Program Manager

Roboyo AI is a category shaper in Applied AI and Agentic Automation. We help leading enterprises move from automation projects and AI experiments into governed, production-grade systems that execute real work across workflows, processes, products and services.

Our heritage is in scaled enterprise automation; our future is Applied AI and Agentic Automation: autonomous agents, AI engineering squads, process orchestration, data and knowledge foundations, and human-in-the-loop governance embedded deeply into how our clients operate.

We are not here to sell AI theatre. We are here to turn AI into working systems, measurable outcomes and repeatable transformation programs.

Job summary

The Program Manager is the operational backbone of this engagement, responsible for translating strategic AI ambitions into disciplined, measurable delivery. You will orchestrate cross-functional teams spanning Automation Engineers, AI Engineers, Data Scientists, Architects, and business stakeholders — driving delivery with rigor, managing client relationships with credibility, and navigating the complexity of an enterprise Automation and AI program with composure and clarity. The ideal candidate brings both the structured thinking of a seasoned PM and the contextual fluency to hold meaningful conversations with AI Architects and C-suite executives alike.

General: Responsibilities and tasks for this role

1. Program Governance & Delivery Oversight

• Own end-to-end program governance — establishing the PMO structure, governance forums, and reporting cadences. Define and manage the integrated program plan across all workstreams (RPA, Agentic Workflows,Generative AI, Data Science, Data Engineering), tracking milestones, dependencies, and critical path.
• Run project planning, reviews, and RAG with technical leads; maintain velocity metrics and remove blockers.
• Ensure all deliverables are tracked against scope, schedule, budget, and quality criteria, with proactive escalation of deviations.
• Maintain program documentation — charter, WBS, RACI, status reports, and decision logs — to the highest standards.

1. Risk, Issue & Change Management

• Own the program RAID log.
• Proactively identify, assess, and prioritise risks across all workstreams with clear ownership and mitigation plans.
• Design and enforce the change control process — evaluating scope changes for impact on timeline, budget, and resources before presenting recommendations to the steering committee. Establish escalation pathways and manage critical issues to resolution.
• Conduct regular risk workshops to embed a risk-aware culture within the delivery team.

1. Client & Stakeholder Management

• Serve as the primary point of contact for clients program stakeholders — building trusted relationships with business sponsors, technology executives, and operational teams.
• Prepare and present executive-level status reports, steering committee packs, and milestone reviews to senior leadership.
• Facilitate alignment between clients internal teams and the delivery organisation, managing expectations and resolving conflicts. Conduct regular CSAT assessments and act on feedback to continuously improve the engagement model.

1. Resource & Capacity Management

• Own resource planning across the program — forecasting demand, managing onboarding/offboarding, and ensuring the right skills are available across all workstreams.
• Track utilization, manage bench transitions, and coordinate with HR and recruitment for timely fulfilment of open roles.
• Foster a high-performance, distributed team culture — supporting wellbeing, recognizing contributions, and maintaining morale.

1. Budget, Commercials & Financial Governance

• Own the program budget — tracking actuals against forecast, managing contingency, and producing monthly financial reports for internal and client governance.
• Identify and escalate budget risks early; implement corrective actions to maintain P&L health.
• Support commercial activities including SOW management, change order negotiations, invoice tracking, and contract renewals.
• Contribute effort estimates, resource plans, and delivery timelines to pre-sales and solutioning for new workstreams or extensions.

1. Automation and AI Program Context & Digital Fluency

• This role requires a Program Manager with hands-on fluency across modern AI and automation delivery — capable of holding credible, substantive conversations with AI Engineers, Architects, Data Scientists, and RPA developers on feasibility, timelines, and technical dependencies.
• Oversee delivery of intelligent automation and RPA workstreams — understanding bot lifecycle management, exception handling frameworks, orchestration platforms, and the interplay between RPA, AI, and enterprise systems.
• Understand the unique delivery dynamics of agentic AI programs — including multi-agent orchestration, tool-use design, prompt engineering cycles, and the governance considerations around autonomous decision-making systems.
• Adapt PM practices to the non-linear, iterative nature of ML and AI delivery — managing experimentation phases, data dependency risks, model validation cycles, and the transition from prototype to production.
• Act as a translator and bridge between business stakeholders who think in outcomes and technical teams who think in architectures — facilitating shared understanding and aligned decision-making across both worlds.

1. Continuous Improvement & Reporting

• Establish and track program KPIs and OKRs;
• Produce regular insights on delivery health, team performance, and program ROI.
• Lead retrospectives and implement lessons learned to build a culture of continuous improvement.
• Contribute to internal PM frameworks, playbooks, and templates for AI program delivery — creating reusable assets for future engagements.
• Represent the organisation in client QBRs, program audits, and governance reviews, maintaining the program's compliance posture at all times.

Qualifications & Experience

• 5-7 years of project / program management experience with at least 5 years managing large-scale digital transformation, Automation, or AI/ML programs.
• Demonstrated experience managing enterprise Financial Services engagements in a consulting or system integrator environment — ideally at a global technology firm.
• Strong understanding of AI/ML delivery lifecycles — including model development, MLOps, and LLM integration — sufficient to manage technical teams and client expectations effectively.
• Proven track record of managing cross-functional teams of 15+ people across multiple concurrent workstreams.
• Hands-on experience with Agile, Scrum, and SAFe delivery frameworks; comfortable operating in hybrid Agile-Waterfall environments.
• Experience with program financials — budget ownership, P&L tracking, and commercial/contract management.
• PMP, PRINCE2, PgMP, or equivalent program management certification is strongly preferred; Agile certifications (SAFe SP, CSM) are a plus.
• Exceptional communication and executive presentation skills — able to adapt style for engineering teams, business sponsors, and C-suite audiences.
• Proficiency with delivery tooling: JIRA, Confluence, MS Project, Smartsheet, Google Workspace; familiarity with reporting tools (Looker, PowerBI) preferred.

Nice to have

• Prior experience managing AI, Generative AI, or based programs in a client-facing delivery context.
• Experience managing distributed offshore-onshore delivery teams across multiple time zones.
• Knowledge of pre-sales processes — ability to contribute to proposals, effort estimates, and client solution presentations.
• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Engineering, Computer Science, Business Administration, or a relevant experience