Junior Programme Manager

Role Summary

The Junior Programme Manager supports delivery of programmes across the Xceedance insurance ecosystem under guidance of senior programme managers focusing on learning programme management fundamentals while assisting with coordination reporting and stakeholder communication to deliver strategic business outcomes across multiple interconnected projects.

Key Responsibilities

Programme Support & Coordination - Assists senior programme managers with programme setup governance and execution activities supporting strategic initiatives spanning multiple projects and teams. Supports coordination across project teams ensuring alignment with programme objectives schedules and dependencies. Facilitates communication between project managers ensuring consistent understanding of programme goals and priorities. Maintains programme governance documentation including charters roadmaps organizational structures and decision-making frameworks. Assists with resource coordination across projects identifying conflicts and optimizing resource utilization.

Interdependency Management - Tracks interdependencies across projects identifying critical paths integration points and potential conflicts. Maintains dependency logs documenting dependencies owners status and resolution plans. Coordinates dependency resolution facilitating discussions between project managers and technical leads. Monitors cross-project impacts ensuring changes in one project are communicated to affected teams. Creates dependency maps and visualizations helping stakeholders understand programme complexity.

Programme Documentation & Reporting - Maintains comprehensive programme documentation including schedules budgets risks issues and decision logs. Consolidates project status from multiple sources creating integrated programme views. Prepares programme status reports and dashboards for stakeholders highlighting progress risks and upcoming milestones. Develops executive presentations tailoring content for senior leadership audiences. Maintains programme repositories ensuring documentation is current organized and accessible.

Risk & Issue Management - Consolidates risks and issues from constituent projects creating programme-level risk and issue registers. Identifies programme-level risks spanning multiple projects requiring coordinated mitigation. Tracks risk mitigation activities ensuring timely implementation and effectiveness. Escalates critical risks and issues to senior programme managers and governance boards. Facilitates risk review sessions with project managers and stakeholders.

Stakeholder Communication - Supports stakeholder engagement maintaining communication plans and tracking stakeholder interactions. Prepares communications including newsletters announcements and change notifications. Coordinates stakeholder meetings including steering committees governance boards and review sessions. Gathers stakeholder feedback ensuring concerns are documented and addressed. Builds relationships with project stakeholders business sponsors and executive leadership.

Budget & Financial Tracking - Assists with programme budget management tracking expenses across projects and consolidating financial reports. Monitors budget utilization identifying variances and forecasting future spend. Supports financial planning activities including budget allocation reforecasting and variance analysis. Tracks programme benefits realization ensuring expected business outcomes are achieved. Prepares financial reports for stakeholders and governance committees.

Governance Support - Supports programme governance structures including steering committees programme boards and working groups. Prepares governance meeting materials including agendas status reports and decision papers. Captures meeting notes decisions and action items ensuring follow-through. Maintains decision logs tracking governance decisions and their implementation. Supports compliance activities documenting evidence for audits and regulatory requirements.

Change Management Support - Assists with change management activities helping stakeholders adapt to programme-driven changes. Supports communications development creating messaging for different stakeholder groups. Coordinates training activities ensuring users are prepared for new systems or processes. Tracks adoption metrics measuring change effectiveness and identifying resistance. Supports organizational readiness assessments identifying capability gaps and improvement opportunities.

Quality & Standards - Ensures programme deliverables meet quality standards coordinating quality reviews and acceptance activities. Supports process improvement initiatives identifying inefficiencies and proposing solutions. Promotes programme management best practices across project teams. Maintains programme templates tools and methodologies supporting consistency. Participates in lessons learned sessions capturing insights for future programmes.

Professional Development - Learns programme management frameworks including Managing Successful Programmes (MSP) Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) and Portfolio Management. Develops understanding of insurance business strategy digital transformation and technology platforms. Participates in training programs building programme management capabilities. Seeks mentorship from senior programme managers learning through observation and coaching. Pursues programme management certifications including PgMP MSP Practitioner or SAFe certifications.

Required Skills

Programme Management Fundamentals - Understanding of programme vs project management differences programme lifecycle (identification definition delivery closure) benefits management programme governance structures and stakeholder management.

Frameworks & Methodologies - Familiarity with Managing Successful Programmes (MSP) understanding of Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) for large-scale initiatives Agile programme management approaches and portfolio management basics.

Coordination & Planning - Managing interdependencies across projects consolidating schedules and roadmaps resource coordination across teams and cross-project communication.

Financial Management - Basic budget tracking and forecasting understanding financial reports cost-benefit analysis fundamentals and benefits realization tracking.

Tools & Systems - Microsoft Project (programme-level scheduling) Excel (financial tracking reporting analysis) PowerPoint (executive presentations) Azure DevOps or Jira (portfolio views dependency tracking) and programme dashboards.

Communication Skills - Executive communication and reporting preparing stakeholder presentations writing programme documentation facilitating meetings and workshops and influencing without authority.

Insurance Domain - Understanding insurance business strategy awareness of industry trends and challenges familiarity with digital transformation initiatives in insurance and knowledge of regulatory environment.

Required Experience

One to three years in project coordination project management or programme support roles demonstrating multi-project coordination capabilities. Exposure to Agile methodologies including Scrum Kanban or SAFe. Experience supporting large initiatives involving multiple teams or workstreams. Demonstrated organizational skills managing complex information and multiple priorities. Evidence of strong communication skills working with senior stakeholders. Preference for candidates with insurance financial services or technology industry experience supporting strategic initiatives.

Required Certifications

PRINCE2 Foundation CAPM (Certified Associate in Project Management) PSM I (Professional Scrum Master) or actively pursuing certification. Valuable additions include PgMP (Program Management Professional) MSP Foundation or Practitioner SAFe certifications (SA POPM) or CSM (Certified ScrumMaster).

Key Competencies

Strategic Thinking - Understanding how projects contribute to programme objectives seeing connections between initiatives thinking beyond individual project boundaries and aligning activities with strategic goals.

Organizational Excellence - Managing complex programmes with multiple moving parts maintaining detailed documentation coordinating across diverse teams and keeping stakeholders informed.

Communication & Influence - Engaging effectively with senior stakeholders preparing executive-level communications facilitating cross-team collaboration and building consensus.

Analytical Skills - Consolidating information from multiple sources identifying patterns and trends analyzing programme performance and presenting insights clearly.

Adaptability - Managing ambiguity and change adjusting plans as circumstances evolve maintaining focus amid complexity and remaining flexible in dynamic environments.