Senior Project Manager (Insurance - Life)

Role Overview

An opportunity is available for an experienced Senior Project Manager to lead complex, enterprise-scale digital transformation and technology programmes within the life insurance sector in Johannesburg. The role manages the complete project lifecycle from discovery and solution mapping through implementation, testing, deployment and production stabilisation, while ensuring strong governance, customer satisfaction and successful business outcomes.

Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end delivery of multiple insurance technology programmes on time, within budget, scope and agreed quality standards.
• Own project planning, execution, monitoring, financial management, risk mitigation and customer acceptance.
• Manage complex, multi-stream implementations across business and technology teams.
• Maintain project governance covering detailed plans, RAID management, status reporting, steering committee reporting, executive dashboards and change control.
• Manage budgets, forecasting, effort tracking, resource utilisation and profitability.
• Apply Agile, Scrum, Waterfall, Hybrid and iterative delivery methodologies as appropriate.
• Lead implementations involving policy administration, underwriting, claims management, product configuration, business rules, workflow automation, APIs, system integrations and digital customer journeys.
• Coordinate solution architects, business analysts, product owners, developers, QA engineers, DevOps engineers and implementation partners.
• Lead SIT, UAT, production readiness, deployment planning and post-implementation stabilisation.
• Act as the primary delivery contact for senior customer stakeholders and executives.
• Manage risks, assumptions, issues, dependencies, escalations and competing priorities.
• Drive continuous improvement and lessons learned across delivery engagements.

Requirements

• 8–12+ years of project or programme management experience delivering complex enterprise software and technology solutions.
• At least 5 years delivering insurance technology projects.
• Strong life insurance domain experience.
• Experience with policy administration, underwriting, claims management and/or product configuration.
• Strong project planning, governance, financial management, RAID management, executive reporting and steering committee experience.
• Experience leading projects through discovery, implementation, SIT/UAT, deployment and production stabilisation.
• Strong senior stakeholder and customer relationship management capability.
• Experience leading multidisciplinary technology delivery teams.
• Strong knowledge of Agile, Scrum, Waterfall and/or Hybrid methodologies.
• Working knowledge of APIs and microservices, system integration, cloud platforms, digital transformation, workflow automation, low-code platforms and enterprise architecture.
• PMP, PRINCE2, PMI-ACP, Certified Scrum Master and/or SAFe certification is advantageous.
• Johannesburg-based or able to work in Johannesburg as required.