Senior Retail Banking Digital Transformation (Project Manager)

The client is looking for an experienced Senior Retail Banking Digital Transformation Project Manager to lead and deliver strategic digital transformation initiatives across the bank's retail banking business.The role will be responsible for managing complex, business-critical transformation programs covering digital banking, customer experience, mobile and internet banking, onboarding, payments, lending, CRM, branch transformation, automation, data and analytics, and integration of digital platforms.The successful candidate will work closely with Retail Banking, Technology, Product, Operations, Risk, Compliance, Information Security, Data and other stakeholders to translate business objectives into scalable digital solutions and deliver transformation initiatives within agreed timelines, budgets and quality standards.Key Responsibilities:Digital Transformation & Project Leadership:Lead end-to-end delivery of major retail banking digital transformation projects from strategy and business case through implementation and post-production stabilization.Develop project objectives, scope, business cases, delivery roadmaps, milestones, budgets and resource plans.Manage multiple concurrent transformation initiatives and ensure alignment with the bank's overall digital strategy.Identify opportunities to digitize, simplify and automate customer and operational journeys.Drive transformation initiatives that improve customer experience, operational efficiency, revenue generation and cost optimization.Establish appropriate project governance, delivery methodologies, KPIs and reporting mechanisms.Retail Banking Transformation:Lead digital initiatives across areas such as:Digital customer onboarding and e-KYCMobile and Internet BankingAccount opening and servicingDigital lending and credit journeysPayments and transfersCards and digital walletsPersonal finance and wealth managementCRM and customer engagementBranch and assisted-digital transformationCustomer self-serviceProcess automation and straight-through processingMap and redesign end-to-end customer journeys and banking processes.Work with business teams to identify pain points, eliminate manual processes and improve turnaround times.Drive adoption of digital channels and increase customer migration from traditional to digital banking.Technology & Solution DeliveryPartner with technology teams, architects and vendors to define solution requirements and delivery approaches.Oversee integration of digital banking platforms with core banking, payment systems, CRM, KYC, AML, credit, cards and other enterprise platforms.Ensure projects address scalability, availability, security, data privacy and regulatory requirements.Coordinate API, middleware, cloud, microservices and enterprise integration activities where applicable.Ensure effective delivery across Agile, Scrum, Waterfall or hybrid methodologies.Stakeholder & Vendor Management:Act as the primary project interface between Retail Banking, Technology and other business functions.Manage senior stakeholders and communicate project progress, risks, dependencies and key decisions to executive leadership.Facilitate workshops with business and technology teams to establish requirements and priorities.Manage external technology partners, consultants and implementation vendors.Ensure vendors deliver against agreed SLAs, milestones, scope and quality expectations.Governance, Risk & Compliance:Establish strong project governance and ensure adherence to the bank's project management and technology governance frameworks.Identify, assess and proactively manage project risks, issues, assumptions and dependencies.Ensure transformation initiatives comply with applicable banking regulations, information security, data privacy, risk management, AML/KYC and internal control requirements.Coordinate with Risk, Compliance, Audit and Information Security teams throughout project delivery.Ensure appropriate documentation, approvals, testing and controls are completed before production release.Delivery & Performance Management:Monitor project scope, schedule, budget, quality and resource utilization.Manage project RAID logs, action trackers, dependencies and change requests.Establish and track transformation KPIs and benefits realization.Lead UAT, implementation planning, production deployment and post-go-live stabilization.Ensure business benefits are measured and realized following implementation.Provide regular management reports and executive-level project updates.Key Deliverables:Digital transformation roadmap and project plansBusiness cases and transformation proposalsProject governance and reportingDigital customer journey transformationDigital banking platform implementationsProcess automation initiativesSuccessful technology and system integrationsImproved digital adoption and customer experienceReduced operational turnaround times and manual processingBenefits realization and measurable business outcomesSuccessful delivery within agreed scope, budget and timelinesRequired Qualifications:Bachelor's degree in Business, Banking, Finance, Technology, Computer Science, Engineering or a related discipline.MBA / Master's degree in Business, Finance, Technology or Digital Transformation is preferred.10–15 years of overall professional experience, preferably within banking or financial services.Significant experience in retail banking digital transformation and project/program management.Experience managing large-scale, cross-functional technology and business transformation initiatives.Required Experience & Skills:Strong understanding of retail banking products, processes and customer journeys.Proven experience delivering digital banking transformation programs.Strong understanding of mobile banking, Internet banking, digital onboarding, e-KYC, payments, lending and customer experience platforms.Experience working with core banking and enterprise banking applications.Understanding of APIs, system integration, cloud technologies, microservices and digital platforms.Strong understanding of Agile / Scrum and traditional project management methodologies.Experience managing budgets, resources, vendors and large project teams.Excellent stakeholder management and executive communication skills.Strong analytical, problem-solving and decision-making capabilities.Ability to translate business requirements into technology-enabled transformation initiatives.Strong understanding of banking risk, compliance, information security and data privacy requirements.Experience with project management tools and reporting dashboards.Preferred Certifications:One or more of the following would be advantageous:PMP / PRINCE2Agile / Scrum certificationSAFe certificationLean Six SigmaProsci / Change Management certificationDigital Transformation certificationKey Competencies:Digital Transformation LeadershipRetail Banking Domain KnowledgeProgram & Project ManagementStrategic ThinkingBusiness Process Re-engineeringCustomer Journey TransformationAgile DeliveryTechnology & Systems IntegrationStakeholder ManagementVendor ManagementRisk & Issue ManagementChange ManagementData-Driven Decision MakingExecutive CommunicationCommercial & Financial Management