, with clear agreements on management, support, documentation and knowledge transfer.
- Keep a tight meeting rhythm, an up-to-date RAID log and clear progress reporting to the Delivery Manager and steering committee.
What You Bring
- Senior IT programme management experience. You've taken over complex programmes mid-flight and landed them.
- Hands-on experience with E2E testing, UAT, cutover and decommissioning legacy systems.
- Post-merger IT integration experience is a strong plus.
- The ability to make dependencies and ownership explicit, and to force decisions across tracks, architects and suppliers.
- You decide without having all the information, remove blockers fast and judge release readiness with confidence.
- You guard the scope and escalates on time. No surprises, and the point comes first.
- Structured reporting that a steering committee can act on.
- Fluent Dutch and professional English.
Practical Details
- Full-time, starting immediately, through at least March 2027