Program Manager

Job Summary

Steer complex portfolios of life and annuities insurance programs within a global hybrid work environment, ensuring strategic alignment, predictable delivery, and measurable business outcomes. Leverage deep portfolio management and project management expertise to optimize investments, standardize execution practices, and strengthen governance. Partner across business, technology, and operations to improve customer value, enhance risk control, and elevate overall organizational performance.

Responsibilities

• Lead integrated planning and delivery of a multi-year portfolio of programs in the life and annuities insurance domain, ensuring each initiative aligns with strategic business objectives and delivers measurable value to customers and stakeholders.
• Manage portfolio project prioritization and sequencing by using structured analysis of benefits, costs, risks, and dependencies, optimizing resource allocation and improving enterprise performance.
• Provide strong program and portfolio governance by establishing clear structures, defining repeatable processes, and maintaining transparent reporting to enable timely decisions and reduce delivery risk for senior stakeholders.
• Coordinate cross-functional project teams in a hybrid model by setting clear expectations, enabling effective collaboration, and ensuring communication flows between business, technology, and operations to sustain momentum and accountability.
• Drive standardized project management practices across the portfolio by applying industry-recognized methodologies, tailored frameworks, and consistent documentation to improve predictability, traceability, and outcome quality.
• Assess program and project health using quantitative metrics and qualitative insights; track performance against baselines and initiate corrective actions when variances occur to protect timelines, budgets, and scope integrity.
• Manage portfolio risks and issues by proactively identifying potential obstacles, evaluating probability and impact, defining mitigation approaches, and escalating critical concerns early to protect customer commitments and regulatory compliance.
• Work closely with life and annuities business leaders to convert product strategies and regulatory requirements into executable program roadmaps that enhance policyholder experience and support sustainable organizational growth.
• Lead change management activities throughout the portfolio by planning stakeholder engagement, refining communication narratives, and coordinating training and transition efforts to support smooth adoption and operational stability.
• Ensure high-quality delivery of technology and process enhancements by partnering with architects, business analysts, and testing teams to refine requirements, validate solutions, and maintain traceability from business needs to implemented capabilities.
• Focus portfolio initiatives on organizational purpose by improving customer protection, strengthening long-term financial security, and supporting responsible growth of life and annuities offerings in the markets served.
• Optimize portfolio financial performance by monitoring budgets, benefits realization, and operational efficiencies; adjust program scopes or timelines to preserve value while honoring constraints agreed with sponsors.
• Coordinate vendor and partner contributions within the portfolio by defining clear scopes, measuring performance against commitments, and fostering collaborative relationships that improve delivery speed and solution quality.

Qualifications

• Possess extensive experience of two decades or more managing large and complex portfolios and programs, demonstrating mastery of portfolio management techniques and project management disciplines that produce consistent business outcomes.
• Bring deep domain expertise in life and annuities insurance, with strong understanding of products, policy administration processes, regulatory obligations, and customer expectations that influence the design and execution of business initiatives.
• Have advanced proficiency in enterprise program and project management tools and practices, including planning, tracking, risk management, and stakeholder communication capabilities that support coordinated delivery in a hybrid work model.
• Demonstrate strong collaboration skills with senior stakeholders across business, technology, operations, and risk functions using clear communication and structured analysis to support decisions and maintain alignment on portfolio priorities.
• Exhibit solid experience in change management and adoption for large-scale transformations, including communication planning, training coordination, and transition management that help teams and customers embrace new capabilities.
• Show proven financial management capability for portfolios and programs, including budgeting, forecasting, benefit tracking, and cost optimization to ensure investments in life and annuities initiatives deliver expected value.
• Demonstrate a high level of proficiency in problem solving and issue resolution across complex delivery environments using data, judgment, and collaboration to remove obstacles and maintain continuity of program execution.

Certifications Required

PgMP certification from PMI and a recognized insurance domain credential related to life and annuities.