Program Manager

Job Title: IT Programme Manager

Contract Type: Contract, Inside IR35

Contract Length: 6 months (Dec - May)

Location: 3 days on-site in Ipswich

We are seeking an IT Programme Manager with proven delivery leadership across complex, multi-year transformations within travel, transport or hospitality. You will lead the final and most critical phase of a major strategic programme: the replacement of the long-running customer system, alongside a revenue management integration.

This role requires someone who can operate at both strategic level and hands-on delivery level, equally comfortable shaping direction with C-level leaders as rolling up their sleeves to unblock delivery, support project managers, manage vendors, and drive cutover readiness.

The programme is at a pivotal stage. After years of challenges, resets, and delays, confidence needs to be rebuilt. you'll be instrumental in restoring momentum, strengthening governance, aligning teams, and ensuring a successful phased go-live.

Key Responsibilities:

1. Strategic Programme Leadership

• Lead the end-to-end delivery of complex, multi-stream programmes aligned to business and customer strategy.
• Own programme objectives, scope, KPIs, milestones, and success measures, ensuring alignment with executive sponsors.
• Combine high-level strategic oversight with hands-on delivery engagement.
• Provide clarity, structure, and leadership across all programme workstreams, ensuring outcomes align with critical business pillars.
• Apply strong knowledge of cruise, travel, and hospitality to ensure decisions reflect operational realities and customer impact.
• Track, communicate, and report progress to Director- and C-level stakeholders, restoring confidence in programme direction.
• Act as the key link between delivery teams and executive leadership, ensuring alignment and credible challenge where required.

2. Hands-On Delivery Management

• Step in operationally when required, supporting project managers, driving detailed planning, RAID management, and delivery clarity.
• Oversee planning, scheduling, and execution across multiple interdependent projects with demanding seasonal delivery windows.
• Directly support PM by covering strategic, stakeholder, and vendor-delivery responsibilities.
• Lead cutover planning, readiness, and transition to BAU for upcoming phases.
• Ensure integration of revenue management capability into the new platform, including transfer of pricing logic and operational workflows.
• Drive continuous improvement, refine delivery frameworks, and embed strong governance discipline across teams.
• Maintain end-to-end budget responsibility across c. £7.5m

3. Customer App/System Programme Ownership

• Lead the final stages of a system replacement; a complex, multi-year programme requiring reset and stakeholder re-engagement.
• Oversee offshore vendor delivery and hold them accountable for product completeness, testing quality, and accurate communication of issues.
• Manage ongoing UX and customer experience refinements post Phase 1 go-live.
• Drive delivery realism in a context where the product is incomplete, vendor timelines are slipping, and internal teams need clear direction.
• Rebuild confidence in the programme across the business, reinforcing ownership, alignment, and belief in the transformation.

4. Business Change & Transformation

• Own and deliver the cross-programme change plan, ensuring adoption of new systems, processes, and ways of working.
• Champion customer experience improvements and technology adoption across guest and operational journeys.
• Lead communication, training, and readiness activities to ensure successful and sustainable change.
• Collaborate with operational teams to drive behavioural change and ensure the why behind transformation is consistently understood.

5. Stakeholder & Partner Engagement

• Engage confidently with senior leadership, offering clear communication, informed challenge, and solution-led thinking.
• Navigate a stakeholder landscape where confidence has been eroded and expectations must be reset.
• Build strong relationships across technology, operations, product, finance, and third-party partners.
• Facilitate timely decision-making, governance forums, steering committees, and programme boards.
• Push teams respectfully but firmly to maintain pace in an environment where things can stall.

Required Skills & Experience

• 8+ years experience leading large-scale, technology-enabled transformation
• Industry expertise in travel, hospitality or transport
• Experience managing revenue management or guest-facing system rollouts
• Proven success steering under-pressure programmes back on course
• Strong blend of strategic leadership and hands-on delivery capability
• Expert stakeholder management up to C-level, confident, credible, and resilient
• Strong financial control, governance, and commercial acumen
• Demonstrable vendor management experience with offshore suppliers
• Bachelors degree in Business, Tourism, Information Systems, or related discipline

Desirable

• Travel industry experience
• PRINCE2, MSP, or Agile delivery certification
• Experience delivering international or multi-brand transformations
• Masters degree/MBA in Strategy, Operations, or Project Management
• Driven transformation of programmes with multi-year histories or stakeholder fatigue