Program Manager

Overview

Imagine contributing to an organization that has channeled billions of dollars to countless charities, empowering individuals to make a profound difference in the world. This independent nonprofit is a beacon in the charitable giving landscape, providing innovative philanthropic tools and guidance that integrate seamlessly into donors’ lives. Partnering with a leading financial services firm, this entity is at the forefront of expanding charitable impact across the U.S.

We are seeking a visionary and driven leader to step into a pivotal role, shaping strategic initiatives and ensuring their successful execution. This position offers an unparalleled opportunity to drive significant change, influence key outcomes, and directly contribute to expanding charitable impact on a national scale. If you thrive on orchestrating complex programs, fostering collaboration, and guiding strategic initiatives from conception to completion, your expertise will be instrumental in advancing our mission.

**What You’ll Do:**
In this key leadership role, you will be at the heart of our strategic endeavors, managing critical initiatives that span both internal teams and external partners. You will ensure that our programs are not only aligned with our strategic priorities but also delivered with precision and impact. Your work will directly influence the efficiency and effectiveness of our charitable giving platform, empowering more donors and supporting more charities.

* Lead and manage program-level strategic initiatives, collaborating effectively with both internal and external stakeholders.
* Provide insightful governance and strategic thought partnership to the program team, guiding decision-making and fostering innovation.
* Execute, manage, and ensure strict alignment with strategic priorities across all assigned initiatives.
* Proactively identify, mitigate, and escalate material risks and issues, ensuring smooth program progression.
* Cultivate and maintain strong stakeholder relationships, ensuring clear communication and alignment of expectations.
* Gain a deep understanding of business context and project outcomes, establishing a shared vision with project teams.
* Structure and organize complex project work, breaking down scope into manageable plans with clear ownership and target delivery dates.
* Define, orchestrate, and track project deliverables, developing and reporting on an integrated delivery plan.
* Ensure project results directly align with defined business outcomes and agreed-upon success metrics.
* Identify project risks and issues, driving timely decision-making within the project leadership structure.
* Effectively track dependencies within assigned projects and help identify interdependencies across broader initiatives.
* Assess project health and progress, communicating transparent and timely updates to key stakeholders.
* Lead change management planning and execution for assigned projects, including coordination of major communication and training activities.
* Create and maintain all essential project artifacts, such as project plans, meeting notes, risk registers, and decision logs.
* Ensure all assigned projects are completed on time and within budget, adhering to high-quality standards.
* Coordinate user acceptance testing (UAT) activities to validate solutions meet business needs.
* Work cross-functionally with various departments, including Service, Operations, Marketing, Digital, Legal & Risk, to ensure successful project delivery.

**Must-Have Qualifications:**

* Proven experience in program and project management, demonstrating the ability to lead complex initiatives.
* Strong strategic thinking and problem-solving skills, with a track record of identifying and mitigating risks.
* Exceptional stakeholder management and communication skills, capable of influencing and aligning diverse groups.
* Expertise in developing and maintaining project plans, tracking deliverables, and managing project artifacts.
* Demonstrated ability to lead change management efforts and coordinate cross-functional teams.
* Experience in coordinating user acceptance testing (UAT) and ensuring project alignment with business outcomes.
* A collaborative mindset, with the ability to work effectively across various departments and external partners.

Experience
* 10+ years managing large scale projects and programs; both business and technology driven initiatives
* PMP Certification
* Experience in the Financial Services industry preferred
* Bachelor’s degree in business, finance, management, or a related field; MBA preferred

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**About Aquent Talent:**
Aquent Talent connects the best talent in marketing, creative, and design with the world’s biggest brands.
Our eligible talent get access to amazing benefits like subsidized health, vision, and dental plans, paid sick leave, and retirement plans with a match. More information on our awesome benefits!
Aquent is an equal-opportunity employer. We evaluate qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status, and other legally protected characteristics. We’re about creating an inclusive environment—one where different backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives are valued, and everyone can contribute, grow their careers, and thrive.