Programme Manager: Cyber

Optimal Growth Technologies; Johannesburg; On-site; ZAR 900,000 - 1,200,000; Part time

Job summary

Optimal Growth Technologies in Midrand, South Africa, invites applications for a Cyber Programme Manager on a 12 Month Contract. You will lead the planning, coordination and delivery of the cyber security programme, ensuring alignment to strategic objectives and governance frameworks.

The role requires strong stakeholder engagement, risk management and executive reporting across multiple workstreams. The successful candidate will drive continuous improvement, coordinate delivery across cyber

Qualifications

• Minimum 8 years' experience leading complex programmes and strategic initiatives.
• Proven ability to translate objectives into executable roadmaps and manage dependencies.
• Strong governance, risk, KPI tracking and executive reporting experience.
• Excellent communication, relationship management and influence without authority.

Responsibilities

• Lead the cyber security programme delivery aligning to business priorities.
• Establish and maintain programme governance, reporting and assurance processes.
• Coordinate cyber security planning, roadmap, milestones, risks and interdependencies.
• Provide programme and project management support to strategic initiatives.
• Engage senior stakeholders and deliver executive status reports and escalations.
• Ensure governance, assurance and compliance are embedded in delivery.
• Track benefits realization and value delivery for strategic investments.
• Support budgeting, forecasting and resource planning where required.

Skills

Programme leadership

Stakeholder management

Governance & reporting

Risk management

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Degree in IT/Cyber Security

PM certification (PMP/PRINCE2)

Job description

CYBER PROGRAMME MANAGER

12 Month Contract

Location: Midrand

ROLE PURPOSE

• Lead the planning, coordination, and delivery of the cyber security programme, ensuring alignment to strategic objectives, business priorities and the programme's governance framework.
• Oversee the end-to-end programme management of initiatives, including associated project plans, risks, dependencies and deliverables.
• Ensure consistent execution of programme activities in alignment with strategic targets, goals and objectives.
• Provide oversight of risk management, resource allocation, dependencies and challenges, as well as stakeholder engagement across the organisation.
• Monitor progress against agreed milestones and produce accurate assurance and performance reports for executive and governance forums.
• Facilitate cross-functional collaboration to ensure alignment between delivery teams, assurance functions and technical leads.
• Provide leadership and coordination across delivery teams, driving accountability, knowledge sharing and continuous improvement to support a resilient, future-ready cyber security environment.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Cyber Strategy Execution

• Lead and coordinate the delivery of the Cyber Improvement Programme, ensuring successful execution of cyber security strategic initiatives and alignment to business priorities, strategic targets and key risk indicators.

Programme Governance & Oversight

• Establish and maintain programme governance, delivery standards, reporting and assurance processes across all cyber security strategic initiatives.

Integrated Planning & Coordination

• Support cyber security planning and strategy execution initiatives and events.
• Manage the consolidated cyber roadmap, dependencies, milestones, risks and interrelationships across all workstreams, strategic initiatives, teams and stakeholders.

Strategic Initiative Delivery

• Provide programme and project management support to strategic initiatives, ensuring delivery against agreed scope, schedule, budget and outcomes.

Stakeholder Engagement & Executive Reporting

• Act as the central point of coordination for programme communications, executive reporting, governance forums and escalations.
• Engage effectively with senior stakeholders and ensure that programme status, risks, dependencies and key decisions are clearly communicated.

Risk, Assurance & Compliance Management

• Maintain oversight of programme risks, issues and programme-related actions, ensuring timely mitigation and resolution.
• Ensure that appropriate governance, assurance and compliance requirements are incorporated into programme delivery.

Benefits Realisation & Performance Management

• Track and report on programme outcomes, benefits, KPIs and value delivery, ensuring strategic investments achieve their intended objectives.

Financial & Resource Management

• Where required, support programme budgeting, forecasting, resource planning and investment tracking across strategic initiatives.

Continuous Improvement & Delivery Excellence

• Drive the adoption of programme management best practices, standardised tooling, reporting automation and lessons learned.
• Identify opportunities to improve programme delivery, governance and reporting processes.

Leadership & Collaboration

• Foster collaboration across Cyber Security, Technology, Digital & IT, Networks and other relevant business and technical teams to enable effective strategy execution.

Coordination of Key Priorities

• Support the coordination of key priorities where there is an urgent need to coordinate efforts across multiple teams, such as incident response, operational escalations or other critical cyber security initiatives.
• These activities should be managed as structured mini-projects where appropriate.

CORE COMPETENCIES, KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE

• Minimum 8 years' experience leading complex programmes and strategic initiatives, with a proven track record of delivering outcomes across large, multi-stakeholder and cross-functional environments.
• Demonstrated ability to translate strategic objectives into executable roadmaps, manage interdependencies and risks, and drive delivery against agreed targets, benefits and business outcomes.
• Strong experience establishing programme governance, managing risks and dependencies, tracking KPIs, benefits realisation and reporting to executive stakeholders.
• Excellent communication and relationship management skills, with the ability to influence senior leaders, coordinate and collaborate with diverse stakeholders, both technical and business, and drive alignment without direct authority.
• Good understanding of cyber security governance, risk management and technology environments within a large enterprise environment.
• Exceptional organisational skills with the ability to manage multiple workstreams, priorities and deadlines.

MUST-HAVE TECHNICAL / PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATIONS

• 3-year degree or relevant tertiary qualification in Information Technology, Cyber Security or a related discipline.
• A Project Management qualification such as PMP or PRINCE2 would be advantageous.
• A Business degree with Project Management experience would also be advantageous.