Job Description

Job Advert Summary

To lead a lean, Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe)-capable Program Delivery & Governance function that orchestrates portfolio flow across value streams, embeds audit-fit controls into day-to-day delivery, and provides executive-grade transparency on value, risk, and performance. Operate at strategic, operational, and tactical levels as required to unblock and stabilise delivery. Act as the single point of accountability for delivery outcomes across programmes and major projects, working in partnership with Sector Chief Information Officers (SCIOs) and business Program Managers (PMs), providing coaching and direction.

Minimum Requirements

Education:

Bachelor's degree in Business/Engineering/Information Technology or related (essential) Current Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) certification: SAFe Program Consultant (SPC) or SAFe Release Train Engineer (RTE) (essential) Postgraduate degree (e.g., MBA) (preferred) Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) 4, Control Objectives for Information and Related Technologies (COBIT) 2019, or International Organization for Standardization/International Electrotechnical Commission (ISO/IEC) 27001 familiarity (preferred) Project/Program credentials (Program Management Professional (PgMP) / Project Management Professional (PMP)) or PRINCE2 Practitioner (preferred)

Experience:

12+ years in portfolio/program delivery within regulated industries (financial services preferred) Proven leadership across multiple Agile Release Trains (ARTs) and Program Increments (PIs) Demonstrated improvement of predictability and lead time; embedding audit-ready controls without bureaucracy Executive-level communication; option framing for trade-offs; stakeholder influence across Architecture, Security, Finance, and vendors Hands-on stabilisation of programmes and major projects when issues are material Benefits realisation tracking and financial planning experience (capital expenditure (Capex) / operating expenditure (Opex)) (preferred) Large-scale vendor management and statement-of-work alignment to PI objectives (preferred)

Knowledge and Skills:

Flow-based delivery leadership (limit Work In Progress (WIP), unblock fast, data-driven) Governance by design (controls embedded in tooling; audit-ready evidence) Release management governance and readiness facilitation Architecture and security integration within cadence; ARB processes Prioritisation methods including Weighted Shortest Job First (WSJF) Financial stewardship (Capex preparation/tracking, benefits realisation) Jira administration for portfolio standards; Continuous Integration/Continuous Delivery (CI/CD) awareness Analytical storytelling (concise, executive-ready narratives and visuals) Stakeholder management across SCIOs, PMs, POs, and vendors Coaching: RTEs, Scrum Masters/Agile Coaches, and business Program Manager (PM) community

Competencies:

Results orientation Strategic orientation Decisiveness Influence and persuasion Ethics and integrity Effective communication Persistence and tenacity Strong business acumen

Standards Alignment (International):

Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe): cadence, PI planning, Release Train Engineer (RTE) leadership, Weighted Shortest Job First (WSJF) ITIL 4: Change Enablement and Release Management practices ISO/IEC 27001 & 27002: control design/evidence within DoR/DoD and tool workflows COBIT 2019: governance alignment (EDM02, BAI06, MEA01) IFRS (IAS 38): partnership with Finance on capitalisation and reporting alignment

Duties and Responsibilities

Portfolio & cadence orchestration: Run the Program Increment (PI) calendar and readiness, track objectives and predictability, align with financial-year planning to enable prioritisation pivots Delivery standards & controls: Set and enforce Product Owner (PO) standards for backlog hygiene and quality across value streams Release governance: Chair Release Readiness; maintain an integrated release calendar; record decisions and executive communications. Quality/Release holds final go/no-go authority, and all releases must pass established quality gates Architecture & risk integration: Verify all epics pass Architecture Review Board (ARB) review before planning; integrate security and risk checkpoints into normal cadence; ensure project audit compliance and report exceptions with solutions to IT Executive Committee (IT Exco) via Group Chief Information Officer Cross-stream coordination: Manage dependencies and impediments across value streams; run the Delivery Risk Council; facilitate rapid, option-based decisions Financial governance: Prepare and track capital expenditure (Capex) budgets with the Finance Manager; monitor operating expenditure and variances with Finance and the Vendor Management Office (VMO); link spend to value and benefits realisation * Business Program Manager (PM) community & prioritisation: Manage the Program Manager (PM) community from the business, providing coaching and direction; facilitate Weighted Shortest Job First (WSJF) prioritisation; ensure a single, transparent set of business priorities; protect team focus time by reducing non-productive meetings while maintaining cohesion and clear objectives