Senior Program Manager - Cloud Transformation & Platform Modernization

Lateral Insights•Great Falls, VA

12d•Remote

About The Position

A confidential client is establishing a Transformation Office to lead and orchestrate a large-scale cloud transformation and platform modernization program. The initiative includes multiple internal workstreams, third-party delivery partners, and a high-visibility executive environment with significant operational and financial impact. We are seeking a senior leader who can operate strategically and operationally at the same time - someone who can own executive stakeholder relationships while also driving the governance structure and execution discipline required to keep a complex transformation program moving forward successfully. This is not a role focused only on coordination or reporting. The ideal candidate will bring strong transformation leadership experience, executive communication skills, and the ability to govern large-scale enterprise programs with rigor and accountability.

Requirements

10+ years of Program or Project Management experience, including at least 4 years leading enterprise cloud transformation or platform modernization initiatives.
Proven experience leading large-scale cloud modernization, cloud-native platform implementation, or enterprise migration programs.
Experience managing executive stakeholder relationships within consulting, transformation office, or enterprise modernization engagements.
Demonstrated success managing multi-vendor, multi-workstream programs involving dependency management, governance oversight, and strategic execution alignment.
Hands-on experience with: PPM frameworks, MoSCoW prioritization, RAID management, Decision logs, Stage gate governance, Executive reporting cadences
Ability to govern highly technical programs without functioning as the technical architect.
Strong understanding of cloud transformation concepts from a program governance and delivery perspective.
Ability to recognize technical decisions that introduce program risk and escalate appropriately.
PMP certification required

Nice To Haves

Experience within telecom, communications, infrastructure, or regulated industries is a plus.
SAFe, PRINCE2, MSP, or similar transformation/program governance methodologies strongly preferred
PgMP certification is a plus

Responsibilities

Drive executive alignment and strategic program direction
Own the overall program governance structure
Lead executive communications and steering activities
Ensure critical decisions are made and documented
Maintain delivery visibility across multiple tracks and vendors
Support the establishment of sustainable governance and PPM practices for the client organization
Serve as the primary relationship owner for executive stakeholders and program leadership.
Author and maintain the Program North Star / Executive Vision document, ensuring alignment as priorities and decisions evolve.
Lead executive steering committee sessions and governance meetings, including agenda preparation, facilitation, and decision management.
Translate complex technical and delivery information into executive-ready communication for senior leadership, board-level audiences, and financial stakeholders.
Maintain visibility into cross-program dependencies and alignment across all workstreams.
Lead the build-operate-transfer approach to ensure governance methodologies and operating rhythms are successfully embedded within the client organization.
Own and manage the MoSCoW prioritization framework across workstreams.
Maintain the enterprise decision log with documented rationale, ownership, timing, and downstream impacts.
Manage the cross-functional dependency map and proactively identify sequencing or delivery risks.
Produce weekly executive status reports and program readouts covering timelines, risks, dependencies, escalation items, and delivery progress.
Lead stage gate governance activities, ensuring readiness criteria and go/no-go decisions are clearly defined and communicated.
Proactively identify and escalate risks, assumptions, blockers, and integration challenges before they impact delivery timelines.
Apply practical transformation leadership experience to recognize common failure points including scope drift, governance gaps, vendor dependencies, and misalignment between business and delivery objectives.
Maintain a clear and consistent source of truth for overall program status, decisions, blockers, and open items.
Support the development of decision frameworks and comparison matrices for platform, sequencing, and investment decisions.
Coordinate across multiple internal teams and delivery vendors while minimizing unnecessary reporting overhead.
Ensure vendor plans, risks, and dependencies are integrated into the overall governance model.
Partner closely with the client's PMO and project leadership teams to transfer methodologies and strengthen internal governance capabilities.