Program Manager

About The Job:

• Experience (Relevant): 12 15 Years
• Shift Timings: 12 PM 9 PM IST
• We are looking for a senior high-impact Program Manager to support a strategic transformation initiative at S&P. The role will report to the Procurement Leader and will work closely with senior technology and business stakeholders including the CIO CTO and their leadership teams.
• This is not a traditional project management or PMO role.
• The successful candidate must combine strong technology understanding commercial acumen financial services domain knowledge and executive presence.
• A key responsibility will be to independently assess and challenge technology effort estimates staffing assumptions timelines delivery models and associated costs presented by technology organizations and partners.
• The individual should be comfortable constructively challenging senior executives asking the right questions and using data benchmarks and structured analysis to substantiate recommendations.

Essential Job Functions:
Technology Effort & Estimate Challenge

• Independently review and challenge technology effort estimates resource requirements delivery timelines and cost assumptions.
• Assess whether proposed estimates are reasonable based on scope complexity architecture dependencies team composition and delivery approach.
• Challenge assumptions from CIO/CTO organizations and technology partners where estimates appear overstated understated or insufficiently substantiated.
• Develop fact-based should-cost / should-effort perspectives using historical data productivity benchmarks and comparable programs.
• Identify opportunities for effort optimization productivity improvement role rationalization and cost avoidance.
• Ensure estimates appropriately consider automation reuse engineering productivity and alternative delivery approaches.

Executive Stakeholder Management

• Engage directly with CIO CTO and senior technology leadership on complex and potentially contentious topics.
• Demonstrate executive presence and confidence to constructively challenge senior stakeholders rather than simply accept submitted estimates or plans.
• Ask probing questions test assumptions and bring alternative perspectives while maintaining strong stakeholder relationships.
• Translate detailed technology discussions into concise fact-based recommendations for executive decision-making.
• Facilitate discussions across Procurement Technology Finance Business and vendor organizations to drive alignment.

Commercial & Procurement Support

• Partner closely with Procurement leadership in evaluating major technology initiatives sourcing decisions and vendor proposals.
• Provide an independent perspective on effort staffing rate cards commercials and overall value for money.
• Evaluate proposed delivery models including onshore/offshore mix pyramid structures specialist roles and vendor staffing.
• Support negotiations by identifying areas where scope effort staffing or commercials can be challenged and optimized.
• Help establish stronger governance and transparency around technology investment decisions.

Program & Transformation Governance

• Provide senior-level oversight across large and complex technology programs.
• Establish clear governance around scope estimates milestones dependencies risks financials and outcomes.
• Identify early warning indicators related to cost escalation schedule slippage resource overallocation or scope expansion.
• Drive resolution of cross-functional issues involving Technology Business Procurement and external partners.
• Ensure that investment and delivery decisions remain aligned with expected business outcomes.

Financial Services / Capital Markets Experience (Good to Have)

• Capital Markets / Investment Banking.
• Market Data and Financial Information Services.
• Trading Platforms and Front-to-Back Trade Lifecycle.
• Risk Pricing and Analytics Platforms.
• Reference and Market Data.
• Clearing Settlement and Post-Trade Processing.
• Regulatory and Compliance Platforms.
• Data Platforms and Cloud Modernization.
• Enterprise Technology Transformation within large financial institutions.
• The candidate does not need to be a hands-on technologist but should possess sufficient technology and domain depth to credibly challenge engineering and technology leadership.

Qualifications:
Required Experience & Skills

• 1215 years of professional experience across technology transformation program management technology strategy consulting procurement advisory or commercial governance.
• Strong experience working within Banking Financial Services and/or Capital Markets organizations.
• Demonstrated experience managing or governing large-scale complex technology programs.
• Strong understanding of technology delivery estimation including effort resource pyramid productivity timelines and cost drivers.
• Ability to evaluate estimates across application development modernization data cloud infrastructure and transformation programs.
• Strong commercial orientation with the ability to connect technology effort to cost and business value.
• Experience reviewing vendor proposals SOWs staffing models and technology commercials.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to build a defensible quantitative rationale for challenging estimates.
• Experience working with geographically distributed teams and global technology organizations.

Critical Leadership Attributes

• Executive Presence: Comfortable engaging directly with CIOs CTOs and senior executives while maintaining an independent point of view.
• Constructive Challenger: Willing to question established thinking and push back when assumptions are not sufficiently supported while remaining objective and collaborative.
• Fact-Based Influencer: Uses data benchmarks comparable programs and structured reasoning to explain why estimates should be reconsidered and recommend realistic alternatives.
• Technology Commercial Mindset: Understands how technology programs are delivered and how delivery decisions influence effort costs and commercial outcomes.
• Domain Credibility: Able to understand Capital Markets and Financial Services environments and connect technology decisions with business outcomes.
• Outcome Oriented: Focused on ensuring business value and return on investment rather than solely project governance and reporting.

Ideal Candidate Profile

• The ideal candidate is likely to have worked in a senior technology transformation consulting program leadership technology strategy or commercial advisory role within a major financial institution or consulting organization.
• They should be someone who can walk into a discussion with the CIO/CTO organization understand a proposed multi-million-dollar technology initiative interrogate how the estimate was constructed identify questionable assumptions and confidently articulate:
• What is driving this effort what evidence supports it what alternatives have been considered and what should the appropriate effort and cost actually be
• The successful candidate will bring the combination of Capital Markets knowledge technology understanding commercial acumen analytical rigor and executive presence required to serve as an effective independent challenge function for major technology investments.

How to Apply: Interested candidates are encouraged to respond/submit their updated resumes and for additional job opportunities please visit Jobs In India VARITE .

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About VARITE: VARITE is a global staffing and IT consulting company providing technical consulting and team augmentation services to Fortune 500 Companies in USA UK CANADA and INDIA. VARITE is currently a primary and direct vendor to leading corporations in Networking Cloud Infrastructure Hardware and Software Digital Marketing and Media Solutions Clinical Diagnostics Utilities Gaming and Entertainment and Financial Services.

Equal Opportunity Employer:

VARITE is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. We do not discriminate based on race color religion sex sexual orientation gender identity or expression national origin age marital status veteran status or disability status.