Programme Manager - Finance Ops Transformation

At M&G, our purpose is to give everyone real confidence to put their money to work. With a heritage dating back more than 175 years, we have a long history of innovation in savings and investments, combining asset management and insurance expertise to offer a wide range of solutions.
Our two distinct operating segments, Asset Management and Life, work together to provide access to balanced, long-term investment and savings solutions.
Through telling it like it is, owning it now and moving it forward together with care and integrity; we are creating an exceptional place to work for exceptional talent.
We will consider flexible working arrangements for any of our roles and offer workplace adjustments to ensure you have the support you need to succeed in your role.

Purpose

Reporting to the Change and Transformation Director, this role will lead large-scale Finance Operations transformation programmes comprising multiple interdependent projects and workstreams. The role is accountable for delivering strategic business outcomes, benefits realisation, operating model transformation and organisational change across Finance, Operations, Technology, Risk and external partners, ensuring programmes are delivered safely, efficiently and in line with regulatory and governance requirements.

Key Responsibilities

• Partner with Finance Operations leadership and subject-matter experts to define the target operating model, redesign end-to-end processes and identify opportunities for simplification, standardisation, automation and improved control
• Own the end to end delivery of highly complex Finance transformation projects, identifying key business stakeholders; leading on defining business case, project objectives, scope, resources and agreed set of expected benefits and outcomes.
• Establish and lead programme governance, including Steering Committees, Executive forums and decision-making bodies, ensuring effective escalation and resolution of issues.
• Provide an integrated programme view of delivery activity to assess deliverability, dependencies, capacity constraints and the effective sequencing of change initiatives alongside BAU priorities.
• Identify, manage and influence cross-programme and enterprise-wide dependencies to protect delivery timelines and business outcomes.
• Establish quantified benefit baselines, measures, ownership and tracking arrangements, ensuring benefits are embedded within business plans and sustained following implementation. Hold business sponsors and benefit owners accountable for the delivery and measurement of agreed programme outcomes and benefits.
• Lead from the front to partner with the business to plan and design programmes that are aligned to the organisational strategy and deliver strategic outcomes with a focus on realising the benefits.
• Ensure change impacts, communications, training, engagement and adoption activities are integrated into the programme plan, with clear measures of business readiness and sustained adoption.
• Identify and manage programme risks and implement responses to them, managing delivery constraints and optimising the plans to maximise benefits and minimise risk.
• Be accountable for managing the relevant processes and approvals to secure funding and resources to deliver the programme.
• Accountable for programme financial performance, including business case assumptions, expenditure management, forecasting and benefits tracking.
• Communicate effectively with internal and external stakeholders, challenging decisions where appropriate to ensure a successful programme outcome.
• Ensure the integration of programme outcomes into business-as-usual addresses the operational readiness of users, compatibility of work systems and the realisation of benefits.
• Build and lead a high-performing multidisciplinary programme team, setting clear accountabilities, creating an inclusive delivery culture and addressing performance or capability gaps.
• Identify and apply AI, automation and data-led capabilities to improve programme delivery efficiency, decision-making and business outcomes.
• Communicate programme progress and recommendations to senior stakeholders and governance forums including at Executive level.
• Mentor and coach members of the programme and wider Change COE in project methodology to support their personal development.

Key Skills & Competencies

• Confident and effective communicator (both written and verbal) across all levels of the organisation, including executive and C-suite levels.
• Ability to build and maintain strong relationships with all levels of stakeholder.
• Confident in leading and facilitating complex and large-scale workshops with senior stakeholders, with extensive programme management experience.
• Strong leadership skills with an ability to motivate, influence and constructively challenge where appropriate.
• Demonstrated ability to influence senior executives and challenge constructively in support of strategic outcomes.
• Able to drive change to business practices by working effectively across a global organization and understanding different perspectives.
• Strong organisational and planning skills with the ability to manage multiple resources, priorities, and deliverables to tight deadlines.
• Strong attention to detail with an ability to anticipate, prioritise and resolve complex issues using a variety of problem solving and analytical skills to ensure the business outcome and benefits are realised.
• Advanced programme budgetary control and financial management.
• Ability to articulate complex issues and offer solutions to ensure the business outcome and benefits are realised.
• Excellent judgment and decision-making skills.

Experience

Essential:

• End-to-end leadership of complex transformation programmes.
• Financial Services transformation experience.
• Business-case development and programme mobilisation.
• Programme financial management.
• Executive and sponsor engagement.
• Delivery across multiple functions and locations.
• Experience in regulated and controlled environments.
• Benefits realisation and business adoption.

Desirable:

• Finance or Financial Operations transformation.
• Process re-engineering.
• AI-enabled transformation or intelligent automation.
• Big Four or equivalent consulting experience.

Qualifications

• Degree or equivalent professional experience.
• PRINCE2, MSP, PMP or equivalent programme/project management qualification preferred.

What we offer:

We’re dedicated to supporting your wellbeing and helping you thrive, both at work and beyond. Our benefits are designed to help you balance your professional and personal life, and financially plan for the future. Our UK benefits include:

• A valuable pension scheme of up to 18% (13% made up of employer contributions and 5% employee contributions).
• Access to our Share Save and Share Incentive Plan, alongside financial wellbeing and support services to help give you real confidence to put your money to work.
• Enjoy 38 days annual leave (including bank holidays), with the opportunity to purchase up to five extra days. Our Time Off When You Need It policy gives you the flexibility - to balance work and personal commitments.
• Our market-leading Inspiring Families policy includes comprehensive support and paid parental leave covering maternity, adoption, surrogacy, and paternity leave - because supporting families is an important part of our inclusive culture.
• Health & Protection cover includes Private Healthcare, Critical Illness cover and Life Assurance for you, with additional family options - for peace of mind.

To explore more about life at M&G and our full benefits offering, visit Life at M&G

At M&G we strive to have a diverse workforce and an inclusive culture, underpinned by our policies and employee-led networks that offer networking, support and development opportunities for the diverse communities our colleagues represent. We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds – across gender, ethnicity, age, disability, sexual orientation and more – including neurodivergent individuals, career returners and those with military service experience.

M&G is proud to be Level 3: Disability Confident Leader under the UK Government Disability Confident employer scheme, and we welcome applications from candidates with disabilities and long-term health conditions. If you would like to participate in the initiative, you will have the opportunity to indicate this on your application.

We are committed to providing an inclusive recruitment process. All candidates have the opportunity to request reasonable adjustments when applying. If you need any additional support at any stage, please contact us at: [email protected]