Job Title

*The Candidate should be willing to move to Malaysia*Immediate joiners are preferredRole Overview :The Senior Program Director is responsible for leading and coordinating a portfolio of IT programs and projects within the financial services domain, ensuring alignment with business objectives, regulatory requirements, and technology strategy. This role oversees several Program Managers and Project Managers, provides governance, drives delivery excellence, and ensures that all projects within the program meet scope, schedule, budget, and quality expectations.The role will also function as the Head of PMO, responsible for establishing and driving enterprise program governance, delivery standards, reporting frameworks, and portfolio oversight across multiple strategic initiatives.The role also involves managing large transformation initiatives involving Global System Integrators (GSIs), application modernization, and cloud migration programs. Deep domain knowledge in General Insurance and Motor Insurance is required to lead and oversee multiple concurrent projects and large-scale technology transformation initiatives within the insurance domain.Key ResponsibilitiesProgram Leadership & GovernanceLead a multi-project program consisting of several concurrent IT projects within insurance or financial technology domains.Provide direction, support, and performance management to assigned Program Managers and Project Managers.Establish program governance frameworks, reporting structures, and delivery standards.Ensure compliance with financial services regulatory requirements (e.g., AML, PCI-DSS, MAS/BNM guidelines depending on region).Oversee large-scale programs delivered through Global System Integrators (GSIs) and ensure vendor delivery quality and accountability.Planning & Delivery ManagementDevelop and maintain integrated program plans covering timelines, dependencies, resources, risks, and budgets.Monitor project progress and drive corrective actions to address issues, delays, or deviations.Coordinate cross-functional delivery teams including business analysts, developers, QA, infrastructure, security, and vendor partners.Facilitate decision-making across stakeholders and escalate critical issues as needed.Oversee delivery of large transformation programs related to application modernization and cloud migration.Stakeholder EngagementServe as the primary point of contact for senior leadership, executive stakeholders, and business sponsors.Present program status, dashboards, financial updates, and risk assessments.Build strong relationships with business units, operations, compliance, technology leads, Global System Integrators (GSIs), and external vendors.Risk, Compliance & Quality AssuranceIdentify, assess, and manage program-level risks, dependencies, and constraints.Ensure project deliverables adhere to internal policies, cybersecurity standards, and regulatory expectations.Conduct program reviews, retrospectives, and continuous improvement initiatives.Ensure transformation initiatives such as application modernization and cloud migration comply with enterprise architecture and security standards.Financial & Resource ManagementOwn program budget planning, forecasting, and cost control.Optimize resource allocation across multiple projects and delivery partners.Support procurement and vendor management activities, including GSI vendor engagement, contract negotiation, and performance evaluation.Qualifications & RequirementsEducation & ExperienceBachelor’s degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, Business, or related field; Master’s degree is a plus.15+ years of experience in IT project/program management, with experience leading large enterprise programs.5+ years in General and/or Motor Insurance domains, with at least 5 years managing Program Managers and Project Managers.Experience in the financial services industry (banking, insurance, fintech, payments) is required.Experience managing programs delivered through Global System Integrators (GSIs).Experience leading application modernization or cloud migration initiatives within large enterprise environments.Technical & Domain SkillsStrong understanding of SDLC methodologies (Agile, Scrum, Waterfall, Hybrid).Knowledge of financial systems such as insurance core systems, digital platforms, risk management systems, or payment platforms.Familiarity with regulatory frameworks and cybersecurity standards in financial services.Understanding of enterprise application modernization strategies and cloud migration approaches.Certifications (Preferred)PMP, PgMP, or PRINCE2Agile certifications (CSM, SAFe, PMI-ACP)ITIL FoundationCloud certifications (AWS / Azure / GCP) – added advantageSoft SkillsExcellent leadership and people management skills.Strong communication and stakeholder engagement abilities.High level of analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making capability.Ability to manage large cross-functional teams and external delivery partners including GSIs.Ability to thrive in a demanding, fast-paced environment.Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)Program delivery on time, within budget, and aligned to scope.Stakeholder satisfaction and business value realization.Regulatory and audit compliance metrics.Team performance and engagement.Effective risk mitigation and issue resolution.Added AdvantageModern Architecture & Engineering ConceptsUnderstanding of microservices architecture, APIs, and integration patterns.Familiarity with cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP), including migration strategies (rehost, refactor, replatform).Knowledge of containerization & orchestration (Docker, Kubernetes, OpenShift).Awareness of DevOps practices, CI/CD pipelines, infrastructure-as-code (IaC).Knowledge of application performance, scalability, and resilience concepts.Experience with modern programming frameworks and legacy stacks (Java, .NET, COBOL, mainframe, etc., depending on environment).Legacy Systems & Transformation ChallengesUnderstanding of monolithic architectures and technical debt.Experience with data migration, schema changes, and modernization of integration layers.Ability to work with SMEs to define modernization paths, carve-outs, and phased migrations.Strategic Planning for ModernizationAbility to define multi-year modernization roadmaps.Experience leading large-scale application modernization or cloud migration programs involving multiple application teams and parallel release streams.Skills in managing dependencies, sequencing workloads, and planning phased rollouts.Risk management around legacy instability, cutover planning, and downtime avoidance.Facilitate cross-squad coordination through Scrum-of-Scrums ceremonies, dependency mapping, and synchronized sprint planning across application, QA, DevOps, and architecture teams.