Senior Manager: Programme Management

Senior Manager: Programme Management – Absa Group Empowering Africa’s tomorrow, together…one story at a time. Job Summary With over 100 years of rich history and strongly positioned as a local bank with regional and international expertise, a career with our family offers the opportunity to be part of this exciting growth journey, to reset our future and shape our destiny as a proudly African group. Programme Manager to drive the delivery of Advanced Analytics initiatives to ensure outcomes align with organizational goals. Specialized in People Change Management; the candidate will enable seamless transitions across the portfolio by minimizing disruption and maximizing employee engagement and adoption of CDAIO’s capabilities and data products to deliver sustainable business value. The ideal candidate has over 10 years of proven expertise in SDLC, PDLC, and Project/Programme Management processes, with proficiency in PROSCI techniques generally in advanced analytics, data management and governance, and big data‑AI platforms environments. We are an Agile environment, hands‑on experience facilitating Agile ceremonies on tools such as Azure DevOps or JIRA and managing cross‑functional dependencies is imperative. Programme Management Strategic Alignment: Define programme scope, goals, and success criteria to ensure AI projects align with organizational objectives. Integrated Planning & Governance: Drive planning, manage CRAIDs, and prepare governance reports and SteerCo packs and presenting at applicable governance bodies. Pace Setting & Delivery Oversight: Participate in programme increments, track outcomes, and ensure timely execution across projects. Resource & Risk Management: Optimize budgets and resources while proactively identifying and mitigating risks and issues. Benefits Realization: Monitor and track benefits realization to deliver measurable business value beyond project outputs. Change Strategy & Engagement: Develop & execute change strategies and communication plans to drive adoption and stakeholder buy‑in. Training Enablement: Design centralized training plans and scalable resources (e‑learning, videos) for execution by business change managers. Leadership Support: Coach and equip leaders and managers to guide teams through transitions effectively. Culture & Resistance Management: Embed new behaviors into organizational culture and address resistance empathetically. Impact Monitoring: Conduct impact assessments and track adoption metrics to refine strategies and ensure success. Soft Skills Leadership: Proven ability to inspire, influence, and unite cross‑functional teams and senior stakeholders, fostering collaboration and a shared sense of purpose. Communication: Exceptional verbal and written skills, adept at simplifying complex concepts and tailoring messages to diverse audiences for clarity and impact. Strategic Thinking: Skilled at connecting the big picture to actionable plans, translating business objectives into coordinated, results‑driven initiatives. Interpersonal & Emotional Intelligence: Builds strong relationships through active listening and empathy, navigating organizational dynamics to reduce conflict and strengthen collaboration. Analytical & Problem‑Solving: Expert in data‑driven decision‑making, anticipating challenges, diagnosing root causes, and delivering innovative, practical solutions. Qualifications Graduate degree; any relevant degree in Project/Programme Management, Management Information Systems, Finance, Business Administration, Psychology, Human Resources, Data Management or Data Science from a recognized university. Certifications; any relevant certification such as PMP, PgMP, SAFe, CCMP, DAMA, Data Science, AI and Analytics. Education Bachelor’s Degrees and Advanced Diplomas: Business, Commerce and Management Studies (Required) Absa Bank Limited is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer. In compliance with the Employment Equity Act 55 of 1998, preference will be given to suitable candidates from designated groups whose appointments will contribute towards achievement of equitable demographic representation of our workforce profile and add to the diversity of the Bank. Absa Bank Limited reserves the right not to make an appointment to the post as advertised. #J-18808-Ljbffr