The Program Director is responsible for the planning, coordination, and delivery of high-visibility, strategically impactful, cross-functional technology initiatives. They directly contribute to the organization's transformation by orchestrating complex programs integrating components of architecture, infrastructure, application development, security, and systems integration.
The incumbent ensures the technological and organizational feasibility of the program, defines the directions, action plans, and key milestones, and coordinates multidisciplinary IT and business teams in a scaled agile environment. This individual acts as an influential leader with senior management, IT governance bodies, and external partners.
Their role is to ensure the organization, direction, and control of the human, financial, and technological resources necessary for the delivery of one or more large-scale, strategic, and highly innovative IT programs. They are responsible for the program's master plan and act as the central point of contact between IT teams, business units, technology vendors, and decision-making bodies.
Main Responsibilities
- Develop, maintain, and execute the IT program's master plan, taking into account technological challenges, architectural dependencies, system complexity, stakeholders, and alignment with other IT programs and roadmaps.
- Lead high-visibility technology initiatives with a structural impact on platforms, core systems, enterprise architecture, and digital capabilities.
- Ensure the alignment of technology deliverables with business objectives, IT strategy, and architecture, security, and governance standards.
- Supervise and coordinate multidisciplinary teams (architecture, development, infrastructure, cybersecurity, data, IT operations) within a matrix and scaled agile environment (SAFe).
- Provide influential leadership to IT managers, architects, product managers, and business teams to facilitate decision-making and the prioritization of technology needs.
- Oversee change management (scope, solutions, resources, budget, timeline) and ensure adherence to IT governance practices, methodology, and quality standards.
- Develop and maintain technology risk analyses (architecture, integration, security, performance, technical debt) and mitigation strategies.
- Ensure rigorous and integrated accountability to the sponsor, IT governance committees, and decision-making bodies. - Represent the organization in relationships with technology suppliers and partners, including negotiating and managing contractual agreements.
- Manage a major IT program or several simultaneous technology initiatives, with IT project managers reporting to you.
Requirements
Skills:
- Influential leadership and ability to mobilize IT and business teams around common objectives
- Excellent planning, coordination, and technological complexity management skills
- Strong communication and IT concept explanation skills for senior management
- Political acumen, strategic judgment, and ability to thrive in complex and highly governed IT environments
- Ability to manage high-profile initiatives under strategic pressure
- Autonomy, proactivity, rigor, organizational skills, and results orientation
- Strong adaptability in digital transformation contexts
Knowledge and skills
- Minimum of 8 years of experience in managing large-scale IT projects and programs
- Significant experience in delivering complex technology programs, including application, cloud, and systems integration environments
- Experience with scaled agile methodologies (SAFe or equivalent) in large organizations
- Experience with strategically complex IT programs ($20 million+ per year)
- Solid understanding of enterprise architecture, information security, integration, and digital transformation challenges
- Knowledge of Clients' IT structure, governance models, platforms, and processes (a major asset)
- PMP, ACP, and SAFe certifications required or highly desirable
- Intermediate level of English (spoken and written)