Executive: Strategic Customer Programme Management

Structural Information Job number: 10031757 Job title: Executive: Strategic Customer Programme Management Job grade: M3 Group/ BU: Openserve Division: Openserve Span of control: 5-10 Reports to: Top Management Core Description The Executive: Strategic Customer Programme Management is responsible for leading and governing strategic customer programmes across the business. This includes Requests for Proposal (RFPs), bids, contract renewals, customer recovery initiatives, and awarded customer programmes. The role ensures that customer commitments are realistic, clearly owned, and aligned to operational capabilities. It translates approved commitments into executable delivery plans, monitors programme performance, manages risks and dependencies, and drives timely decision-making to protect customer, revenue, SLA, and delivery outcomes. Operating within a matrix environment, the role collaborates closely with Customer Experience, Service Delivery, Value Chain Transformation, Commercial, Finance, Technology, and Operations teams. While functional teams retain ownership of their mandates, this role provides end-to-end coordination and governance of customer programme commitments, risks, issues, decisions, and recovery actions. Job Responsibilities 1. Operational Management Establish, implement, and continuously improve the Strategic Customer Programme Management framework for RFPs and customer programmes. Ensure delivery readiness assessments are completed before strategic bids and RFP submissions. Translate approved customer commitments into structured mobilisation and execution plans. Maintain a consolidated view of all strategic customer programmes, including: Milestones Risks Issues Dependencies Decisions Recovery actions 2. Monitor programme performance against customer commitments, business cases, SLA obligations, and operational readiness requirements. Coordinate programme activities across: Commercial Finance Legal Planning Engineering Build Service Delivery Assurance Digital Information Technology Procurement Operations 3. Identify and escalate delivery risks, scope changes, resource constraints, and dependency challenges with clear recommendations and impact assessments. 4. Provide executive-level reporting on programme status, risks, performance, mitigation actions, accountability, and decisions required. 5. Leadership and People Management Lead, coach, and develop the Strategic Customer Programme Management team. Implement a flexible resourcing approach utilizing permanent employees and specialist contractors based on programme demand. Build organisational capability in: Programme governance Delivery management Risk management Executive reporting Customer programme execution Foster a culture of accountability, customer ownership, delivery excellence, and collaboration. Ensure adherence to approved methodologies, governance standards, templates, and reporting frameworks. Financial Management Monitor programme delivery against: Approved business cases Revenue commitments Margin targets Cost assumptions Identify and proactively manage financial and commercial risks associated with: Delivery delays SLA penalties Scope changes Customer dissatisfaction Funding constraints Support prioritisation, recovery, and investment decisions to protect customer value, revenue, profitability, and strategic outcomes. Decision-Making Authority The incumbent will be responsible for: Defining governance requirements, approval routes, stage-gate controls, and reporting baselines for strategic customer programmes. Recommending delivery readiness, assumptions, exclusions, risk positions, and escalations prior to RFP pricing lock and submission. Approving governance structures, reporting cadences, RAID management practices, and escalation protocols for assigned programmes. Escalating unresolved risks, resource constraints, scope changes, funding challenges, and delivery trade-offs to executive management. Recommending mobilisation, reprioritisation, resource allocation, and recovery interventions where programme outcomes are at risk. Core Competencies Functional Knowledge Telecommunications service delivery and customer programme management. RFP, bid delivery readiness and commercial governance processes. Programme, portfolio and project management methodologies. Contractual, SLA, penalty and customer commitment management. Business case, revenue protection, margin, cost and benefits tracking principles. Risk, issue, dependency, change and escalation management. Customer experience, NPS, service transition and assurance principles. Functional Skills Business plan formulation and implementation planning. Cross-functional coordination and stakeholder alignment. Executive communication, presentation and decision framing. Risk, issue, dependency and change management. Negotiation, facilitation and conflict resolution. Programme dashboarding, action tracking and performance reporting. Problem solving, analytical thinking and commercial judgement. Competencies (Behaviour) Thought leadership: developing insights, challenging assumptions and shaping practical delivery solutions. Market leadership: understanding customer needs, identifying delivery risks early and creating confidence with strategic accounts. Business leadership: pursuing goals, taking action, upholding standards and driving measurable outcomes. People leadership: empowering teams, directing effort, making decisions and building accountability. Personal leadership: embracing change, showing composure, valuing individuals and working collaboratively. Certifications Education NQF 7: Bachelor's Degree/ Advanced Diploma Experience 8 Years relevant experience, of which at least 3 years on senior management level Additional Information Certification, qualifications and experience: Preferred certifications include: Project Management Professional (PMP) PRINCE2 Managing Successful Programmes (MSP) Management of Portfolios (MoP) Equivalent programme or project management certification Essential Qualifications: Bachelor's Degree in: Business Management, Engineering, Information Technology, Commerce or related discipline Advantageous: Postgraduate qualification (NQF Level 8 or equivalent). Experience: Minimum 8 years of relevant experience in: Customer programme management, Portfolio governance, Project delivery, Account delivery management or Large-scale ICT or telecommunications environments Minimum 3 years in a senior leadership role within programme, delivery, commercial, or customer-facing environments. Proven experience managing complex, multi-workstream programmes involving technical, commercial, operational, legal, financial, and customer-facing teams. Experience within fibre, high-capacity services, managed services, carrier, enterprise, public sector, or hyperscale environments will be advantageous. Demonstrated expertise in: Programme governance Executive reporting Risk, Assumption, Issue and Dependency (RAID) management Customer escalation management Recovery planning Exposure to commercial, contractual, SLA, and financial governance environments is advantageous. Special Requirements: Ability to operate effectively across multiple business units and customer segments within a matrix organisation. Willingness to support: Executive-level escalations Critical bid cycles Strategic customer reviews Time-sensitive programme recovery initiatives Availability to respond to high-priority customer and business requirements when necessary. Resourcing Model: The function will operate with a lean permanent team supported by specialist contractors as required. This flexible approach enables scalability during peak programme demand while maintaining cost efficiency and access to specialist capabilities. Success Measures The role will be evaluated on: Successful conversion of customer commitments into executable delivery plans. On-time and within-scope delivery of strategic customer programmes. Reduction in delivery risks and customer escalations. Achievement of SLA and customer experience objectives. Protection of revenue, margin, and business case commitments. Quality of executive reporting and governance oversight. Effective cross-functional coordination and stakeholder management. Special Requirements Physical Requirements None Key Stakeholders Internal Openserve CEO Openserve Executive Committee (EXCO) Chief Officers Service Delivery Leadership Teams Commercial and Segment Business Development Teams Finance and Revenue Management Commercial Pricing Teams Legal, Risk and Procurement Functions Planning, Engineering, Build and Field Operations Network Operations Teams Digital and Information Technology Teams Service Management Teams Customer Experience Teams External Strategic Customers Government Accounts Enterprise Customers Carrier Customers Hyperscale Customers Key Suppliers and Delivery Partners