Our client is looking for an experienced Data & Analytics Program Manager to lead, coordinate, and oversee the successful delivery of a major Data & Analytics transformation program.
The Data & Analytics Program aims to modernize the organization’s data capabilities and maximize the business value generated from data.
The program includes:
- Implementing a new scalable and flexible data platform
- Deploying a business-driven data governance and data quality framework
- Migrating data, data flows, and reports from the legacy platform to the new environment
- Ensuring business continuity throughout the migration
- Introducing a data product operating model structured around business domains
- Increasing the focus on measurable business value and value realization
- Coordinating and following up on AI-related developments within the program
- Improving decision-making, operational efficiency, and business impact through data
Role
The Program Manager is accountable for the integrated delivery of the Data & Analytics Program.
You will coordinate all projects and program activities to ensure coherent, controlled, and value-driven execution. You will operate at the intersection of business strategy, IT delivery, architecture, governance, change management, and operational readiness.
The Program Manager works closely with the Business Program Lead, who owns the program strategy and business value, and with the Project Managers responsible for the delivery of the individual projects.
While the Program Manager is accountable for program delivery, business ownership of the outcomes, benefits, and value realization remains with the Business Program Lead.
Key Responsibilities
Integrated Program Management
- Organize, coordinate, and monitor the execution of all projects within the program
- Ensure alignment between the program strategy, individual project deliverables, and expected business value
- Maintain an integrated program roadmap covering scope, planning, milestones, resources, budget, risks, and dependencies
- Monitor the milestones and delivery progress of the different projects
- Ensure consistency and coordination across all program workstreams
- Manage dependencies between projects within the program and with external initiatives
- Ensure that development, testing, migration, and operationalization activities are completed according to the agreed milestones
- Deliver tangible and measurable outcomes at program level
- Anticipate delivery issues and coordinate the necessary corrective actions
Scope and Priority Management
- Define and maintain a clear overview of what is included and excluded from the program scope
- Manage scope changes through the appropriate governance and decision-making processes
- Ensure that priorities remain aligned with program objectives and expected business value
- Assess the impact of requested changes on planning, budget, resources, architecture, and other projects
- Support the Business Program Lead and Sponsor in prioritization and arbitration decisions
Planning, Resources, and Capacity
- Consolidate the plans of the individual projects into one integrated program roadmap
- Monitor timelines, milestones, critical paths, and interdependencies
- Anticipate and coordinate human, technical, and financial capacity across the different projects
- Ensure that resources are allocated according to program priorities
- Oversee Project Managers and key program resources to secure successful delivery
- Escalate resource constraints and coordinate solutions when required
- Ensure that production and operational constraints are considered throughout the delivery lifecycle
Budget Management
- Monitor and control the overall program budget
- Consolidate financial information across the different projects
- Ensure transparent reporting of actual costs, forecasts, commitments, and variances
- Ensure that contingency reserves are used prudently and only when properly justified
- Identify financial risks and support decisions regarding budget allocation and reprioritization
- Coordinate with internal financial stakeholders, external partners, and integrators where required
Risk, Issue, and Dependency Management
- Establish and maintain an integrated program risk and issue management framework
- Identify and assess risks that could affect delivery, value realization, budget, resources, or operational continuity
- Coordinate mitigation actions across projects and workstreams
- Monitor cross-project dependencies and ensure that they are actively managed
- Escalate critical risks, issues, and decisions through the appropriate governance bodies
- Facilitate arbitrations and ensure that decisions are documented and followed up
- Provide a consolidated and transparent view of program risks and issues to senior stakeholders
Architecture and Technology Alignment
- Ensure coordination with Enterprise Architecture regarding architecture decisions and roadmap definition
- Ensure that the target architecture is clearly defined
- Verify that architecture choices are reviewed and approved by the appropriate governance bodies
- Ensure alignment between business priorities, data architecture, platform implementation, and IT delivery
- Work closely with the internal Data Management and IT teams
- Ensure compliance with the defined operating model across all projects
- Ensure that solutions are scalable, maintainable, secure, and operationally sustainable
Governance and Reporting
- Establish and maintain a structured program governance and reporting framework
- Prepare the Program Steering Committee meetings
- Define the agenda and prepare the required decision materials
- Maintain the decision log and follow up on actions
- Play a leading role in the operational governance meetings
- Coordinate discussions regarding risks, escalations, dependencies, and arbitrations
- Provide consolidated reporting covering:
- Delivery progress
- Milestones and planning
- Scope and priorities
- Risks and issues
- Dependencies
- Budget and resources
- Business value and benefits
- Change management and adoption
- Ensure transparent and consistent communication across all governance levels
- Ensure that agreed decisions and actions are implemented and followed up
Business Value and Benefits Realization
- Ensure continuous alignment between program deliverables and expected business outcomes
- Reinforce clear business ownership of program outcomes and value realization
- Track and consolidate benefits across the different projects
- Coordinate value and benefits reporting with business stakeholders
- Challenge projects when deliverables do not sufficiently contribute to the expected business value
- Ensure that the program remains focused on measurable outcomes rather than technical delivery alone
- Support the Business Program Lead in monitoring the realization of the program’s strategic objectives
Stakeholder and Change Management
- Maintain strong alignment with the Business Program Lead, Program Sponsor, Project Managers, IT teams, and key business stakeholders
- Coordinate communication across the different program workstreams
- Ensure active and continuous involvement of the relevant business stakeholders
- Coordinate stakeholder engagement and change management activities
- Drive communication, adoption, and organizational readiness for the program’s outcomes
- Ensure that impacted teams understand the changes, expected benefits, and required actions
- Resolve stakeholder conflicts and support decision-making when priorities differ
- Promote collaboration between business, IT, architecture, data, and operational teams
External Partner Management
- Coordinate with system integrators, consultants, suppliers, and other external partners
- Ensure that external activities remain aligned with program objectives, architecture, planning, and governance
- Monitor external deliverables, dependencies, risks, and commitments
- Facilitate collaboration between internal teams and external partners
- Address delivery issues and escalate contractual or operational concerns where necessary
Governance and Reporting Line
The Program Manager reports:
- Hierarchically to the Business Program Lead, who is responsible for the program strategy, business outcomes, and value realization
- Functionally to the Program Sponsor, who provides executive sponsorship and strategic direction
The role requires strong collaboration with IT teams, particularly the teams responsible for Data Management and the implementation of the new data platform.
Profile
- Strong experience managing large and complex transformation programs
- Proven experience coordinating multiple interdependent projects and Project Managers
- Experience with Data & Analytics, data platforms, data governance, data quality, data migration, or related transformation programs
- Strong understanding of program governance, planning, budgeting, risk management, and benefits realization
- Experience working at the intersection of business and IT
- Ability to translate strategic objectives into structured and executable program roadmaps
- Strong experience preparing and facilitating Steering Committees and operational governance meetings
- Experience managing senior stakeholders, sponsors, business owners, IT teams, architects, and external partners
- Strong ability to consolidate complex information into clear management reporting
- Experience coordinating change management, stakeholder engagement, and adoption activities
- Ability to anticipate risks, manage dependencies, and facilitate difficult decisions
- Strong financial and resource management capabilities
- Excellent communication, negotiation, and stakeholder management skills
- Structured, pragmatic, and results-oriented working style
- Able to maintain a strategic overview while following up on operational delivery details
- Strong leadership skills without necessarily having direct hierarchical authority
- Capable of challenging stakeholders constructively and driving accountability
- Able to operate effectively in a complex governance and organizational environment
Preferred Experience
Experience with one or more of the following is considered an asset:
- Enterprise data platforms
- Cloud data platforms
- Data governance and data quality frameworks
- Legacy data and reporting migrations
- Data product operating models
- Domain-oriented data organizations
- AI and analytics programs
- Enterprise architecture governance
- Complex vendor and system integrator environments
- Business and IT transformation programs
