Senior Programme Manager - Contract

SUMMARY:
Senior Programme Manager - Contract

POSITION INFO:
Our Client a global tech firm is seeking a Senior Programme Manager to join their team in Cape town on a contract basis. They offer stability, growth, attractive rates and a great working environment. This role does require some occasional traveling. Costs for traveling and accommodation will be refunded. Summary of Role We are seeking a highly experienced and commercially astute Senior Programme Manager to lead a strategic technology transformation programme involving vendor due diligence, outsourcing, cloud migration, and operational service integration. This role requires a proven \"heavy hitter\" who is comfortable operating at executive and board level, driving complex decision-making processes, and coordinating multiple workstreams across technical, operational, commercial, and vendor stakeholders. The successful candidate will not be expected to be a deep technical specialist but must possess sufficient technical knowledge to confidently challenge vendors, facilitate decision-making, and govern programme delivery. Responsibilities Programme Leadership Lead and govern large-scale transformation programmes from strategy through execution. Establish and maintain a consolidated programme plan across multiple delivery streams. Drive executive-level reporting, governance forums, and steering committee engagement. Ensure programme objectives, timelines, risks, dependencies, and outcomes are effectively managed. Vendor Due Diligence & Outsourcing Lead outsourcing assessments and vendor selection processes. Conduct vendor due diligence and commercial evaluations. Develop and negotiate service agreements, SLAs, OLAs, and contractual performance measures. Manage relationships across internal stakeholders and third-party service providers. Cloud & Infrastructure Transformation Oversee cloud migration initiatives, including cloud-to-cloud transitions (e.g., AWS to OCI or similar environments). Coordinate technical, operational, security, and commercial workstreams throughout migration programmes. Ensure transition plans align with business continuity and operational requirements. Service Integration & Operational Readiness Drive integration of services into ITSM environments, including ServiceNow and related platforms. Establish governance and service management frameworks. Ensure operational acceptance criteria, support models, and service transition activities are completed successfully. Stakeholder & Change Management Act as the central convenor across business, technology, operations, and vendor teams. Influence and align stakeholders in politically sensitive environments. Contract delivery commitments from individual stream owners and integrate them into a single executable programme plan. Manage communications across senior leadership, affected internal teams, and external partners. Offshore Team Coordination Lead and coordinate offshore delivery teams and vendors, particularly India-based service providers. Ensure accountability, performance management, and effective collaboration across distributed teams. Experience 10+ years' experience in programme or project management within enterprise technology environments. Demonstrated experience leading large-scale outsourcing, managed services, or vendor transition programmes. Proven track record performing vendor due diligence and managing complex third-party relationships. Experience delivering cloud transformation and cloud-to-cloud migration programmes (e.g., AWS, OCI, Azure, GCP). Experience developing and managing SLAs, service contracts, and operational governance frameworks. Experience integrating operational services into ITSM platforms, preferably ServiceNow. Experience managing offshore delivery teams and global vendors. Proven ability to engage and influence executives, senior leadership teams, and board-level stakeholders. Qualifications Matric and Degree in Information Technology, Engineering, Commerce, or related discipline. PMP, Prince2, MSP, Agile, or equivalent programme management certification. ITIL certification advantageous. Experience within large enterprise or regulated environments preferred.