Programme Manager - Corporate Systems

About Us

The Financial Times ranks among the world’s top news organisations, known globally for its authority, integrity, and accuracy. It aims to provide quality information and services around the globe.

At the FT, curiosity flourishes and ambitious thinking is celebrated. Here, you’re given the opportunity to reach millions, produce work that matters and provide impartial journalism in a polarised world.

In our warm, collaborative culture, you’ll connect with a diverse community of experts who support your growth, career aspirations and wellbeing.

Your future at the FT will be filled with opportunities that challenge and motivate you. With no set path, you’ll uncover new skills and build a career that can take you anywhere.

Develop a newsworthy career at the FT.

Our Commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

We believe in the power of unique perspectives and want all voices in our organisation to be heard, respected, and valued. A supportive workplace is one where employees feel they can be authentic and perform at their highest potential. We are dedicated to eliminating obstacles for everyone, with an emphasis on tackling challenges faced by underrepresented groups.

The Role

We are looking for an experienced Corporate Systems Technology Programme Manager to lead complex, enterprise-wide initiatives across Product & Tech and the wider FT.

This is a hands-on programme leadership role, with an initial focus spanning Oracle Finance technology transformation, Workday platform modernisation and integrations, and business model redesign. You will lead programmes that modernise finance and people capabilities, improve business decision-making and enable scalable business models across the organisation.

You will guide multiple workstreams, teams, suppliers, and interested parties from beginning to end. You will guarantee programmes are well organized, closely managed, and achieved according to agreed objectives, success measures, benefits, and business priorities.

Engaging with business and technology departments, you will offer the programme direction and technical comprehension necessary to bridge Product, Engineering, Data, Cyber Security, Infrastructure, Architecture, and business sectors, transforming complexity into clear strategies, decisions, and outcomes.

Key Responsibilities

• Guide intricate technology and business transformation initiatives from initiation through execution, adoption, and benefits achievement.
• Develop and sustain consolidated programme plans spanning various workstreams, delivery teams, suppliers, and third-party partners.
• Establish effective programme governance, ensuring delivery remains aligned with organisational strategy, investment objectives and agreed outcomes.
• Drive execution through effective planning, decision-making, dependency management, issue resolution and clear accountability.
• Coordinate delivery across business and technology teams, making sure technical constraints, architectural requirements, security considerations, and operational impacts are incorporated in programme plans.
• Lead programme steering committees, governance forums and reporting, providing clear visibility of progress, risks, decisions, financial performance and delivery forecasts.
• Manage programme budgets, forecasts, investment tracking and financial performance, supporting arguments and funding recommendations where required.
• Identify and manage programme-level risks, issues, assumptions and dependencies, developing mitigation and recovery plans where delivery is at risk.
• Lead relationships with third-party suppliers, systems integrators and technology partners, monitoring performance against contractual commitments, achievements and programme outcomes.
• Support commercial and procurement activities, including statements of work and contract negotiations.
• Lead business change, organisational readiness, communications, implementation and adoption activities, supporting business leaders in taking ownership of outcomes and benefits.
• Build trusted relationships with senior business and technology collaborators, facilitating alignment and constructive decision-making when priorities, scope, investment, or risk trade-offs need to be addressed.
• Ensure programmes transition successfully into operational support, business adoption and ongoing value tracking.

Required Skills and Experience

• Extensive experience directing large-scale technology and/or business transformation programs that include multiple interconnected workstreams.
• Broad technology delivery experience, which may include digital products, SaaS platforms, cloud technologies, infrastructure, cyber security, enterprise applications, data platforms or organisational transformation.
• Strong programme planning, governance, financial management, risk management and dependency management skills.
• Experience delivering in Agile, hybrid and/or traditional delivery environments.
• A track record of leading complex cross-functional delivery involving senior business and technology collaborators.
• Experience coordinating third-party suppliers, systems integrators, or technology delivery partners, including delivery within multi-vendor environments.
• Confidence communicating with executive collaborators, steering committees and governance boards, with the ability to turn complex programme information into clear decisions and recommendations.
• Strong commercial insight, including budget and investment oversight and an understanding of benefits and business value realisation.
• Excellent communication, facilitation, influencing and problem-solving skills.
• Professional programme or project management certification such as MSP, PfMP, PgMP or equivalent, with demonstrated ability to apply relevant methods in practice.

Desirable

• Experience in media, publishing, subscription, SaaS or another technology-led organisation.
• Experience delivering enterprise transformation, operating model change or technology modernisation programmes.
• Familiarity with enterprise architecture, cloud platforms, cybersecurity frameworks and modern software delivery practices.

What's in it for You?

Our benefits differ depending on the location, but we are dedicated to offering top-tier perks at all our offices. These include generous annual leave, medical coverage, inclusive parental leave options, discounted gym memberships, and chances to contribute to the community. Full details of our benefits are available here.

We currently operate a hybrid model which requires staff to work onsite 50% of the time, subject to role requirements & regular review. While flexible working requests will be considered, not all patterns are suitable for all roles. We believe this balanced approach supports flexibility and protects our culture, making collaboration and communication easier, building stronger relationships and team cohesion, and supporting peer learning. We reserve discretion on reasonable notice to change this approach either generally or for specific individuals or teams.

Accessibility

We are a disability confident employer and Valuable 500 signatory.

Please inform us if you need any reasonable adjustments or accommodations during the application process or to facilitate your attendance at an interview. Should you wish to discuss your needs or have any inquiries, email [email protected] and a member of our team will gladly assist you.

Further Information

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Candidates should be aware that the use of AI during the application process might be observed to guarantee a fair and transparent hiring procedure for everyone.

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