Manager, Strategic Program Management

Job description / Role

The Company:

Ooredoo is an organisation on the move. Thanks to our dedicated employees, we continue to move closer towards our vision to be among the top 20 telecommunications companies in the world by 2020.

We are a dynamic global telecommunications player operating in 17 countries across the Middle East, North Africa (MENA) and Asia. We cover a population of more than half a billion people and serve more than 68 million customers.

In Kuwait, we employ approximately 1,000 talented people, all of whom are driving Ooredoo to be the number one choice for world-class communications services in Kuwait. In the face of intensifying competition, increasingly sophisticated technology and rising customer expectations, nothing is more important to our success than our team - and it's a team that you can be part of.

Ooredoo's future is bright, and you can be part of our ongoing success.

The Role:
Leading on multiple strategic engagements with minimal supervision meeting expectations of key stakeholders. The prime responsibility of the manager will be the successful delivery on strategic engagements supporting organization in formulation and execution of Ooredoo Kuwait Strategy. The role is also responsible for preparing senior management presentations, and interacting with his/her peers across the enterprise to ensure company alignment and synergy.

Key Accountabilities and Activities:
- Leading on strategic initiative tracking tools day to day operations, maintain quality of information and prepare required reports for internal and external stakeholders
- Support strategic initiative owners in completion of required information on tracking tools
- Review Strategic Initiatives for closing specific performance and progress gaps
- Ensure the execution of Strategic Initiative with the best Governance and Management
- Prepare presentations on progress of Strategic Initiatives to senior management
- Develop strong partnerships with business owners to optimize delivery for strategic initiatives
- Ensure that programs and projects under strategic initiatives are tracked, reported, risk identified and mitigated, including following project interdependencies.
- Ensure all the strategic initiatives benefits and objectives are correctly reflected in tracking tools
- Identify initiative level risks, support initiative owners in mitigation plans and maintain consolidated view of risks.
- Coordinate and follow-up on all stages of strategic initiative from initiation till benefit/impact realization.
- Facilitate the development of the strategic initiative scope/benefits with input and approval of the subject matter experts and functional leads.
- Ensure that the capabilities delivered are aligned with the strategic initiative scope/benefits.
- Develop roadmaps for strategic initiatives focusing on critical milestones with a basis for operational insight into what the initiative is about, what the critical
- known risks and interdependencies are, and how the initiative is progressing, through forward-looking lead indicators
- Ensure that the initiative is built around the right actions and measures and aligned with strategic objectives
- Propose adjustments to portfolio in a proactive manner
- Monitor execution of strategic initiatives, balancing risks and value creation
- Support Head of Strategic PMO & Transformation office to update portfolio in line with strategic planning process and adjust the strategic initiatives list
- Supporting Strategic planning exercise from scoping of strategic initiative and articulation with priorities to monitor and support strategic implementation
- Strategy communication: supporting strategy & business development team in preparing Quarterly review meetings to ensure Strategy Cascading and understanding
- Review metrics (financial and non-financial) that are directly linked to strategic initiatives and track them consistently throughout the organization through tracking tools
- Monitoring strategic initiative KPIs and ensure the input of required facts by the agreed timelines by initiative owners
- Impact realization of the strategic initiatives tracked through related tools
- Support in preparation of Weekly, Monthly and quarterly progress and performance presentations
- Review strategic initiative related risks and support initiative owners in preparing mitigation plans
- Consolidate and maintain risk repository
- Facilitate strategic initiative risk reviews and appropriate mitigation.
- Prepare presentations on key strategic risks, mitigation plans and required support from management Track and report progress of the Strategic Initiative at regular intervals (including realistic forecasts of final target positions) through tracking tools to the senior management and other key stakeholders
- Prepare and deliver formal presentations to colleagues and management.
- Consult on other large and transversal programs
- Support Steerco and weekly meetings preparation and follow-up of agreed action items
- Proactively take responsibility for self-improvement by staying well-informed of developments, knowledge and innovations in relevant field of expertise.
- Other duties as directed by supervisor or other superiors.
- Continuously improve the Strategic Initiative/ Program management knowledge as per evolving standards

Requirements

Qualifications:
- Bachelor in Business Administration, Master degree
- PMI, PMP, PgMP
- Advanced Excel

Other Information:
- 5-6 years 'experience as strong program manager in setting-up and leading functional or organization-wide strategic and transversal programs/initiatives
- Strong commercial and operational background is a must with a previous role in strategic/commercial planning
- Cross-functional experience working across a wide variety of functions
- Deep knowledge of the Telecom industry, and mobile operator in spec
- Ability to operate in a diverse multicultural, multinational work environment, exhibiting appropriate sensitivities
- Proven program management skills in managing complex, multi-faceted programs resulting in the delivery of measurable benefits.
- Proven track record with "C" suite executives.
- Excellent command of both written and verbal English, Arabic would be an advantage
- Expert level skills in Microsoft excel and Power point.
- Required 5-6 years of experience based on progression ladder
- Strong leadership and management skills
- Strong Analytical skills
- Strategic Thinking
- Proven Portfolio/ Program Management skills
- Strong interpersonal communication and presentation skills
- Strong benefit identification and quantification skills
- Influence, persuasion and negotiation skills
- Comfortable with ambiguity and working with large amounts of data and information
- Good knowledge of techniques for planning, monitoring and controlling strategic initiatives and programs, including risk management
- Good knowledge of program management approaches such as MSP, PRINCE2 and PMI
- Experience in matrix management environment.
- Results oriented, works to achieve the highest levels of personal and organizational performance in order to exceed business goals
- Good knowledge of budgeting, finance and resource allocation procedures
- Ability to find innovative ways of solving or pre-empting problems
- Good knowledge of MS Office applications like Microsoft Project, Excel, Power Point, Word etc.

Note: you will be required to attach the following:
- Resume / cv

About the Company

We are a leading international communications company delivering mobile, fixed, broadband internet, and corporate managed services tailored to the needs of consumers and businesses across markets in the Middle East, North Africa and Southeast Asia. As a community-focused company, we are guided by our vision of enriching peoples lives and our belief that we can stimulate human growth by leveraging communications to help people achieve their full potential.

Formerly known as Qtel Group, we have a customer base of 92.9 million and reported revenues of USD 9.3 billion in 2012.