Data Delivery Lead (Project Manager)

What will you do?

The Santam Group Data Strategy Office is seeking an Agile Data Delivery Lead to manage the successful execution of strategic data initiatives. 
This role focuses on achieving business outcomes by leading data initiatives that advance Santam’s data-driven maturity. Key responsibilities include defining opportunities, mitigating risks, and solving business challenges, while optimizing team performance to deliver high-quality outputs aligned with strategic objectives.

The ideal candidate will possess strong business acumen, gained through experience in the Insurance and/or Financial Services sectors, along with a deep understanding of data management best practices. They should demonstrate extensive expertise in project management methodologies - including Waterfall, Agile (Scrum, Kanban, SAFe), and Hybrid approaches – and a proven track record of successful project delivery. The candidate should also excel in cultivating high-performing teams that drive business results through change initiatives. Strong facilitation skills are required to promote collaboration and effective communication across teams. 

The Agile Data Delivery Lead will work cross-functionally to ensure seamless alignment of data use cases with the organization’s broader strategic goals. 
This role reports directly to the Product Owner for Data Strategy.
 

What will make you successful in this role?

The person will typically be allocated to one or more data initiatives with budget of more than R3 million to deliver over a 6-18 month period with a medium sized team of resources (6-8 full time people) working across domains. This role involves managing cross-functional initiatives that leverage data to drive value and implement transformational change within the organization.

Key Responsibilities:

• Data Use Case Management: Oversee project identification, definition, inception, and kick-off, including charter development, requirements gathering, and user story facilitation.
• Project Planning: Handle scoping, sprint planning, project sizing, work stream definition, and managing sprints, releases, and milestones.
• Financial Management: Manage budgets, track actuals, forecast projections, control expenses, and oversee invoicing and payments.
• Time and Cost Management: Define and monitor budgets, manage time recording, control costs, and ensure timely invoicing and payments.
• Scope Management: Maintain project scope, monitor product backlogs, and ensure alignment with objectives.
• Risk and Issue Management: Manage dependencies, escalate issues, and handle decision-making processes.
• Reporting: Provide status updates on financials, schedule, risks, blockers, and quality, along with metrics like burn up/down charts and team velocity.
• Governance Framework: Implement delivery governance, including review processes, decision-making, change control, and project closure with lessons learned. Align to Santam Project Delivery Centre governance frameworks.
• Quality Management: Ensure deliverables meet quality standards through retrospectives, Scrum-of-Scrum sessions, and management of dependencies, blockers, and resources.
• Stakeholder Management: Engage internal and external stakeholders across all divisions, demonstrating strong interpersonal skills.
• Success Management: Regularly review success metrics to ensure deliverables meet requirements and quality standards.
• Agile Adherence: Support fit-for-purpose Agile ways of working, including adherence to frameworks, governance, reporting standards, and tools (JIRA, Confluence).
• Team Leadership: Leverage Agile expertise to create high-performing team dynamics, balancing planning, execution, and reflection.
• Facilitation Skills: Promote collaboration, lead discussions, and ensure inclusive decision-making.
• Team Culture: Foster a culture of collaboration and belonging within teams.

Qualifications & Experience

• 3+ year Bachelor degree: Information Systems, Computer Science, Data Science, Business Administration, Engineering or related discipline.
• Agile Methodologies Certification: Certified ScrumMaster (CSM), or SAFe Agilist (SA), or Kanban Management Professional.
• Project Management: Project Management Professional (PMP), or PRINCE2, or certification(s) in Agile Project Management.
• Preferred:
• Advanced Degree: Honors or Master’s beneficial. 
• Data Management/Analytics certification: Certified Data Management Professional (CDMP), or Certified Analytics Professional (CAP), or related.
• Optional/Beneficial: 
• Certification in financial or cost management.
• 10-15 years of experience managing complex projects or change initiatives, including cross-functional, onshore, and offshore teams. Proven success in delivering projects on time and within budget using industry-standard methodologies such as Agile and Scrum.
• At least 5 years’ experience working in the Insurance and/or Financial Services.
• Knowledge of, and experience in, working with data management frameworks (e.g. DAMA), and managing data-driven initiatives from concept to deployment.
• Extensive experience leading Agile teams, facilitating Scrum ceremonies, sprint planning, and retrospectives. 
• Sound experience working with stakeholders across various levels and locations (onshore and offshore).
• Strong understanding and hands-on experience in system development lifecycle processes and methods from business concept to deployment stages.
• Proven ability to proactively identify, mitigate, and resolve risks and blockers to ensure uninterrupted project delivery and maintain momentum.
• Experience in managing budgets, controlling project costs, optimizing resources to maximize efficiency and minimize waste throughout the project lifecycle.
• Familiarity with tools: JIRA, Confluence, Portfolio for JIRA, PPO, and SharePoint, according to organizational standards for project management and collaboration.  
• Optional/Beneficial:
• Experience in Data and AI-driven transformations. 
• Experience in modern and emerging technologies such as Cloud platforms, self-service BI tools, AI and ML solutions.

Knowledge & Skills

• Well-honed MS Office skills.
• Agile Leadership and Project Management.  
• Technical proficiency with project and collaboration tools.
• Data management literacy.
• Stakeholder engagement. 
• Strong interpersonal, clear communication and active listening skills.
• Financial and resource management.
• Advanced problem-solving skills.
• Familiarity with change management disciplines.
• Facilitation and mediation skills.
   

Competencies

• ​​​​​​​Strategic alignment.
• Results orientation.
• Leadership.
• Continuous learning.
• Analytical thinking and decision-making.
• Client focus and stakeholder collaboration.
• Organizational savvy and complexity management.
• Ability to work independently and determine course of action.
• Interpersonal communication and emotional intelligence.