Job Description

What is the opportunity?

 

RBC's Global Functions Technology (GFT) is seeking a Program Director to lead GFT's delivery accountability within Project Europa — an enterprise-wide RBC strategic program impacting Finance, Risk, AML, HR, and Compliance. This is a high-visibility, high-impact leadership role operating at the intersection of enterprise transformation, back-office function delivery, and AI-enabled program execution.

 

Based in London, the Program Director serves as GFT's primary delivery lead within the Europa program — facing off with back-office function stakeholders and their IT organisations, driving accountability across delivery teams, and ensuring GFT's commitments within the enterprise program are met with quality and transparency.

 

As the role matures, scope may expand to include additional strategic programs with GFT impact, making this a foundational leadership position within GFT's Strategic Programs practice.

 

Should you be shortlisted, do please let us know if you have any specific requirements for the interview.

 

This is a permanent, full-time role and requires 4 days in the 10 Fenchurch Avenue, London office.

 

 

 What will you do?

 

 

Enterprise Program Representation

• Serve as GFT's delivery lead and primary representative within Project Europa, navigating the broader enterprise program structure while maintaining clear accountability for GFT's scope, commitments, and delivery health.
• Operate effectively within a multi-sponsor, multi-function enterprise program environment; manage GFT's interests and obligations with credibility and clarity.
• Lead activities on planning, delivery, and implementation to ensure GFT objectives within Europa are accomplished within approved timeframes, scope, and budget.

Back-Office Function Stakeholder Engagement

• Serve as the primary GFT point of contact for back-office function stakeholders — Finance, Risk, AML, HR, and Compliance — building trusted partnerships and maintaining alignment on program priorities.
• Co-located in London, engage directly and consistently with UK-based function leadership; surface blockers, resolve competing priorities, and translate function needs into executable delivery plans.
• Establish, develop, and maintain strong relationships with RBC business, function, and T&O partners across the enterprise.

IT Delivery Accountability

• Hold Functions IT delivery teams accountable to commitments; track delivery against milestones, escalate deviations, and drive resolution with function IT leadership.
• Assess and challenge delivery confidence levels across workstreams; intervene early when delivery health is at risk.
• Conduct delivery in accordance with RBC's Program Management Framework, consistently applying RBC's standard project management discipline.

AI-Enabled Delivery Lifecycle (AI DLC)

• Champion and scale AI-enabled Delivery Lifecycle (AI DLC) practices across Europa workstreams; embed AI tooling into planning, estimation, status reporting, and risk identification.
• Coach delivery teams on AI DLC adoption; remove adoption roadblocks and track improvements in delivery velocity and quality.
• Partner with the AI DLC Centre of Excellence to identify Europa-specific use cases and surface learnings back into the broader GFT program community.

Governance & Structure

• Design and operationalise a fit-for-purpose governance model — including steering committee rhythms, RAID management, decision logs, and escalation paths — calibrated to the complexity of a multi-function, cross-geography enterprise program.
• Bring structure and predictability to a fast-moving, high-ambiguity environment; build repeatable operating mechanisms progressively without waiting for perfect conditions.
• Champion and operationalise strong program governance and execution assurance processes.
• Provide senior leadership with timely, transparent updates on program risks, issues, and delivery performance. 

Cross-Team Navigation & Communication

• Navigate fluidly between business function teams, GFT delivery teams, enterprise program leadership, and T&O partners; act as a trusted translator across business and technology contexts.
• Manage program-level communications including executive status reports, steering committee materials, and stakeholder briefings.
• Create clarity out of ambiguity and focus effort decisively on the highest-value delivery priorities.
• Anticipate and quantify tactical, operational, and strategic risks; apply a risk-based approach to planning and escalation. 

What do you need to succeed?

 

Experience & Domain

• Demonstrable experience managing large, complex transformation programs in financial services — depth of real-world experience matters more than formal credentials.
• Deep domain familiarity with at least one back-office function — Finance or Risk expertise preferred; working knowledge of AML, HR, or Compliance an asset.
• Proven experience managing programs with UK-based or multi-geography stakeholders; comfort operating across time zones and organisational cultures.

Program & Delivery Expertise

• Expert knowledge of program and project plan development, scheduling methodology, waterfall, Agile, and hybrid delivery approaches.
• Demonstrated ability to hold distributed IT delivery teams accountable — not just track delivery, but drive accountability with credibility and influence.
• Strong organisational change management skills; experience navigating function and enterprise-level governance structures.
• Ability to design and operate governance models within enterprise programs not solely owned by your own organisation.
• Expert knowledge of program metrics, KPI development, status reporting, and executive communication.

 

Technology & AI

• Strong technology acumen — ability to engage credibly with IT delivery teams on architecture decisions, dependency risks, and delivery trade-offs.
• Expert knowledge of a broad spectrum of IT infrastructure, systems, and services across the financial services industry.
• Familiarity with AI-enabled delivery practices (AI DLC or equivalent); understanding of how AI tooling accelerates planning, estimating, testing, and reporting.

Leadership & Communications

• Exceptional communication skills — written, verbal, and executive storytelling; ability to synthesise complex, cross-functional program status into crisp, actionable narratives for senior audiences.
• Effective in structured and informal influence — builds followership and accountability without relying on direct authority.
• Comfortable presenting to enterprise steering committees and executive sponsors; manages upward with transparency and confidence.
• Demonstrated skill working effectively with a diverse group of key stakeholders; experience fostering an inclusive environment.

Mindset

• Thrives in high-ambiguity, fast-moving program environments — brings calm, structure, and momentum even when conditions are unclear or shifting.
• Natural roadblock-remover: identifies systemic blockers early and drives resolution through the right channels without bureaucratic drag.
• Operates with a builder's mindset — doesn't just manage process; actively shapes the program operating model to fit the context and scale.
• Strategic thinker with the operational discipline to execute.

Nice-to-have

 

• Undergraduate degree; advanced degree an asset.
• RBC experience strongly preferred — working knowledge of RBC's operating model, delivery frameworks, organisational landscape, and enterprise program dynamics is a meaningful accelerator in this role.

 What is in it for you?

 

We thrive on the challenge to be our best - progressive thinking to keep growing and working together to deliver trusted advice to help our clients thrive and communities prosper.  We care about each other, reaching our potential, making a difference to our communities, and achieving success that is mutual.

 

 

• A comprehensive Total Rewards Program including bonuses, flexible benefits and competitive compensation
• Leaders who support your development through coaching and managing opportunities
• Opportunities to work with the best in the field
• Ability to make a difference and lasting impact
• Work in a dynamic, collaborative, progressive, and high-performing team
• A world-class training program in financial services.

 Agency Notice

RBC Group does not accept agency resumés.  Please do not forward resumés to our employees, nor any other company location.  RBC Group only pay fees to agencies where they have entered into a prior agreement to do so and in any event do not pay fees related to unsolicited resumés. Please contact the Recruitment function for additional details.

Job Skills

Adaptability, Budgeting, Cross-Team Collaboration, Decision Making, Information Technology (IT) Projects, Long Term Planning, Program Management, Resource Management, Team Management, Vision Alignment

Additional Job Details

Address:

10 FENCHURCH AVENUE:LONDON

City:

London

Country:

United Kingdom

Work hours/week:

35

Employment Type:

Full time

Platform:

TECHNOLOGY AND OPERATIONS

Job Type:

Regular

Pay Type:

Salaried

Posted Date:

2026-10-19

Application Deadline:

2026-11-02

Note: Applications will be accepted until 11:59 PM on the day prior to the application deadline date above

Our Employment Opportunities

At RBC, we are guided by living shared values of Client First, Integrity, Collaboration, Respect and Excellence and winning together as One RBC. We believe an inclusive workplace that has diverse perspectives is core to our continued growth as one of the largest and most successful banks in the world. Maintaining a workplace where our employees feel supported to perform at their best, effectively collaborate, drive innovation, and grow professionally helps to bring our Purpose to life and create value for our clients and communities. RBC strives to deliver this through policies and programs intended to foster a workplace based on respect, belonging and opportunity for all.

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