Senior Project Manager

Overview

The Senior Project Manager / Programme Manager will provide overall leadership across large new client onboarding programmes. The role owns the integrated programme plan, governance approach, workstream coordination, client engagement model, escalation path and delivery controls required to move complex onboarding activity through launch, conversion, testing, readiness, cutover and transition.

Responsibilities

• Lead overall management of new client launches and conversions across multiple workstreams.

• Provide clear project focus, decision-making support, delivery momentum and senior stakeholder alignment.

• Own programme planning, reporting, governance cadence, dependency management and integrated delivery oversight.

• Act as primary point of contact for client and sponsor engagement across the Transfer Agency onboarding workstream.

• Manage and coordinate Project Managers and workstream leads to ensure coverage, accountability and delivery discipline.

• Monitor and control progress against signed-off plans, milestones, governance actions and critical path items.

• Troubleshoot across multiple concurrent workstreams and drive closure of complex delivery issues.

• Escalate key issues to the Head of New Business Onboarding and secure decisions or approvals where required.

• Ensure conversion runbooks, model office inputs, readiness outputs and transition plans are aligned to the programme plan.

• Lead internal senior management steering, project governance and client engagement forums.

Deliverables:

• Programme initiation and mobilisation pack.

• Integrated programme plan, milestone plan and workstream dependency map.

• Executive status reporting and steering committee pack.

• Programme RAID log, decision log and escalation tracker.

• Conversion runbook oversight and major readiness checkpoint materials.

• Client governance communications and project sponsor updates.

• Resourcing view, workstream coverage plan and project manager allocation view.

• Lessons learned report and post-implementation review outputs.

Governance Responsibilities:

• Own the programme governance model, including steering committee rhythm, status reporting and escalation routes.

• Ensure project managers and workstream leads comply with onboarding standards, templates and project office controls.

• Provide senior-level visibility of delivery risk, critical path, issues, dependencies and decisions.

• Drive closure of lessons learned, audit actions, quality items and delivery exceptions.

• Ensure regulatory, legal, risk, compliance and control considerations are embedded into the programme delivery approach.

Qualifications

• Undergraduate degree or relevant professional qualification.

• PMP, PRINCE2 or equivalent project/programme management certification.

• Experience with implementation lifecycle, SDLC documentation, UAT, model office, transition planning or business readiness activity.

• Knowledge of compliance, AML, data protection, financial crime prevention, client asset or regulated operating environments.

• Minimum several years in a leadership role.

• PMP certification or equivalent programme/project management experience.

Essential skills

• Excellent written and verbal communication with the ability to simplify complex delivery information for senior stakeholders and clients.

• Strong organisation, prioritisation and attention to detail, with the ability to manage multiple workstreams under tight deadlines.

• Proactive problem solving, issue resolution, escalation management and the ability to create momentum across teams.

• Confident use of Microsoft Office tools, project plans, status reports, RAID logs, runbooks and governance materials.

• Programme leadership, senior stakeholder management, governance design and delivery assurance.

• Ability to coach, monitor and challenge workstream leads to maintain progress.

Experience

• Experience delivering complex client-facing onboarding, conversion, launch or transformation projects in a regulated financial services environment.

• Strong project delivery discipline, including planning, dependency management, risk and issue management, reporting and stakeholder communications.

• Experience operating in a matrix environment with multiple internal functions, senior stakeholders, client contacts and third-party dependencies.

• Practical experience managing documentation, sign-offs, governance packs, workstream status and delivery artefacts through the project lifecycle.

• Demonstrable experience managing large programmes in financial services or corporate matrix environments.

• Experience leading multiple project managers, workstream leads and senior stakeholders through complex delivery cycles.

• Understanding of Transfer Agency operations, mutual fund products, operating models, fund setup, client servicing and distribution channels.

• Familiarity with regulated financial services controls, quality standards, operational risk, legal/risk/compliance review and client governance.

• Awareness of onboarding concepts including due diligence, gap analysis, TOM design, fund flow, reporting matrix, SLA/KPI/MIS and handover planning.

• Good understanding of Transfer Agency project office structures, client onboarding standards and financial services change governance.

Stakeholder Management Requirements:

• Operate credibly with client stakeholders, project sponsors, senior management and workstream leads.

• Create alignment across business readiness, operational readiness, data migration, technology, operations, legal, risk and compliance contributors.

• Provide clear direction to project managers and workstream leads while maintaining programme-level control.

• Communicate senior-level risks, issues, options and decisions in a concise, action-oriented manner.

• Build trust with the client by ensuring transparent reporting, timely escalation and disciplined follow-through.

Benefits

At Expleo, we are committed to providing a competitive salary and substantial benefits offering with unique wellbeing, financial and employee recognition programmes.

We pride ourselves on our diverse and inclusive culture and offer a variety of family friendly policies and enhanced leave to help you achieve a healthy work life balance.

By providing significant learning and development opportunities, we encourage individual growth and success throughout your career with us.

• Collaborative working environment – we stand shoulder to shoulder with our clients and our peers through good times and challenges

• We empower all passionate technology loving professionals by allowing them to expand their skills and take part in inspiring projects

• Expleo Academy - enables you to acquire and develop the right skills by delivering a suite of accredited training courses

• Competitive company benefits such as medical and dental insurance, pension, life assurance, employee wellbeing programme, sports and social events, birthday hampers and much more!

• Always working as one team, our people are not afraid to think big and question the status quo.

“We are an equal opportunities employer and welcome applications from all suitably qualified persons regardless of their race, sex, disability, religion/belief, sexual orientation or age”.

At Expleo, we understand that many people experience impostor syndrome throughout their lifetime, please do not let this discourage you from applying for this role. Our Talent Acquisition Team welcomes all CV’s and will consider your application in line with the values, requirements and role competencies.