Director - Corporate Programmes

Key Accountabilities:

• Define the Corporate Program Management Tools, Standards, Methodologies and promote their development in line with du’s internal requirements and best practices. Ensure the application of portfolio management tools and techniques.
• Set up adequate governance bodies and processes for project / program management support. Prepare the multi-year / annual project roadmap. Define Key Operational and Financial KPI’s to be tracked.
• Provide support to Executive sponsors in development of key project deliverables like project scope, objectives, structure and schedule along the project management process
• Regularly conduct status assessments with a forward looking view (execution, budget, dependencies, outcomes, …) and develop a well thought position on what needs to be done
• Prepare regular project reporting, in particular around status (execution, budget, dependencies, outcomes…), issues and risks for Executive Steering Committee meetings, Board presentations and other senior executive boards and committees.
• Provide decision making support to ensure project progress; detects and avoid decisions that are inconsistent with the project’s and corporate objectives
• Facilitate and drive project escalations and prepare associated decision and mitigation proposals
• Manage the portfolio management process in order to advise Executive Management on portfolio decisions in view of company performance compared to agreed KPIs.
• RAID Management - Ensure Risks, Assumptions, Issues and Dependencies are effectively managed
• Track the status of outcomes for the projects under execution and provides support in their achievement (e.g. ensure that regular computation is there, actions are executed if there is a deviation, …)
• Prepare the documentation for the points mentioned above with minimal supervision; presents to the senior stakeholders
• Provide coaching and project management support to staff for projects outside the direct scope of the PMO.
• Track the execution of ExCo actions, decisions and guidance (where required)
• Ensure / track the preparation of CEO / ExCo assigned tasks (where required)
Support continuous development of CPMM, through maintenance of active relationships with official Project Management Bodies (e.g. PMI, PRINCE II). Ensure roll-out and application of CPMM on the ground (coaching and training of senior project managers and Executives / sponsors).

Qualifications, experience, skills and competencies

Education:

• Bachelor degree in business / management and / or Engineering
Master degree in business / management and /or Engineering (Preferable)

Experience:

• Minimum experience of 10 years in management of large scale programs / projects
• Out of which at least 5 years of experience in the telecommunications industry
• Track record of successful major project deliveries
• Background in management consulting (strongly preferable)
• Experience in business (marketing, sales, customer service) and technology domains (IT, network)
• Good understanding of technology trends and their applications
• Proficiency in project and portfolio management tools, standards, concepts and mechanisms
• Track record of in-depth analysis of projects (execution progress, budget utilization, risk assessment, outcome progress, …)
• Track record of executive decision support
• Track record of preparing and presenting end to end presentations for senior stakeholders with minimal oversight
• Experience in stakeholder management
• Experience in change management
Track record of projects delivering outcomes

Skills:

• Very strong conceptual and analytical thinking
• Strategic understanding of how his / her work fits in the corporate priorities
• Strategic understanding of how different projects interact with each other
• Very good co-operation and interpersonal skills
• Strong telecommunications understanding from business & technology topics to corporate functions
• Organizational awareness
• High degree of flexibility
• Demonstration of strong leadership and strategic thinking skills
• Results-driven; outcome orientation
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• High level of personal drive, motivation and initiative
• Independence in execution of responsibilities
• Track record of delivery within high-change environments
• Risk management and resolution
• Change management
• Experience of working within a matrix organization
• Strong understanding of business and technology interactions
• Experience in working with and managing multinational teams, ideally within the GCC
• Experience in Mobile, Fixed, Enterprise and Consumer segments, is an advantage
• Extensive experience working on transformational programs and projects
• Extensive knowledge of project methodologies and practices