Programme Manager

E-Merge IT Recruitment; Randburg; Hybrid; ZAR 1,515,000 - 1,791,000; Full time

Job summary

e-Merge IT Recruitment is seeking an experienced Programme Manager to lead a major technology programme in the long-term insurance space, based in Randburg with hybrid work. You will drive end-to-end delivery, manage client relationships, and oversee governance in a tightly regulated environment.

The role requires over 10 years in programme management, 5+ years leading large-scale initiatives, data migration expertise, and strong stakeholder engagement across vendor teams.

Qualifications

• At least 10 years in programme or project management.
• 5+ years leading large-scale technology programmes (R50 million+ or 20+ people).
• Experience delivering policy administration system implementations or migrations in long-term insurance.
• Strong data migration knowledge including mapping, transformation, reconciliation and balancing of policy books.
• Experience in regulated financial services with governance, steering committees and audits.
• Long-term / life insurance experience essential.
• Experience with hybrid delivery: waterfall governance and Agile delivery.
• Excellent written communication for senior client executives.

Responsibilities

• Manage programme budgets, resource utilisation and margins, ensuring financial control and commercial performance.
• Control programme scope through formal change requests and protect commercial position per contracts.
• Act as primary day-to-day senior counterpart to the client's programme lead.
• Lead and coordinate onshore delivery teams, hub teams and third-party partners.
• Drive programme execution with alignment to milestones and governance requirements.
• Oversee programme governance, reporting and stakeholder engagement.
• Plan and manage transition to business-as-usual (BAU) support.

Skills

Programme management

Large-scale programmes

Insurance domain

Vendor management

Governance & audits

Data migration

Stakeholder engagement

Hybrid delivery

Job description

Ready to take the lead on big, complex technology programmes and make a real impact?

Are you an experienced Programme Manager with a strong background in large-scale technology programmes and financial services? Do you have a proven track record of successfully delivering complex technology implementations, managing substantial budgets and leading diverse delivery teams? We are seeking a highly experienced Programme Manager to take ownership of a major technology programme within the long-term insurance environment. The successful candidate will be responsible for driving end-to-end programme delivery, managing client relationships, overseeing commercial performance and ensuring successful project execution within a highly governed financial services environment.

What you bring to the table:

• At least 10 years' experience in programme or project management, with 5 or more years leading large-scale technology programmes (indicatively R50 million+ or teams of 20+ people)
• Proven experience leading at least one end-to-end policy administration system implementation or legacy book migration within long-term insurance, ideally in South Africa
• Strong understanding of data migration processes, including mapping, transformation, trial runs, reconciliation and financial balancing of policy books.
• Experience delivering programmes on the vendor side, managing scope, change control and commercial obligations against client contracts.
• Experience working within a banking, bancassurance or highly regulated financial services environment, including formal governance, steering committees and audit processes.
• Strong working knowledge of South African long-term insurance regulations relevant to migrations, including policyholder protection and data protection requirements.
• Long term and or life insurance experience essential.
• Experience with hybrid delivery methodologies, combining waterfall governance and stage gates with agile delivery teams.
• Excellent written communication and reporting skills, with the confidence to engage and present to senior client executives

What you will be responsible for:

• Manage programme budgets, resource utilisation and margins, ensuring effective financial control and commercial performance.
• Control programme scope through formal change requests and protect the organisation's commercial position in accordance with contractual obligations.
• Act as the primary day-to-day senior counterpart to the client's programme lead, managing expectations and building trusted relationships with business and IT stakeholders.
• Lead and coordinate onshore delivery teams, delivery-hub teams and third-party partners, ensuring clear accountability, commitments and delivery standards.
• Drive programme execution, ensuring alignment between project objectives, delivery milestones, governance requirements and client expectations.
• Oversee programme governance, reporting and stakeholder engagement, providing clear visibility of progress, risks and delivery challenges.
• Plan and manage the transition to business-as-usual (BAU) support, ensuring a structured handover to service management at programme completion

Reference number for this position is GZ61583 which is a contract position based in Randburg / Hybrid offering a contract rate of R1200 per hour negotiable on experience and ability.