Programme Director

Programme Director

About Albany Beck

Albany Beck is a specialist Financial Services Consultancy helping institutions deliver complex change and transformation while building the internal capability to sustain it. We combine subject matter expertise with innovative delivery models that help clients scale efficiently, while offering meaningful, long-term career opportunities to our people. At Albany Beck, you’ll be choosing to work with an organisation that’s passionate about your learning journey and committed to your professional and personal development.

Client Deployment Role Description

Albany Beck is seeking an experienced Business Programme Director/Manager to support the second phase of a major platform replacement initiative within one of our Wealth Management clients. The programme is replacing several legacy platforms supporting Banking, Credit, Cash Management, Investments, Custody and Order Management. Following the delivery of the initial Banking and Credit capabilities, the next phase will focus on completing the outstanding Phase 1 activity while commencing the design and build of Investment, Custody and Order Management solutions. The successful candidate will provide senior business programme leadership across strategy, option assessment, data migration, operating model integration and cross-functional delivery. Working closely with executive sponsors, senior business leaders, Technology and Operations teams, you will help define the strategic direction for Phase 2 and ensure that the programme delivers measurable business outcomes. This role requires a strong understanding of Private Wealth or Wealth Management operating models, together with experience delivering complex platform replacement, migration or business transformation programmes.

Key Responsibilities

• Support senior stakeholders in defining the strategic objectives, key results and expected outcomes for Phase 2 of the programme.
• Ensure programme objectives remain aligned with the wider Private Wealth and Wealth Management strategy.
• Lead the assessment of current-state capabilities and future-state options across Cash Management, Investments and Custody.
• Develop clear option assessments covering costs, benefits, delivery timescales, risks and operational impacts.
• Present recommendations to executive sponsors and senior decision-making forums.
• Translate strategic decisions into clear programme plans, priorities and delivery outcomes.
• Platform Replacement & Business Transformation
• Lead the business workstreams associated with the replacement and exit of legacy Private Wealth platforms.
• Support the completion of Banking and Credit capabilities delivered through the first phase of the programme.
• Lead the mobilisation and delivery of Investment, Custody and Order Management workstreams.
• Ensure business requirements, processes, controls and customer outcomes are reflected within the future-state solutions.
• Coordinate dependencies between business, technology, data, operations and external delivery partners.
• Ensure the programme delivers an integrated solution rather than a series of disconnected functional changes.
• Lead the business approach to data migration mapping, validation and reconciliation.
• Coordinate the assessment of data held across existing legacy platforms.
• Define business ownership and accountabilities across data mapping and migration activity.
• Support the development of migration strategies, cutover plans and platform exit criteria.
• Ensure data-quality, control and operational risks are identified and appropriately managed.
• Oversee business readiness for the retirement and decommissioning of legacy platforms.
• Lead business integration activity across Private Wealth functions.
• Assess the impact of platform and process changes on the existing operating model.
• Define future-state processes, roles, responsibilities and interaction models.
• Identify opportunities to simplify processes and improve operational efficiency.
• Ensure alignment across Front Office, Operations, Technology, Risk, Compliance and supporting functions.
• Support the effective transition of new capabilities into business-as-usual operations.
• Support the initiation, planning and delivery of the programme in line with agreed governance standards.
• Establish and maintain integrated programme plans covering milestones, dependencies, risks and critical decisions.
• Ensure programme success criteria, outcomes, budgets and timelines are clearly defined and monitored.
• Provide transparent reporting on programme progress, delivery health and emerging concerns.
• Maintain effective governance while enabling agile and pragmatic decision-making.
• Ensure appropriate business controls, oversight and assurance are embedded throughout delivery.
• Anticipate obstacles to success and establish appropriate contingencies and mitigation plans.
• Build and manage strong relationships with executive sponsors, senior management and functional leaders.
• Work in partnership with senior stakeholders to drive consensus on programme direction and delivery priorities.
• Facilitate complex discussions and resolve conflicting priorities across business areas.
• Provide clear, evidence-based recommendations to support senior decision-making.
• Communicate programme progress, risks and decisions in a concise and commercially focused manner.
• Act as a trusted adviser to sponsors and senior stakeholders throughout the programme lifecycle.
• Provide day-to-day functional leadership across matrix teams spanning multiple business and technology areas.
• Coordinate cross-functional delivery across business, operations, technology, data, risk and control teams.
• Establish clear ownership, accountability and delivery expectations.
• Promote collaboration and effective decision-making across geographically and functionally diverse teams.
• Ensure best practices are adopted across all programme workstreams.
• Maintain delivery momentum in a complex and changing environment.

Key Skills & Experience

• Significant experience leading complex business transformation programmes within Wealth Management, Private Banking or Financial Services.
• Strong understanding of Private Wealth or Wealth Management products, processes and operating models.
• Experience delivering major platform replacement, system migration or legacy transformation programmes.
• Experience across one or more of the following areas: Cash Management, Banking and Credit, Investments, Custody, Order Management
• Strong experience leading current-state assessments and future-state option analysis.
• Proven ability to develop cost-benefit assessments, delivery recommendations and executive-level business cases.
• Experience leading complex data migration, mapping and reconciliation activity.
• Strong operating model and business integration experience.
• Demonstrable programme planning, governance, risk and financial management capability.
• Experience leading large matrix teams across business and technology functions.
• Excellent senior stakeholder management, influencing and communication skills.
• Ability to build consensus and resolve complex issues within senior stakeholder groups.

Desirable Experience

• Direct experience within Private Wealth Management.
• Experience replacing legacy wealth platforms or core banking systems.
• Knowledge of investment, custody or order management platforms and processes.
• Experience supporting the exit or decommissioning of multiple legacy applications.
• Understanding of Front Office, Operations and Technology integration within Wealth Management.
• Experience delivering programmes across international or multi-jurisdictional environments.
• Knowledge of regulatory, conduct and control requirements within Wealth Management.
• Exposure to Agile, Waterfall and hybrid programme delivery approaches.
• Relevant programme management qualifications such as MSP, PRINCE2, PMP or equivalent.