Section Head - Country Program Manager, Core Banking Transformation

Section Head - Country Program Manager, Core Banking Transformation

Our client, a leading bank is seeking an experienced Country Program Manager to lead the end-to-end delivery of a Core Banking transformation for the Hong Kong branch.

This role owns planning, execution, risk mitigation, and change management in alignment with regional and global standards, local regulatory needs, business objectives, and change management requirements. The position provides leadership and direction to the country project team to support successful delivery of related projects and initiatives across the Core Banking Program in Hong Kong. The Country Program Manager will act as the bridge between country and region, helping ensure regional solutions are implemented effectively while protecting local regulatory and business interests. This role works closely with internal country, region, and head office stakeholders, third-party vendors, and technology teams to support a robust, scalable, and high-performing platform transformation.

What You Will Do?

• Own the country-level delivery of the Core Banking transformation from initiation through go-live.
• Act as the main point of accountability for program success in Hong Kong.
• Drive alignment with the regional and global delivery construct, milestones, and timelines.
• Chair or co-chair Country Steering Committee and Working Group forums.
• Lead project team members, including recruitment, KPI setting, and evaluation activities.
• Manage planning, resourcing, budgeting, and risk mitigation in line with the APAC Program plan.
• Oversee dependencies such as legacy systems and data migration activities.
• Coordinate vendor engagement and System Integrator activities at the country level.
• Orchestrate delivery across business, operations, IT, and control functions.
• Own communication materials and leadership narratives for the Steering Committee and senior stakeholders.
• Lead country-level training, UAT, and business cutover planning.
• Track KPIs, deliverables, governance actions, risks, issues, and decisions.

Your Skills

• Bachelor’s degree or above in Information Technology, Computer Science, or another related discipline.
• Over 20 years of professional experience, including 10 to 15 years in project and program management.
• Experience in large-scale and complex banking IT transformation or migration initiatives.
• Strong proficiency in project management tools and methodologies, including Waterfall and Agile frameworks.
• In-depth knowledge of core banking and corporate banking operations.
• Familiarity with Hong Kong banking regulations and local regulatory requirements.
• Strong leadership and influencing skills across business and IT stakeholders.
• Exceptional planning, risk management, and vendor management capabilities.
• Ability to navigate matrix structures and cross-border teams effectively.
• Fluency in Cantonese, Mandarin, and English.
• PMP, Prince2, PgMP, or SAFe certification is desirable.