Job Summary:
The IT Program Manager is a lead role responsible for the successful planning, execution, and delivery of multiple, interdependent IT projects and initiatives that collectively contribute to a larger organizational strategic objective. This individual will oversee the entire program lifecycle, ensuring alignment with business goals, effective resource management, risk mitigation, and consistent communication with all stakeholders. The IT Program Manager will drive efficiency, quality, and timely delivery across the program's portfolio, leveraging strong leadership, technical acumen, and excellent communication skills. The role requires a strong working knowledge of project management tools like JIRA and a solid understanding of modern development practices, including DevSecOps.
Key Responsibilities:
Program Strategy & Planning:
- Define and articulate the overall program vision, scope, and objectives in alignment with the organization's strategic priorities.
- Develop comprehensive program plans, including roadmaps, timelines, budget estimations, resource allocation, and governance structures.
- Identify and define interdependencies between projects within the program and with external initiatives.
- Establish clear program deliverables, success criteria, and KPIs.
Program Execution & Oversight:
- Lead and manage multiple IT projects concurrently, ensuring they are delivered on time, within budget, and to the required quality standards.
- Oversee project managers and their teams, providing guidance, mentorship, and support to ensure project success.
- Monitor program progress, identify potential deviations, and implement corrective actions.
- Ensure adherence to established IT standards, methodologies (e.g., Agile, Waterfall, Hybrid), and best practices.
JIRA-based Project Management & Reporting:
- Utilize JIRA and other project management tools to manage program backlogs, track project progress, and report on key metrics.
- Create and maintain JIRA dashboards and reports to provide real-time visibility into program health, project status, and team performance to all stakeholders, including senior leadership.
- Ensure consistency and accuracy of data within JIRA across all projects in the program.
Stakeholder Management & Communication:
- Act as the primary point of contact for all program-related communication, providing regular updates to senior leadership, steering committees, and key stakeholders.
- Manage stakeholder expectations, proactively addressing concerns and resolving conflicts.
- Foster strong relationships with cross-functional teams, business units, vendors, and external partners.
- Prepare and present program status reports, dashboards, and executive summaries.
Risk & Issue Management:
- Proactively identify, assess, and mitigate program-level risks and issues.
- Develop contingency plans and escalation procedures to address critical challenges.
- Implement lessons learned processes to continuously improve program delivery.
DevSecOps & Delivery Pipeline Oversight:
- Demonstrate familiarity with modern development and operational practices, including the principles of DevSecOps.
- Provide oversight and guidance on the implementation of CI/CD pipelines, ensuring security, automation, and continuous delivery are integrated throughout the program's projects.
- Collaborate with engineering and security teams to ensure secure coding practices and automated vulnerability scanning are part of the development lifecycle.
Resource & Budget Management:
- Manage the overall program budget, tracking expenditures and ensuring financial discipline.
- Optimize resource utilization across the program, including internal teams and external vendors.
- Negotiate contracts and manage vendor relationships as needed.
Quality & Governance:
- Establish and enforce program governance frameworks, policies, and procedures.
- Ensure quality assurance and control processes are integrated into all program activities.
- Drive continuous improvement initiatives within the program management function.
Qualifications:
Education:
Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Engineering, Business Administration, or a related field.Experience:
- 12+ years of progressive experience in IT with at least 5-7 years in a dedicated IT Program Manager or Senior Project Manager role, successfully delivering complex IT programs.
Hands-on expertise with JIRA and other Atlassian products
for project tracking, reporting, and dashboard creation.- Proven experience managing programs encompassing diverse technologies (e.g., software development, cloud migration, cybersecurity, data analytics etc).
- Strong track record of leading and motivating cross-functional teams, including direct reports and matrixed resources.
- Experience working with both agile and waterfall methodologies; practical experience in an Agile/Scrum environment is highly desirable.
- Experience in a global delivery model or working with distributed teams is a plus.
- Experience in vendor management and contract negotiation.
Technical Acumen:
- Extensive knowledge of using JIRA for complete project management
- Knowledge of CMMi best practices .
- Solid understanding of various IT domains (e.g., software development lifecycle, network infrastructure, cloud computing, cybersecurity, data management).
Familiarity with DevSecOps principles, CI/CD pipelines, and automation tools
(e.g., Jenkins, GitLab CI, Azure DevOps).- Familiarity with modern IT architectures and technologies (e.g., microservices, APIs, cloud platforms like AWS/Azure/GCP).
Certifications (Highly Preferred):
- Program Management Professional (PgMP)
- Project Management Professional (PMP)
- SAFe (Scaled Agile Framework) Agilist or other Agile certifications
Soft Skills:
- Exceptional leadership and team-building skills, with the ability to inspire and influence.
- Outstanding communication, presentation, and negotiation skills.
- Strong analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making abilities.
- Excellent stakeholder management and conflict resolution skills.
- High degree of emotional intelligence and adaptability.
- Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, dynamic, and sometimes ambiguous environment.
- Strong business acumen with the ability to link IT initiatives to business value.
Working Conditions:
- Typically an office environment, but hybrid or remote work options may be applicable.
- May require occasional travel, both domestic and international, for stakeholder meetings or vendor engagements.
- May involve working extended hours to meet critical deadlines or manage international time zone differences.
