Program Management Lead, Product Development Transformation, Vice President

Citi • New York, NY

8d • $129,840 - $194,760 • Hybrid

About The Position

Citi is seeking a disciplined, proactive, and highly organized program management leader to serve as the Product Development Transformation Program Management Lead. This Vice President (C13) role will take full ownership of building, managing, and continuously refining the end-to-end program management plan for Citi's enterprise PDLC transformation; ensuring that the team's ambitious strategy is translated into structured workstreams, clear milestones, tracked deliverables, and transparent reporting that keeps the entire transformation moving forward with pace and precision. Reporting to the Head of Product Development Transformation, this role will work hand-in-hand with the Head of Product Development Strategy (SVP) on a daily basis, serving as the operational engine that keeps pilots running, workstreams progressing, dependencies managed, and stakeholders informed. While the strategy lead defines what needs to happen and why, this role ensures how and when it gets done, managing the cadence, governance, and execution rigor that a transformation of this scale demands. This is not a passive tracking role. The PDLC Program Management Lead will be expected to proactively identify risks before they become blockers, drive accountability across cross-functional teams, build governance structures that provide leadership with real-time visibility, and create the connective tissue that holds a complex, multi-workstream transformation together. The ideal candidate is someone who brings natural program management instincts, thrives in fast-moving environments, and takes personal ownership of ensuring that commitments are met and the program delivers on its promises. They will be equally comfortable running a detailed stand-up with working teams and presenting a crisp executive readout to senior leadership.

Requirements

• 6+ years of progressive experience in program management, project management, or transformation delivery, preferably within financial services, management consulting, or a comparable large-scale enterprise environment.
• Demonstrated expertise in architecting and governing complex program plans with multiple, interdependent workstreams, diverse stakeholder groups, and demanding timelines.
• Proven experience managing the full lifecycle of strategic initiatives, including pilot programs, proof-of-concept (PoC) projects, and phased rollouts within a large, matrixed organization.
• Solid understanding of product management concepts and the end-to-end product development lifecycle. Familiarity with Citi's internal operating environment and technology ecosystem is a significant advantage.
• Proficiency in a range of program management methodologies (e.g., Agile, Scrum, Waterfall) and advanced skills in tools such as Jira, Confluence, and MS Project.
• Exceptional ability to bring structure to ambiguity, creating clarity and actionable plans for complex transformation goals.
• A strong track record of proactively identifying and resolving blockers, driving accountability across all teams, and consistently delivering results in fast-paced, high-stakes environments.
• Adept at managing multiple concurrent workstreams with meticulous attention to detail, while maintaining a clear focus on the overarching strategic objectives.
• Superior stakeholder management skills, with a proven ability to build consensus, influence outcomes, and communicate effectively across all organizational levels, from technical working teams to C-Suite executives.
• Expertise in creating and presenting executive-level reporting and data-driven dashboards that clearly articulate program status, risks, and value delivery.

Nice To Haves

• Master's degree preferred
• Familiarity with Citi's internal operating environment and technology ecosystem is a significant advantage.

Responsibilities

• Design, own, and ensure comprehensive program management plans (including charters, workstream definition, milestones, dependencies, and resource planning) align with strategic objectives and business needs. Partner with strategy leads to integrate priorities and feedback.
• Lead the day-to-day execution, coordination, and direction of programs, managing progress, resolving blockers, and ensuring cross-functional alignment across business, technology, operations, finance, risk, controls, and HR partners. Oversee pilot programs to test and refine initiatives.
• Establish and lead program governance cadences (e.g., steering committees, status reviews) and develop comprehensive dashboards and reports for clear visibility into progress, risks, and outcomes for all stakeholders, including senior management.
• Proactively identify, assess, and manage program risks and issues, creating mitigation plans and escalating critical concerns to Program Directors or Sponsors.
• Identify and engage all stakeholders, manage expectations, ensure appropriate program staffing and resource commitment, and align business case/cost-benefit analyses with business objectives. Manage program contracts in collaboration with procurement.
• Establish and drive adherence to program management standards, procedures, methods, and tooling for consistent execution and reporting.
• Provide leadership and mentorship for assigned personnel, including performance evaluations and recommendations for training and development.
• Exercise shared responsibility for budget management and resource planning, accountable for driving the delivery of program results.
• Consistently assess and mitigate risks in all business decisions, safeguarding the firm's reputation, ensuring compliance with laws and policies, and upholding sound ethical conduct by escalating and reporting control issues with transparency.

Benefits

• medical, dental & vision coverage
• 401(k)
• life, accident, and disability insurance
• wellness programs
• paid time off packages, including planned time off (vacation), unplanned time off (sick leave), and paid holidays

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Manager