AI Program Manager

JOB PURPOSE:

To lead the end-to-end delivery of strategic AI programs comprising multiple interrelated projects and work streams, ensuring alignment with the bank’s AI strategy and delivery within agreed scope, timelines, budgets, quality, benefits, and governance parameters. The role is responsible for translating the AI strategy and roadmap into coordinated execution plans, managing program-wide priorities and dependencies, and ensuring measurable business outcomes are delivered across the AI portfolio.

Works closely with AI Engineering, Data Science, Product, Governance, Technology, Risk, Finance, business teams, and external partners to coordinate cross-functional delivery, manage complex program risks and dependencies, optimize resources, and maintain effective executive stakeholder alignment. The role also supports portfolio prioritization and governance, drives benefits realization, strengthens program management standards and practices, and provides leadership and guidance to project managers across the AI function.

Description

Roles and Responsibilities

1. Lead the end-to-end delivery of strategic AI programs comprising multiple interrelated projects and workstreams, ensuring alignment with the bank’s AI strategy, business priorities, AI PMO delivery frameworks, governance standards, and stage-gate requirements.

2. Develop and maintain integrated program plans, delivery roadmaps, resource plans, and milestone schedules across the program portfolio, ensuring clear accountability, effective sequencing, and proactive management of cross-project and enterprise dependencies.

3. Lead and coordinate multidisciplinary program teams spanning AI Engineering, Data Science, IT, business, governance, risk, Finance, Procurement, and external partners, driving alignment across workstreams and resolving complex delivery, resource, and dependency issues.

4. Proactively identify, assess, and manage program-level risks, issues, assumptions, and dependencies, maintaining consolidated RAID reporting, driving mitigation and recovery plans, and escalating material risks with clear recommendations to the Head of AI Program Management & Enablement.

5. Provide comprehensive program and portfolio reporting, preparing executive-level dashboards, steering committee packs, and governance updates that provide clear visibility into delivery progress, strategic alignment, budgets, risks, dependencies, resource capacity, and expected business outcomes.

6. Manage and oversee program financials across multiple AI initiatives, including budget planning, expenditure forecasting, vendor costs, financial variances, and funding requirements, working closely with Finance to ensure effective financial governance and investment control.

7. Oversee program scope and change management, ensuring proposed changes are assessed for their strategic, business, technical, financial, resource, and delivery impact across the wider program before being approved through the appropriate governance channels.

8. Lead program governance activities, including program steering committees, executive reviews, portfolio forums, and stage-gate assessments, facilitating timely decision-making, documenting outcomes, and ensuring agreed actions and dependencies are effectively managed to closure.

9. Partner closely with AI Product Managers, technology leaders, business executives, and functional stakeholders to align strategic priorities, product roadmaps, implementation plans, and operational readiness activities across the AI program portfolio.

10. Drive program-level benefits realization, collaborating with business stakeholders to define measurable outcomes, establish benefit ownership, track value delivery across initiatives, and ensure expected financial, operational, customer, and strategic benefits are achieved and sustained.

11. Oversee resource and capacity planning across the AI program, identifying competing priorities, capability gaps, and resource constraints, and recommending allocation or sequencing decisions to optimize delivery across the portfolio.

12. Manage strategic relationships with external vendors, implementation partners, and specialist providers supporting the AI program, monitoring performance, deliverables, dependencies, contractual commitments, and escalation requirements.

JOB PURPOSE:

To lead the end-to-end delivery of strategic AI programs comprising multiple interrelated projects and work streams, ensuring alignment with the bank’s AI strategy and delivery within agreed scope, timelines, budgets, quality, benefits, and governance parameters. The role is responsible for translating the AI strategy and roadmap into coordinated execution plans, managing program-wide priorities and dependencies, and ensuring measurable business outcomes are delivered across the AI portfolio.

Works closely with AI Engineering, Data Science, Product, Governance, Technology, Risk, Finance, business teams, and external partners to coordinate cross-functional delivery, manage complex program risks and dependencies, optimize resources, and maintain effective executive stakeholder alignment. The role also supports portfolio prioritization and governance, drives benefits realization, strengthens program management standards and practices, and provides leadership and guidance to project managers across the AI function.

Description

Roles and Responsibilities

1. Lead the end-to-end delivery of strategic AI programs comprising multiple interrelated projects and workstreams, ensuring alignment with the bank’s AI strategy, business priorities, AI PMO delivery frameworks, governance standards, and stage-gate requirements.

2. Develop and maintain integrated program plans, delivery roadmaps, resource plans, and milestone schedules across the program portfolio, ensuring clear accountability, effective sequencing, and proactive management of cross-project and enterprise dependencies.

3. Lead and coordinate multidisciplinary program teams spanning AI Engineering, Data Science, IT, business, governance, risk, Finance, Procurement, and external partners, driving alignment across workstreams and resolving complex delivery, resource, and dependency issues.

4. Proactively identify, assess, and manage program-level risks, issues, assumptions, and dependencies, maintaining consolidated RAID reporting, driving mitigation and recovery plans, and escalating material risks with clear recommendations to the Head of AI Program Management & Enablement.

5. Provide comprehensive program and portfolio reporting, preparing executive-level dashboards, steering committee packs, and governance updates that provide clear visibility into delivery progress, strategic alignment, budgets, risks, dependencies, resource capacity, and expected business outcomes.

6. Manage and oversee program financials across multiple AI initiatives, including budget planning, expenditure forecasting, vendor costs, financial variances, and funding requirements, working closely with Finance to ensure effective financial governance and investment control.

7. Oversee program scope and change management, ensuring proposed changes are assessed for their strategic, business, technical, financial, resource, and delivery impact across the wider program before being approved through the appropriate governance channels.

8. Lead program governance activities, including program steering committees, executive reviews, portfolio forums, and stage-gate assessments, facilitating timely decision-making, documenting outcomes, and ensuring agreed actions and dependencies are effectively managed to closure.

9. Partner closely with AI Product Managers, technology leaders, business executives, and functional stakeholders to align strategic priorities, product roadmaps, implementation plans, and operational readiness activities across the AI program portfolio.

10. Drive program-level benefits realization, collaborating with business stakeholders to define measurable outcomes, establish benefit ownership, track value delivery across initiatives, and ensure expected financial, operational, customer, and strategic benefits are achieved and sustained.

11. Oversee resource and capacity planning across the AI program, identifying competing priorities, capability gaps, and resource constraints, and recommending allocation or sequencing decisions to optimize delivery across the portfolio.

12. Manage strategic relationships with external vendors, implementation partners, and specialist providers supporting the AI program, monitoring performance, deliverables, dependencies, contractual commitments, and escalation requirements.

Qualifications & Experience:
 Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Computer Science, Engineering, Information Systems, or a related field.
 12+ years of experience in program management, project management, or technology delivery, including at least 5 years leading complex AI, data, advanced analytics, or digital transformation programs across multiple projects and cross-functional teams.
 Demonstrated experience managing the full program lifecycle for large-scale technology or AI initiatives, including integrated planning, portfolio coordination, dependency management, financial oversight, risk and issue management, executive stakeholder reporting, governance, and benefits realization.
 Solid understanding of both waterfall and agile delivery methodologies, with practical experience applying each in appropriate contexts and managing hybrid delivery environments.
 Experience working in financial services or regulated industries, with familiarity with governance requirements, change management processes, and compliance obligations for technology programs.
 Proficiency in project management tooling such as MS Project, Jira, or equivalent.
 Recognized project management certification (PMP or equivalent) is required; agile certifications (PMI-ACP, Certified Scrum Master, or equivalent) are advantageous.

Skills:
 Strong project and program delivery leadership skills, with the ability to lead complex, cross-functional AI initiatives, manage multiple concurrent projects, optimize resource utilization and maintain delivery discipline.
 Advanced risk, issue, and governance management skills, with the ability to proactively identify strategic delivery risks and dependencies, assess business and operational impacts, and develop effective mitigation strategies.
 Clear and structured communication skills, with the ability to produce well-organized project status reports, steering committee materials, and stakeholder communications tailored to technical and non-technical audiences.
 Collaborative working style, with the ability to coordinate across engineering, data science, product, business, and governance teams and maintain alignment across diverse delivery stakeholders.
 Strong stakeholder management skills, with the ability to manage expectations, facilitate difficult conversations, and maintain trust across project stakeholders at different seniority levels.

Qualifications & Experience:
 Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Computer Science, Engineering, Information Systems, or a related field.
 12+ years of experience in program management, project management, or technology delivery, including at least 5 years leading complex AI, data, advanced analytics, or digital transformation programs across multiple projects and cross-functional teams.
 Demonstrated experience managing the full program lifecycle for large-scale technology or AI initiatives, including integrated planning, portfolio coordination, dependency management, financial oversight, risk and issue management, executive stakeholder reporting, governance, and benefits realization.
 Solid understanding of both waterfall and agile delivery methodologies, with practical experience applying each in appropriate contexts and managing hybrid delivery environments.
 Experience working in financial services or regulated industries, with familiarity with governance requirements, change management processes, and compliance obligations for technology programs.
 Proficiency in project management tooling such as MS Project, Jira, or equivalent.
 Recognized project management certification (PMP or equivalent) is required; agile certifications (PMI-ACP, Certified Scrum Master, or equivalent) are advantageous.

Skills:
 Strong project and program delivery leadership skills, with the ability to lead complex, cross-functional AI initiatives, manage multiple concurrent projects, optimize resource utilization and maintain delivery discipline.
 Advanced risk, issue, and governance management skills, with the ability to proactively identify strategic delivery risks and dependencies, assess business and operational impacts, and develop effective mitigation strategies.
 Clear and structured communication skills, with the ability to produce well-organized project status reports, steering committee materials, and stakeholder communications tailored to technical and non-technical audiences.
 Collaborative working style, with the ability to coordinate across engineering, data science, product, business, and governance teams and maintain alignment across diverse delivery stakeholders.
 Strong stakeholder management skills, with the ability to manage expectations, facilitate difficult conversations, and maintain trust across project stakeholders at different seniority levels.