About the Company
We are seeking an experienced IT Programme Director to lead a large-scale, business-critical technology programme within a global financial services organisation. This role will be accountable for delivering complex operations and infrastructure transformation initiatives while also assessing, shaping, and optimising the capability, structure, and performance of the organisation’s operations and infrastructure teams.
About the Role
The successful candidate will combine deep technical operations and infrastructure expertise with strategic leadership, driving both programme execution and organisational maturity across these key services.
Responsibilities
* Programme Leadership & Delivery
* Lead the end-to-end delivery of a major IT programme, ensuring alignment with strategic business objectives.
* Define and implement programme governance, controls, and reporting in line with regulatory and corporate standards.
* Manage programme budgets (multi-million £), timelines, risks, and dependencies.
* Oversee multiple workstreams including cloud, networks, data centres, end-user computing, and security infrastructure.
* Ensure robust stakeholder engagement across executive leadership, business units, and technology teams.
* Drive delivery excellence through structured methodologies (e.g., POM, Agile, Waterfall, hybrid models).
* * Infrastructure Strategy & Transformation
* Assess the current state of operations and infrastructure capabilities, operating model, and organisational design.
* Identify gaps in skills, capacity, processes, and tooling.
* Assist global technology leaders in the development and implementation of a target operating model for operations and infrastructure services aligned to business and regulatory requirements.
* Ensure operations and infrastructure services are scalable, resilient, secure, and cost-effective.
* * Team & Capability Leadership
* Evaluate the effectiveness of existing operations and infrastructure teams (including service, engineering and support functions).
* Recommend and implement improvements to team structure, roles, and responsibilities.
* Coach and mentor senior leaders across operations, infrastructure and programme delivery.
* * Stakeholder Management
* Act as a trusted advisor to CIO, IT Directors and global technology leadership and other senior executives.
* Communicate programme status, risks, and outcomes clearly to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
* Engage with regulators, auditors, and external partners where required.
* Influence decision-making at executive level.
* * Risk, Governance & Compliance
* Ensure all programme and infrastructure activities meet financial services regulatory requirements.
* Establish strong governance frameworks, including risk management and audit readiness.
* Proactively identify and mitigate delivery and operational risks.
Qualifications
* Degree in IT, Computer Science, or related field (or equivalent experience).
* Relevant certifications (e.g., MSP, PRINCE2, PMP, ITIL) desirable.
Required Skills
* Proven experience as a Programme Director or Senior Programme Manager within large, complex organisations.
* Strong background in IT operations and infrastructure e.g., cloud platforms, networks (including branch networks), telco, data centres, end-user computing.
* Experience delivering large-scale transformation programmes (£5m+ budgets).
* Demonstrated ability to assess and redesign organisational structures and operating models.
* Experience working within financial services or other highly regulated industries.
* Excellent stakeholder management skills, including executive-level communication.
* Strong commercial and financial acumen.
* Experience with cloud transformation (AWS, Azure, or GCP).
* Knowledge of IT service management frameworks (e.g., ITIL).
* Familiarity with enterprise architecture practices.
* Experience managing global, distributed teams.
Preferred Skills
* Familiarity with SAP and Snowflake.
Pay range and compensation package
£1200 + per day
Equal Opportunity Statement
We are committed to diversity and inclusivity.