Programme Manager (Core Banking)

We are seeking a highly experienced Programme Manager to join a major Core Banking Transformation Programme within a leading financial services organisation. This is a senior leadership position with full accountability for the successful delivery of a large-scale Core Banking modernisation initiative, including end-to-end ownership of the integration strategy, execution, and migration of core banking capabilities across savings and lending products. The role will be pivotal in driving the Bank's transformation agenda, replacing and modernising legacy core banking platforms while ensuring seamless integration across the wider technology estate.

The successful candidate will have a proven track record of leading complex Core Banking transformation programmes from inception through to delivery, with demonstrable experience managing large-scale banking platform implementations, migrations, and integrations within highly regulated financial services environments. This is not solely a programme governance role. We are specifically looking for a hands-on transformation leader who has owned the full lifecycle of a Core Banking programme, including business case development, RFP creation and execution, vendor selection, target architecture alignment, implementation, integration, migration, testing, deployment, and transition into Business-as-Usual operations.

A key requirement is deep experience delivering Core Banking solutions supporting Savings and Lending products , including customer onboarding, account servicing, lending lifecycle management, interest calculations, payments, collections, and regulatory reporting. Candidates must have successfully delivered complex product migrations and integration programmes involving multiple internal systems, third-party providers, digital channels, data platforms, and regulatory ecosystems. The successful individual will assume full ownership of the Core Banking integration landscape, ensuring the target platform is effectively integrated with surrounding applications including digital banking channels, CRM, payments platforms, data warehouses, finance systems, regulatory reporting solutions, customer servicing platforms, and external third-party services.

Experience managing complex API-led, event-driven, middleware, and cloud integration architectures is highly desirable. The Programme Manager will be responsible for establishing and maintaining programme governance, integrated planning, financial management, dependency management, RAID controls, executive reporting, and stakeholder engagement across business, operations, technology, architecture, risk, compliance, and external delivery partners. You will act as the senior delivery authority across the programme and be accountable for ensuring all workstreams remain aligned to strategic objectives, regulatory obligations, and operational readiness requirements.

Experience leading formal procurement activities is essential. Candidates should have significant experience developing and managing RFP (Request for Proposal) processes , evaluating Core Banking vendors, supporting commercial negotiations, and selecting implementation partners. Experience working with leading Core Banking platforms such as iGTB , Temenos Transact (T24) , Thought Machine Vault , Mambu , Finacle , FIS Profile , Oracle FLEXCUBE , Finastra Essence , Finastra Fusion Phoenix , or similar modern banking platforms would be highly advantageous.

The role requires a leader who can bridge strategy and execution. You will work closely with executive stakeholders to define and deliver the future-state operating model while ensuring transformation activities remain aligned to business objectives, customer outcomes, operational efficiency, and long-term scalability. Experience in Target Operating Model (TOM) design and implementation is highly desirable. Candidates who have led TOM development alongside Core Banking transformation programmes, including process redesign, organisational change, service model definition, operating governance, and capability uplift, will be viewed particularly favourably.

We are looking for a senior Programme Manager with extensive experience delivering large-scale banking transformation programmes, exceptional stakeholder management skills, and a proven ability to lead multidisciplinary teams through complex organisational and technology change. Experience across both Agile and Waterfall delivery methodologies, MSP, SAFe, and hybrid delivery environments would be beneficial. This is an initial 12-month contract offering a unique opportunity to lead one of the organisation's most strategically important transformation programmes, driving the modernisation of Core Banking capabilities and enabling the future growth of the Bank.