At Nizmara Consulting, we pride ourselves on being the premier destination for executive search and talent acquisition, where excellence meets expertise. With a team of seasoned consultants possessing unparalleled industry knowledge and hands-on experience, we specialize in delivering top-tier talent across a diverse range of verticals including; Technology, Financial Services, Banking & Insurance, Healthcare & Life Sciences, E-commerce & Retail, Construction, Engineering & Manufacturing. We leverage tailored solutions backed by industry insight, exceptional talent, strategic partnerships, and a proven track record of success boosting business outcomes.

We are partnering with a well-known Turkish bank undergoing a multi-year core banking and digital transformation program. The role will lead high-impact transformation initiatives across core banking, digital channels, operations, and regulatory domains, with direct exposure to senior leadership.

The Senior Project/Program Manager will be responsible for managing the bank’s strategic and domain-based projects — ensuring coordination between business and IT, maintaining governance standards, and driving delivery excellence.

This role requires a professional who can balance structure with agility — someone comfortable managing traditional Waterfall projects while also operating effectively within Agile environments.

This position requires a senior delivery leader with strong banking domain expertise and proven experience managing large-scale, cross-functional transformation programs with executive-level stakeholder exposure.

PS: Candidates without banking experience will not be considered.

Key Responsibilities:

Enterprise Transformation & Portfolio Ownership

• Lead a portfolio of strategic transformation initiatives across core banking, digital channels, payments, operations, and regulatory programs.
• Align program delivery with the bank’s enterprise transformation roadmap and business strategy.
• Manage interdependencies across multiple workstreams and domains.

Delivery Leadership (Hybrid Model)

• Drive hybrid delivery models, combining traditional core banking (Waterfall) and digital platforms (Agile).
• Oversee end-to-end delivery lifecycle: requirements, design, build, testing, implementation, and stabilization.
• Ensure adherence to SDLC, enterprise architecture, and governance frameworks.

Executive Stakeholder Management

• Present program progress, risks, and escalations to Steering Committees and senior executives (CIO, COO, business heads).
• Maintain transparent communication with executive leadership and key business stakeholders.
• Facilitate quarterly business reviews and portfolio alignment discussions.

Governance, Risk & Financial Oversight

• Track program KPIs, milestones, budgets, and resource utilization.
• Ensure compliance with banking governance, regulatory requirements, and internal control standards.
• Proactively identify and escalate risks and dependencies.

Cross-Functional Coordination

• Act as the primary bridge between business units, IT, architecture, vendors, and external partners.
• Coordinate internal teams and third-party vendors to ensure integrated delivery.

Qualifications & Experience:

Must-Have

• 12+ years of experience in large-scale banking transformation programs within a bank or financial services organization.
• Proven experience delivering core banking, digital banking, payments, lending, operations, or regulatory transformation initiatives.
• Strong understanding of banking domain processes and technology landscapes.
• Experience working in hybrid delivery environments (Waterfall + Agile/Scrum).
• Demonstrated experience with C-level governance, steering committees, and enterprise stakeholder management.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills in English.

Preferred

• PMP, Prince2, SAFe, or Agile certifications.
• Experience managing multi-million dollar transformation budgets and enterprise-scale portfolios.
• Exposure to core banking platforms, digital channels, or payment systems modernization programs.

What We Are Looking For

• A senior transformation leader, not just a project coordinator.
• Someone who can own enterprise-level delivery outcomes, not only manage tasks.
• A professional comfortable operating in complex, regulated banking environments while driving change.
• A leader who can influence senior stakeholders and navigate organizational complexity.