Senior IT Program Delivery Manager

Role Overview

The Senior Program Delivery Manager role will provide end-to-end management and oversight for an integrated portfolio of IT projects spanning both Infrastructure and Software Development services. Reporting to the Director of IT Delivery, you will ensure that all technology initiatives – from core infrastructure upgrades (networks, cloud, platforms) to software development projects (AI agents, applications, data systems) – are executed successfully and aligned with the portfolio’s strategic objectives and financial plans.

In this role, you will support the execution of the integrated IT roadmap: you will drive robust governance processes, maintain transparency of portfolio status, and proactively manage risks and interdependencies to ensure successful delivery of IT initiatives across the enterprise.

This position blends project oversight with hands-on project delivery. At any given time you will be responsible for 20 to 30+ projects working with teams with various project management knowledge and skills. You must be able to step back and provide guidance or jump in and take direct control. You will both directly manage projects and mentor other team members by embedding delivery standards and project management best practices into the daily routine. You will also serve as the primary liaison to senior stakeholders, ensuring strong collaboration, managing expectations, and demonstrating how technology delivery is solving business challenges and delivering value. By championing a culture of collaboration, change enablement, and continuous improvement, you will elevate the effectiveness of IT delivery.

Key Responsibilities

• Delivery Model: Enforce a portfolio delivery model from intake through backlog maintenance, prioritization cadence, ongoing standups, story-point estimation to individual task assignments and reporting.
• Direct Project/Program Delivery: Lead the execution of projects and programs of various sizes and complexity. Take ownership of outcomes, drive rigorous planning, execute, monitor and report of the key results. Anticipate and define critical success factors for each initiative beyond the basic measures of time/scope/budget – for example, user adoption rates, performance improvements, or risk reduction – and ensure plans are in place to achieve these success factors. Regularly re-evaluate and adjust plans in collaboration with senior stakeholders to keep the initiatives aligned with evolving strategic objectives and emerging constraints or opportunities.
• Governance, Oversight & Reporting: Support the Delivery Director in implementing a robust governance framework for all delivery initiatives. Establish the standard decision-making forums such as steering committees, progress reviews, deep dives and solution reviews. Provide visibility to executive leadership and stakeholders through regular reports and dashboards on portfolio health, key milestones, risks, issues, and achievements. Ensure compliance with all relevant internal controls, security policies, and regulatory requirements during project execution (e.g., change management, data privacy, audit controls).
• Resource Management & Capacity Planning: Maintain a team-level view of delivery demand and capacity. Work closely with team leads and the delivery director to identify and implement a demand forecast methodology. Analyze capacity, assess resource needs across projects and develop ways to optimize resource utilization. Perform analysis of historical delivery data to identify resource risks and predict future demand.
• Team Building & Development: Champion Calix’s delivery principles grounded in collaboration, accountability, and continuous learning. Ensure that successes are recognized and that learnings from challenges are openly discussed and used to improve future execution. Promote the company’s core values in the way teams work by being customer-focused, striving for excellence, and operating with integrity. Empower teams to make decisions at the appropriate level, while providing oversight and support to keep them on track.
• Continuous Improvement & Innovation: Champion a culture of continuous improvement in how IT projects are delivered. Regularly review processes across projects – from planning and estimation through execution and monitoring – to identify inefficiencies or pain points. Implement lessons learned from past projects by updating methodologies, templates, or checklists so that mistakes are not repeated and successes are replicated. Encourage teams to suggest improvements and experiment with new ways of working (for example, adopting Agile practices in areas that were traditionally Waterfall, or introducing new collaboration tools to improve communication). Drive the transition towards more agile and outcome-oriented delivery models where it makes sense, by incrementally changing processes, roles, and governance to break down silos between the individual IT functions.

Qualifications & Experience

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in Business, Information Systems, Engineering, or a related field is required. A Master’s degree (e.g., MBA or MIS) or other relevant post-graduate qualification is a plus, especially if it includes coursework in project management, technology management, or business strategy.
• Experience: 10+ years of experience in IT project/program delivery or IT operations management. This should include substantial experience managing large-scale, complex projects or programs (spanning multiple teams or functional areas) and a track record of successful delivery. Ideally, experience covers both software development initiatives and infrastructure projects. For example, you may have led enterprise software implementations or product development efforts, as well as overseen infrastructure upgrades, cloud migrations, or IT service improvements. Experience in a transformation environment – such as modernizing legacy systems, driving Agile adoption, or implementing a new operating model – is highly desirable.
• Project Management & Methodologies: Expertise in project management best practices and delivery methodologies. Certification and practical experience in traditional project management (e.g., PMP/PgMP) as well as Agile methodologies (Scrum, Kanban, SAFe) is expected. You should understand when to apply iterative development vs. when a predictive approach is more suitable, and how to blend them in a hybrid model if needed. Strong familiarity with the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) for managing application projects, and with ITIL/IT Service Management practices for infrastructure operations. Hands-on experience implementing or running projects with Agile frameworks (as a Scrum Master or Product Owner) is a plus, as is experience with DevOps practices for integration of development and operations. Proficiency in project portfolio management tools and project management software (e.g., MS Project, JIRA, Confluence, or similar) is required for planning and tracking.
• Technical Acumen: Broad technical knowledge across IT disciplines is a plus. You should possess a solid understanding of enterprise infrastructure components (networks, servers, cloud computing, cybersecurity, databases, etc.) as well as software development concepts (application architectures, databases, APIs, integration, user experience, etc.). While you need not be an engineer, you must be comfortable discussing and guiding technical trade-offs – for instance, understanding the implications of a cloud vs on-prem deployment, or the challenges of integrating data across systems. Familiarity with modern tech stacks and tools is expected: e.g., LLMs, AI Agents, cloud platforms (Azure, AWS or Google Cloud), modern programming frameworks, data analytics platforms, and DevOps toolchains (CI/CD pipelines, containerization, automation tools). More importantly, you must be adept at quickly learning new technologies and guiding teams in applying technology in ways that deliver business value.
• Communication & Stakeholder Management: Excellent communication skills – both written and verbal – are required. You must be adept at communicating with a range of stakeholders: from technical team members up to C-level executives. This includes the ability to distill complex project statuses or technical issues into clear, concise updates for senior leaders. It also includes strong listening skills and empathy to truly understand stakeholder concerns and requirements. Experience preparing and delivering executive presentations, steering committee reports, or client briefings is expected. You should have a confident and professional presence, able to influence and negotiate when scope, schedule, or resources need adjustment, and capable of securing stakeholder buy-in for key decisions. Managing client expectations and achieving high client satisfaction (especially if you have consulting or vendor-side experience) is a plus, demonstrating that you can deliver not just outputs but also a positive partnership experience.
• Problem-Solving & Decision-Making: Proven strength in analytical thinking and problem-solving. In this role, you will encounter complex problems – from major project risks that threaten timeline, to conflicting priorities among stakeholders, to technical roadblocks – and you must structure these problems and guide teams to viable solutions. A track record of decisive and effective decision-making in the face of uncertainty or pressure is important. You should be comfortable using data and metrics to inform decisions (e.g., using burn-down charts, risk registers, financial reports) but also know when to trust your experience and intuition. The ideal candidate can balance attention to detail with the big picture, ensuring that important details are managed while not losing sight of strategic goals. Being unfazed by complexity and ambiguity is key– you approach such situations as challenges to be managed methodically, rather than become overwhelmed.
• Certification & Training: Project or Program Management Professional (Pg/PMP), Certified Scrum Master, PMI-ACP, or SAFe Agilist are required. ITIL or ITSM certification would be useful to show knowledge of service management best practices, and Lean SixSigma is beneficial for continuous process improvement. Any certifications in cloud technologies or architecture (AWS, Azure, etc.) or in specific enterprise systems could also be a plus, demonstrating technical breadth. A commitment to ongoing professional development – staying current with evolving practices in program management, leadership, and technology – will set you apart.
• Values & Work Ethic: A strong alignment with professional and ethical standards. You should have a reputation for integrity, accountability, and doing what’s right – including handling confidential information with care. The role requires resilience and a positive attitude: a sense of urgency and optimism to tackle challenges head-on and inspire the team. You strive for excellence in all deliverables and set high-quality standards for yourself and others. You are willing to support the team in whatever capacity is needed to achieve success, rather than just delegating from above.