Global Payroll Program Manager

The Program Manager is accountable for planning, governance and overseeing the successful delivery of the program’s output/product.  They are the key point of contact for program management of STRADA’s clients by providing oversight to project managers and other key team members.  The Program Manager establishes the overall plan by integrating the project plans for constituent projects and creating the plans for supporting program functions.  This includes management of scope, schedule, finance, quality, resources, third parties, risk, change and communications, in order to effectively forecast, monitor, manage, and identify program variances. 

Responsibilities

• Manages program efforts from initiation through deployment ensuring that delivery is in accordance with budget, timeline and is of the required quality standards to meet client expectations.
• Defines and leads the project governance and overall program planning efforts by working with the Project Managers, Client, Account Team, and other key Stakeholders.
• Works with the client and Account Team to establish program leadership forums, tracking tools, and change request procedures.  Note:  For ongoing clients, the Program Manager participates, where needed.
• Sets up and maintains (directly or indirectly) the integrated program management tools including cost estimates, resource plans, critical path views, risk mitigation plans, status reports and overall progress metrics and related presentations.  NOTE:  For ongoing clients, this only applies to some clients / some projects.  This is evaluated by client and by project.
• Ensures effective transition to the Ongoing/Operations team.
• Provides leadership and management support to colleagues working on the program.
• Primary escalation point for Project Managers and other team members who need assistance resolving delivery issues.
• Interfaces with the client to facilitate overall governance and to build an effective partnership, where applicable.  Note:  For ongoing, this is limited to a selected group of clients. 
• Works with the other members of the Account Team to provide status updates to the client, the program team, Steering Committees, and other stakeholders.
• Manages and reports on the program financials including providing estimates, the on-going allocation of financial resources and the regular reporting of the state of the project financials.

• Employs and promotes best practice methodologies working within a framework that includes process definition, templates, tools and STRADA standards.
• Ensures project deliverables across the program are within STRADA standards and contracted delivery model.  Make certain any differences are identified, reported, and resolved effectively.
• Develop the team to achieve outcomes acting as a coach and a mentor to develop individuals.
• Create strong morale in the delivery team and manage conflict resolution.
• For ongoing, partner with aligned STRADA Delivery Executives to provide PMO support for assigned portfolio(s) clients, support capacity planning process, manage new resource requests until fulfilled and support talent development via coaching and feedback.
• People Management responsibilities (If required, insert from this LINK)

Accountabilities 

• Ensure compliance to STRADA standards is adhered to across the projects being delivered.
• Ensure issues are escalated through the appropriate channels for support in resolution and to raise senior management awareness.
• Share best practice and key learnings to support continuous improvement.
• Deliver program/project reporting and maintain systems of information in accordance with STRADA’s standards.
• Build relationships at both a transactional and strategic level to support the achievement of key outcomes and joint goals.
• Identify and solution business growth opportunities.
• Develop new approaches and solutions as part of a continuous improvement cycle.
• Support sales and commercial activities, as needed and as part of ongoing change management. 

Competencies

• Building Effective Teams - Open up the world of opportunity, develop networks and blend people into teams where needed. Ensure effective communication, foster open dialogue, encourage people to act responsibly & take accountability for their work, defines success in terms of ‘One Team’. Creates strong morale and spirit in the team.
• Drive Innovation - Be a problem solver. Enable & drive innovation by working with teams to develop new approaches and solutions to problems that have not been previously done. Embrace & support change and suggest implementation strategies. Seek, develop and test unique opportunities for business improvement and/or growth.
• Develop Others - Delegate’s responsibility allowing employees freedom to decide how they will accomplish their goals and resolve issues. Applies sound people management practices, to enable others to deliver, whilst actively provides feedback and coaching to maximize their full potential.
• Grow Client Relationships - Establish and develop effective relationships with clients and gains the trust and respect in developing ideas, proposals, projects and solutions that are mutually & financially beneficial.
• Be Results Oriented - Maintain and apply a broad understanding of the business vision and the STRADA Way of working. Understand financial management principles to ensure decisions are based on this. Establish & embed quality processes, that are repeatable and scalable, to create discipline, accountability & focus whilst driving others to deliver results.
• Commerciality - Drive commercial acumen and ensure adoption of STRADA best practices.
• Technical/Operations - Understand the technical/operational solutions required for delivery.
• Service Operations – Identify skills/support in Service Readiness.
• Project Acumen- Implement and ensure compliance with methodology.
• Strong ability to advocate a creative atmosphere and facilitate entrepreneurial meetings.
• Strong communication skills. Provides information to others both internal and external to the organization; represents the organization to customers and other external sources.
• Strong interpersonal skills to support team building: Builds mutual trust and encourages respect and cooperation among team members.
• Strong ability to develop cooperative relationships to achieve results through a win-win relationship.
• Strong ability to engage others in the attainment of the vision for the future. Influences others by enthusiastically sharing the future vision as a means for them to attain their goals.
• Strong ability to establish alliances with other departments and organizations by recognizing dependencies in order to assess potential partnership and commitment to the program.
• Strong awareness of cultural diversity and can embrace and capitalize those differences; applies knowledge in decision-making process.

Formal Education & Certification

• Bachelor’s degree and/or equivalent work experience required  
• Project Management Professional (PMP) certification (or working toward certification within 12 months) or PRINCE2 certification or equivalent preferred  

Experience

• 11-15 years of project/program management experience.
• Strong practical experience in project management, which was gained through managing large and complex projects.
• Good knowledge and handling of project and program management methodology and techniques.
• Strong leadership and management skills.
• Good knowledge of budgeting and resource allocation procedures.
• The ability to find innovative ways to resolve problems.
• Endorse change, sponsor change initiatives and search for other organizations’ best practices to adopt or modify change.
• Strong ability to identify project risks by defining risk strategies and developing the risk management plan in order to reduce uncertainty throughout the project lifecycle.

We offer you a competitive total rewards package, continuing education & training, and tremendous potential with a growing worldwide organization.
 

DISCLAIMER:

Nothing in this job description restricts management's right to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities of this job to other entities; including but not limited to subsidiaries, partners, or purchasers of Alight business units.