Consulting Program Manager, Vice President

Description

The company's Consulting function leads large, enterprise-wide programs tied to its main strategic priorities. Work can cover strategic transformation, regulatory change, products, operations, technology-enabled change and other enterprise goals, and the team works across the whole organisation.

The function is building up internal program management capability and wants experienced leaders who can run complex programs and deliver lasting business results. As a Consulting Program Manager, Vice President, you will own programs from start to finish, setting up their structure, governance, stakeholder alignment and execution discipline.

The role is hybrid: 4 days onsite and 1 day remote, based in London.

Responsibilities

• Take a program from definition and mobilisation through execution, implementation and delivery.
• Own program outcomes end to end, keeping objectives, scope, milestones, resources, dependencies, risks and deliverables in line with each other.
• Design the program structure, operating rhythm and delivery approach to suit each initiative.
• Lead by doing the delivery yourself or by overseeing others, depending on what the program needs.
• Track measurable business results such as financial benefit, a stronger risk profile, and better client or employee experience where relevant.
• Use lessons from past programs to improve execution and spot problems before they escalate.
• Set up and run program governance: steering committees, working groups, decision forums, executive reporting and escalation paths.
• Work with executive sponsors and senior leaders across business and functional areas to build alignment, drive decisions and keep people accountable.
• Lead senior discussions by turning complex information into clear issues, options, decisions, priorities and actions.
• Adjust how you communicate and engage depending on the audience and situation.
• Scan the whole program for emerging risks, issues, interdependencies and barriers, including ones not yet visible.
• Get ahead of challenges and resolve them before they significantly affect outcomes.
• Join up information across workstreams, functions and stakeholders to uncover hidden issues and dependencies.
• Judge alternatives carefully and decide when to escalate or change approach.
• Build trusted relationships with sponsors, senior business leaders, workstream owners, functional partners and external consultants.
• Lead change across complex stakeholder groups and keep them aligned through delivery.
• Listen closely to spot concerns, competing priorities and resistance that could affect delivery.
• Influence people without direct authority, encourage healthy challenge and debate, and drive decisions and accountability.
• Integrate external consulting partners' work into the wider program.
• Help develop the company's internal consulting and program management capability.
• Move between strategic, regulatory, product, operational, transformation and technology-enabled assignments rather than staying in one specialist area.
• Share practices that improve program delivery across the wider team.

Requirements

• Significant experience personally leading and delivering large, complex programs, with overall accountability for execution and results.
• Proven record of end-to-end ownership, from structuring and mobilising a program through to delivery.
• Experience leading multi-workstream, cross-functional programs with senior stakeholders across several business or functional areas.
• Experience on programs with heavy senior involvement, several functions, significant investment and meaningful business outcomes.
• Strong experience setting up and running program governance, including steering committees, executive reporting, decision forums, escalation and program controls.
• Experience leading and managing change across complex organisations and stakeholder groups.
• Proven ability to manage risks, issues, interdependencies, milestones and competing priorities, anticipating problems before they affect delivery.
• Strong executive presence and clear communication with senior sponsors, business leaders, operations teams, technology partners and external consultants.
• Ability to listen, read stakeholder dynamics, think quickly and adjust your approach to the audience and situation.
• Proven skill at influencing without direct authority, challenging others constructively, handling difficult conversations and driving decisions.
• Sound judgment: connecting information across workstreams, weighing alternatives and making risk-based decisions in ambiguous or changing conditions.
• Enough understanding of technology and operational dependencies to spot likely impacts, ask informed questions and bring in the right subject-matter experts.
• Experience managing and integrating external consulting partners within larger programs.
• Openness to challenge, debate, other perspectives and changing assignments.
• Financial services experience is preferred but not required.
• Consulting or client-facing experience is preferred.
• Experience leading regulatory, strategic transformation, operating-model, product or technology-enabled programs is preferred.
• Big Four or management consulting experience is a plus.
• Project or program management certification is a plus but not required.

Conditions

Hybrid working: 4 days onsite and 1 day remote, based in London.

The company is committed to equal opportunity and fair treatment for all employees.

Benefits

• Inclusive development opportunities.
• Flexible work-life support.
• Paid volunteer days.
• Employee networks.