Program Manager – Strategic Initiatives (Bellville ) at Econo Foods

PURPOSE OF THE ROLE

• The Program Manager will oversee the planning, execution, and delivery of key strategic initiatives across the company. Ensuring robust project governance, scalable capability and capacity, and alignment of the strategic portfolio to Econofoods financial and operational goals. Working closely with the CFO, EXCO, and project sponsors, this role will ensure that programs are delivered on time, within budget, and aligned to business priorities.
• The Program Manager will establish and embed project management best practices, manage interdependencies, and provide visibility on progress to executive leadership.
• This role will oversee key initiatives while ensuring that all programs delivery measurable business value and financial impact for the CFO and Exco.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Governance & Portfolio Management:

• Design and embed a company-wide governance framework (stage gates, approvals, risk and benefits tracking).
• Lead portfolio planning, prioritisation, and capacity management across functions.
• Provide consolidated dashboards to CFO/Exco with cost, schedule, benefit, and risk data.
• Chair Programme Steering Committees and ensure disciplined reporting.
• Oversee multiple strategic initiatives and projects, ensuring alignment with company strategy. Lead the Project Management Office (PMO) and ensure consistent methodologies, tools, and governance.

Project Planning & Execution:

• Develop detailed project plans, budgets, timelines, and resource allocations.
• Monitor project progress, risks, and dependencies, providing early escalation and problem-solving.
• Establish a scalable PMO structure, maturity roadmap, and knowledge hub.
• Build and manage a capacity model to balance resource demand and supply.
• Develop project leadership skills across the organisation; coach and mentor business project owners.
• Reduce reliance on external consultants by building strong internal delivery capability.

Stakeholder Engagement:

• Act as a key liaison between the CFO, EXCO, and project teams.
• Facilitate decision-making and ensure alignment across functions.

Performance & Reporting:

• Track and report on program outcomes, milestones, and KPIs.
• Provide executive-level reporting and insights for the CFO and Board where required.
• Translate programme performance into clear financial and operational impact (cost savings, working-capital improvement, productivity, and ROI).
• Deliver monthly reporting packs for CFO/Exco linking portfolio spend to benefits.
• Track and report on benefits realisation across all strategic initiatives.

Change & Risk Management

• Identify, assess, and mitigate project risks.
• Support change management processes to ensure smooth adoption of new systems, processes, or structures.

KEY DELIVERABLES:

• Company-wide governance framework fully embedded.
• Portfolio dashboards live and in use by CFO/Exco.
• ERP successfully selected and implemented as part of the portfolio.
• Benefits realisation framework in place, with ≥80% benefits achieved.
• PMO maturity uplift by at least one level within 12 months.

SUCCESS METRICS (KPI’S):

• Stage-gate compliance ≥95% across all projects.
• Portfolio capacity forecast accuracy ±10%.
• ≥80% of planned benefits realised within 12 months of project completion.
• ERP delivered within ±10% budget, ±5% schedule, with ≥85% adoption.
• PMO maturity uplift ≥1 level year-on-year.

Requirements

QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Finance, Project Management, or related field (Master’s degree or MBA preferred).
• PMP, PgMP, MSP or Prince2 Practitioner (Agile/SAFe a plus) certification.
• 10+ years’ experience in project/program management, with at least 3 years in a senior role.
• Proven track record of delivering cross-functional strategic initiatives.
• Strong financial and business acumen, with experience working closely with C-Suite.
• Retail, FMCG, or supply chain sector experience advantageous.
• Track record of ERP programme participation (not necessarily ERP-only).
• Strong governance and benefits management expertise.

COMPETENCIES REQUIRED

• Strategic Portfolio leadership and thinking. Ability to prioritise and align projects with business objectives.
• Exceptional leadership, influencing, and stakeholder management skills. With an ability to build robust structures and accountability.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving ability.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills. Ability to create scalable PMO skills and capacity.
• Financial Acumen – links project to measurable ROI and cost efficiency.
• High resilience, adaptability, and results orientation. With strong change leadership to ensure smooth adoption across business units and functions.
• Building and maintaining relationships - living out the company values and unique HO HOLA culture. Friendly, helpful, confident yet humble, and able to work well in a team.
• Ability to work in a highly competitive, fast past and dynamic environment.
• Comprehensive knowledge of Microsoft.

CLOSING DATE

• 24 SEPTEMBER 2025