Head: Programme

Introduction

Guardrisk, part of Momentum Group Limited, is South Africa's leading provider of cell captive business and alternative risk transfer solutions, offering tailor-made risk financing and access to professional reinsurance markets. As the market leader, we specialize in innovative cell captive structures that allow clients to operate their own insurance products within a ring-fenced facility, including underwriting, actuarial, legal, compliance and financial reporting services – without the costs and complexities of establishing an insurance company. Registered for most statutory classes of non-life and life insurance, we provide customised cover and strategic risk solutions. Our services cater to corporates that are serious about risk management, those facing complex or high-cost risks and businesses looking to offer their own branded insurance products.

Disclaimer

As an applicant, please verify the legitimacy of this job advert on our company career page.

Role Purpose

Leads and oversees the PMO function to ensure effective governance, consistent delivery, and strategic alignment of strategic important, cross planning and support unit, projects, and programmes. This role drives project management standards, execution and prioritisation, support project teams, and collaborates with stakeholders to optimize resources, pivot where needed and deliver business value. In addition, driving digital transformation in supporting operationalising data use cases, technology and business process implementation will be a key output. This role reports to the COO.

Requirements

Qualifications

At minimum, a bachelor's degree in business management, Project Management, Operations, or a related field and a postgraduate qualification or studying towards (e.g., MBA or equivalent) is advantageous.

Certification in Agile, Lean, or Change Management is beneficial.

Experience

10 years of Business management experience combined with exposure to project and programme management, including at least 3–5 years in a leadership role.

Financial services industry experience (essential).

Strong leadership skills with a record of accomplishment of successfully delivering complex projects.

Duties & Responsibilities

Responsibilities, work outputs, and individual Contribution:

Project Portfolio Oversight (Programme management)

Design and implement programme management methodologies, standards, and best practices aligned with current and best practice principles across business areas.

Establish governance frameworks ensuring compliance and consistency in project planning, execution, and delivery.

Drive project execution with a clear mandate to ensure delivery within business case time and budget.

Support the development of group wide strategy outcomes and specifically, OKR's and prioritise and align execution with stakeholders.

As key part of driving digital transformation, drive data use cases implementation and delivery, technology and business process adoption within the operating environment and ecosystem together with stakeholders.

Provide support in project feasibility to support business objectives and approve business cases.

Priorities projects aligned to OKR's and business outcomes.

Define and document project scope, objectives, success measures, and dependencies, ensuring clear alignment with organizational goals.

Foster a culture of continuous improvement and innovation within the programme management function.

Identify, assess, and manage risks collaboratively with stakeholders, ensuring mitigation strategies are in place.

Oversee project documentation, including meeting minutes, status reports, risk logs, and action logs, facilitating informed decision-making.

Approve project plans, resource schedules, budgets, and expenditures while managing project close-out and post-project assessments for continuous improvement.

Client Engagement and Relationship Management

Build and maintain strategic relationships with business leaders, executive committees, external partners, and stakeholders (including cell owners and binders).

Ensure project delivery meets client needs by translating requirements into clear project scopes in line with best practices.

Manage service level agreements to uphold client expectations and recommend improvements to client service and fairness.

Promote a culture of rewarding client relationships through effective communication, feedback, and exceptional service.

Engage with key stakeholders to prioritize projects, address challenges, and maintain alignment.

Ensure transparent, effective communication throughout the project lifecycle.

Leadership and People Management

Lead and mentor a team of Programme and Project Managers and appropriate staff to deliver on the office objectives fostering collaboration and productivity.

Develop strong, productive relationships with peers and stakeholders, positively influencing change initiatives.

Develop team and resource balanced scorecards aligned to priorities. Ensure alignment of stakeholder scorecards.

Continuously enhance professional and industry knowledge, encouraging innovation and career development within the team.

Process Improvement and Change Management

Promote continuous improvement of project management processes and tools.

Support change management efforts to facilitate smooth transitions and maximize project benefits.

Competencies

Developing Strategies: Are comfortable leading people; coordinates and directs groups; seeks to control things.

Examining information: Analyses and processes information; asks probing questions; strives to find solutions to problems.

Interacting with People: Is lively and projects enthusiasm; is talkative in making contact; is focused on interacting and networking with people.

Pursuing goals: Strives to achieve outstanding results; is ambitious and acts with determination; persists through difficulties to achieve results.

Managing tasks: Manages tasks by being organised and methodical; plans activities systematically; sets priorities for tasks.

Embraces Change: Copes with change and variety; tolerates uncertainty and ambiguity; adapts to new challenges.

Producing Output: Is focused on activity and works quickly; keeps busy and maintains productivity; is comfortable multi-tasking to produce output.