Programme Manager
Posted 2 weeks ago by Experis UK
Negotiable
Undetermined
Undetermined
Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom
Summary: The Programme Manager will provide full-time, on-site leadership for the successful implementation of Microsoft Dynamics CRM, ensuring effective collaboration and risk management. This role involves daily ownership of project delivery, stakeholder engagement, and maintaining high-quality outputs. The manager will work closely with internal teams and external systems integrators to ensure project alignment and accountability. The position requires a strong focus on governance and the ability to navigate complex environments while maintaining stakeholder confidence.
Key Responsibilities:
- Lead the programme from the client side, providing daily, hands-on ownership of delivery.
- Chair and coordinate SteerCo sessions, ensuring readiness, high-quality content, and strategic alignment.
- Scrutinise and challenge the SI's delivery plan, identify gaps, and hold them accountable for deliverables.
- Maintain a detailed programme action log, risk register, and delivery plan.
- Ensure project cadence and discipline-monitoring weekly outcomes, deadlines, and dependencies.
- Work closely with internal stakeholders and up to 20 internal team members, plus 5-6 SI contributors.
- Represent Business Stream professionally in front of C-level stakeholders, ensuring credibility is maintained.
- Oversee quality and consistency in all programme outputs (e.g., SteerCo packs).
- Collaborate with cross-functional teams across Customer Service, Sales, and Marketing as CRM phases roll out.
- Potentially act as a mentor to other project contributors or SMEs joining in future phases.
Key Skills:
- Proven experience leading Microsoft Dynamics CRM programmes end-to-end in complex environments.
- Experience working with and managing external SIs and multi-vendor delivery models.
- Strong stakeholder engagement across technical and business functions.
- Deep knowledge of project governance, change control, risk mitigation, and delivery assurance.
- Ability to pre-empt delivery issues, identify and escalate risks early.
- Comfortable working under pressure with senior leadership visibility.
- Experience working within regulated or highly scrutinised environments.
- Competent in Agile and Waterfall project delivery and able to operate in hybrid environments.
- Gravitas and credibility with senior business leaders.
- Exceptionally detail-oriented - especially for SteerCo and stakeholder materials.
- Collaborative and culturally aligned - not dictatorial, but firm and focused.
- Able to lead with transparency while being commercially and politically aware.
- A natural "connector" who unites delivery teams across organisational boundaries.
Salary (Rate): undetermined
City: Edinburgh
Country: United Kingdom
Working Arrangements: undetermined
IR35 Status: undetermined
Seniority Level: undetermined
Industry: IT
Role Purpose To provide full-time, on-site programme leadership for the successful delivery of Microsoft Dynamics CRM implementation, ensuring cross-functional collaboration, proactive risk mitigation, and disciplined project execution. This leader will represent the companies interests, work closely with the Systems Integrator (SI), and ensure stakeholder confidence at all levels.
Core Responsibilities
- Lead the programme from the client side, providing daily, hands-on ownership of delivery.
- Chair and coordinate SteerCo sessions, ensuring readiness, high-quality content, and strategic alignment.
- Scrutinise and challenge the SI's delivery plan, identify gaps, and hold them accountable for deliverables.
- Maintain a detailed programme action log, risk register, and delivery plan.
- Ensure project cadence and discipline-monitoring weekly outcomes, deadlines, and dependencies.
- Work closely with internal stakeholders and up to 20 internal team members, plus 5-6 SI contributors.
- Represent Business Stream professionally in front of C-level stakeholders, ensuring credibility is maintained.
- Oversee quality and consistency in all programme outputs (e.g., SteerCo packs).
- Collaborate with cross-functional teams across Customer Service, Sales, and Marketing as CRM phases roll out.
- Potentially act as a mentor to other project contributors or SMEs joining in future phases.
Delivery Environment
Technology: Microsoft Dynamics 365 CRM (Customer Service, Sales, Marketing modules)
Methodology: Waterfall-to-Agile hybrid Waterfall for launch; Agile/user stories for ongoing iterative releases
Project Scope: Full CRM replacement and contact centre enablement
Essential Skills & Experience
- Proven experience leading Microsoft Dynamics CRM programmes end-to-end in complex environments
- Experience working with and managing external SIs and multi-vendor delivery models
- Strong stakeholder engagement across technical and business functions
- Deep knowledge of project governance, change control, risk mitigation, and delivery assurance
- Ability to pre-empt delivery issues, identify and escalate risks early
- Comfortable working under pressure with senior leadership visibility
- Experience working within regulated or highly scrutinised environments
- Competent in Agile and Waterfall project delivery and able to operate in hybrid environments
Key Personal Attributes
- Gravitas and credibility with senior business leaders
- Exceptionally detail-oriented - especially for SteerCo and stakeholder materials
- Collaborative and culturally aligned - not dictatorial, but firm and focused
- Able to lead with transparency while being commercially and politically aware
- A natural "connector" who unites delivery teams across organisational boundaries
Preferred
- Previous experience in utilities or public services industries
- Familiarity with CRM-driven contact centre enablement
- Exposure to user adoption, training readiness, or support model design (not essential but valued)