Senior IT Program Manager

This position may be open to remote work in Canada, but preference will be given to candidates in Calgary and Toronto. If located in Calgary and Toronto, this position is eligible for Hybrid work (up to 3 days a week) in office under our mobile workforce program. 

Reporting to the Senior Manager of IT Portfolio & Planning, the Senior Program Manager is a full-time role responsible for the delivery of high-profile technology transformation initiatives, spanning numerous product and service delivery teams across multiple business units and relevant stakeholder groups. 

Overview of the role:  

In the short-to-medium term, this role will serve as a primary point of contact and leader for all Enterprise Technology Projects within the Integration Management Office (IMO) delivering upon M&A&D related activities. This role is responsible for the curation and planning of a strategic Enterprise Technology integration roadmap that delivers upon the visions of interim and end-state operating models set out by the General & Administrative verticals of the organization. 

Within the Execution phase of the Program the successful candidate will hold overall responsibility to orchestrate and govern the delivery of all Enterprise Technology Integration sub-projects, reporting progress up and out to stakeholders and executive sponsors. 

Key deliverables / responsibilities include: 

• Work bi-directionally with the IT Senior Leadership Team (SLT) and the Integration Management Office (IMO) by providing a technical vantage point to the IMO Enterprise Program business sponsors, and integration strategy context to the IT SLT. 

• Establish program governance for complex technology integration programs, requiring multiple group companies to work together to drive program success. 

• Identify and plan key technology initiatives and activities required to directly or indirectly enable changed business states. Work with non-IT Program and Project Managers to identify Portfolio level sequencing and critical path. 

• Establish delivery execution plans with PMs for key initiatives including work breakdown structures, cost models, while collaborating with technology vendors and multiple technology department leaders to construct resourcing plans. 

• Lead and oversee technology programs from inception to completion through the creation and management of program level schedules, key milestones and critical path(s), RAID log entries, scope changes, cost forecasts & ledgers, that all draw from constituent Projects and respective Project Managers. 

• Identify and manage inter and intra dependencies of varying complexity at the program level, potentially informing and feeding into external portfolios.  

• Responsible for all scheduled, proactive, and reactive communications for program sponsors, stakeholders, and executive leaders across all impacted and contributing group companies. 

• Act as the initial single escalation point for multifaceted program deliveries, proposing mitigation strategies and corrective action. 

• Liaise with both Enterprise Architecture and Business Strategy teams to ensure that key initiatives continue to adhere to technology strategies and enterprise priorities respectively.  

Experience and Qualifications: 

• Post-secondary education within an Information Technology or Engineering Field. 

• Project and/or Program level certification of any framework (i.e. PMP, PgMP, PRINCE2) is required. 

• Any Agile and Product Management related certification is advantageous but not mandatory. 

• 10+ years’ experience of delivering large, complex technology projects with exposure to all elements of technology solutions (Infrastructure, Platforms, Services, Applications etc.) 

• Demonstrable experience leading true business transformation enabled by technology. 

• Demonstrable experience of deliveries within Enterprise and Corporate technology portfolios, including critical operational and governance processes and services. 

• Experience working with executive stakeholders and providing communications to sponsor level as well as operating teams. 

• Experience working within enterprise environments, specifically with cross-functional teams including IT, security, and business operations. 

• Experience with regulatory requirements related to technology, such as NIST, ISO, PCI, PIPEDA, SOC etc. 

• Experience in the field of M&A&D, or proven completion of enterprise level integration or divestment programs post-transaction.  

• Experience managing Programs or Projects within ServiceNow’s Strategic Portfolio Management (SPM) and Project Portfolio Management (PPM) modules is advantageous. 

• Prior experience in Profession Services or Management Consulting, particularly within the M&A&D field is beneficial. 

• A technical background or exposure to complex technical deliveries that yields critical thinking and the ability to challenge technical feasibility. 

• SDLC – versed in approaches to software and solution development lifecycle practices, including; environment management strategies, enabling multi-team parallel contributions, deployments and release management. 

• The ability to communicate across organizational, technical, and political boundaries, distilling down complex technical information to a format consumable and understood by non-technical audiences and stakeholders. 

• Ability to lead on a range of Agile and Lean tools and techniques if required. 

• Exposure to and experience within; product delivery, service management, and project execution operations working in cohesion. 

• Exposure to and understanding of Enterprise Architecture practices (TOGAF standard), along with the role of Solution Architecture in the context of creating Conceptual, Logical, and Physical architectures within the Project delivery lifecycle. 

• The ability to lead a continual planning process in a very complex environment, whilst co-ordinating and coaching other delivery teams and leaders as a central point of expertise. 

• The ability to work independently, establish relationships, and maintain context of multiple project deliveries simultaneously. 

The benefits of being a WestJetter:  

WestJet provides all WestJetters with a competitive total rewards package.  On top of that, we offer:   

• A fun and friendly culture with colleagues who work together to win  
• Travel privileges for you and your family, effective from your start date
• Savings and Benefit programs that are flexible to meet your specific needs  

Think we are a fit?  Apply now!  

About WestJet Group of Companies  

Together with WestJets regional airline, WestJet Encore, we offer scheduled service to more than 100 destinations in North America, Central America, the Caribbean and Europe and to more than 175 destinations in over 20 countries through our airline partnerships.   

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WestJet recognizes that the use of Alcohol and Drugs can adversely impact a safe work environment and the well-being of others including guests, suppliers and the public, as well as place WestJets operations at risk. All roles that are identified as safety sensitive are required to pass a Pre-Employment Alcohol and Drug Test as per WestJets Alcohol and Drug Policy.   

Our Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion  

We embrace what makes us each unique, and what makes us uniquely WestJet. WestJet is committed to inclusiveness, equity, and accessibility and if you require accommodation during the selection process, please let our Talent Acquisition team know.  We encourage all qualified candidates to apply. We thank all applicants for their interest in WestJet; however, only those candidates who are selected will be contacted.  

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