The Sr. Program Manager is responsible for leading/supporting cross functional strategic priority programs and projects within financial budget, scope and on time delivery.. They will be responsible for program/project management activities in compliance with Project Management Methodologies and best practices which include building, managing and implementing project plans and deliverables, stakeholder analysis, risk management, resource alignment, managing project work plans and teams, developing project communications, tracking project progress, and communicating project status to key project members/stakeholders and performing project post mortems. 

The type of programs/projects that this role will be driving/supporting include, but are not limited to, software acquisition/development, business transformation, enterprise level cross functional process improvement projects, senior leadership sponsored priorities and revenue driving programs. The position occasionally requires managing the UAT (User Acceptance Testing) portion of tech based projects. The position will partner with external vendors and IT in support of project/program delivery. This position has an expectation of managing multiple projects simultaneously which all relate to larger strategic enterprise programs. 

Essential Job Functions

Program Vision, Documentation and Communication

• Responsible for defining the vision, scope, and objectives of the program, which is a collection of interdependent projects that share a common goal. 
• They also communicate the program vision to the stakeholders, sponsors, project managers, and teams involved in the program. 
• They ensure that everyone understands the expected outcomes, benefits, and risks of the program, and how their contributions fit into the bigger picture.

Program Planning and Cross Portfolio Coordination

• A senior program manager is responsible for planning and coordinating the program activities, such as budgeting, resourcing, scheduling, monitoring, reporting, and controlling. 
• They will act as a program manager and work with other program resources to define the dependencies, milestones, deliverables, and quality standards for each project. 
• They also track and manage the program risks, issues, changes, and dependencies across the portfolio. 
• They ensure that the program activities are executed according to plan and within the constraints of time, cost, and scope.

Program/Project Team Leadership

• The senior program manager is responsible for leading and supporting indirect program team members and stakeholders, which consist of project managers, development teams, and other program staff. 
• They provide guidance, direction, coaching, and feedback to the program teams. 
• They also facilitate collaboration, communication, and coordination among the program teams and other stakeholders. 
• They resolve conflicts, escalate issues, and negotiate trade-offs within and across the projects. They foster a culture of trust, accountability, and excellence within the program.

Program/Project Leadership. 

• A senior program manager is responsible for demonstrating program leadership, which is the ability to inspire, influence, and motivate others to achieve the program vision and objectives. 
• They demonstrate a clear and compelling vision, a strong sense of purpose, and a high level of confidence and credibility. 
• They also demonstrate strategic thinking, decision making, problem solving, and innovation skills. 
• They influence the organizational culture, strategy, and policies to support the program. 
• They also mentor, coach, and develop other program and project managers in maturing overall program/project methodologies improving overall delivery.

Program Evaluations and Performance Monitoring

• The senior program manager is responsible for evaluating and optimizing the program performance, which is the measure of how well the program delivers the expected value and benefits to the organization and customers. 
• They collect and analyze data and feedback from the program activities, stakeholders, and customers. 
• They report on the program progress, status, and outcomes to the sponsors and senior management. 
• They also identify and implement opportunities for improvement, innovation, and learning within the program.

Manages Stakeholder Relationships

• A senior program manager is responsible for managing stakeholder relationships, which are the interactions and expectations of the people who have an interest or influence on the program. 
• They identify and engage the key stakeholders, such as sponsors, senior management, customers, vendors, and regulators. 
• They understand their needs, interests, and concerns, and align them with the program vision and objectives. 
• They also communicate regularly and transparently with the stakeholders, and manage their expectations and satisfaction.

Performs other duties as needed 

• Demonstrates and applies broad knowledge of business acumen, practices & procedures.
• Participates in continuous improvement and/or Business Transformation initiatives to streamline or improve project processes and delivery for the business. 

Travel Requirements

Up to 50% – Depending on Location

Complexity & Autonomy 

• Level of decision making authority and Autonomy:  Moderate to High
• Ability to make decisions based on knowledge of the operational area, business needs, policies and procedures and project requirements.
• Adjusts and prioritizes workload as needed to meet demands and deadlines.
• Creates and maintains multiple project plans.
• Resolves project barriers.

Organizational Relationships (Partnership) 

• Interacts with peers, staff, Supervisors, Managers, Directors, and Senior Management personnel inside and outside his/her business unit and all merchant facing functions within the organization. Interacts with external business partners/vendors as needed.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree preferred or equivalent experience 
• Training requirements (licenses, programs or certificates):
  • PMP certification required
  • Prosci ADKAR Model Certification Preferred
  • Lean Six Sigma or industrial engineering background preferred
• Strong organizational and interpersonal skills
• Strong problem solving and analytical skills
• Effective presentation and facilitation skills
• Demonstrated understanding and application of management approaches for work direction, motivation, performance management, consultation, including influencing without authority
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Attention to detail, ability to recognize, prioritize and focus on critical tasks
• Strong working knowledge of business systems and departmental processes
• Highly motivated and ability to work independently
• 7 + years project/program management, or related experience·in financial services, implementations, fintech or payments industry. Payments preferred.   

Unless there is a legal requirement, experience will be accepted for the education requirement.