Programme Manager - Mainframe Migration

Job Description Summary

Job Description

Programme Manager - Mainframe Migration

12 Months Fixed Term Contract  

Location: Edinburgh (We believe in the power of in-person collaboration, and our hybrid model requires colleagues to be in the office a minimum of 40% of their time)  

Salary: A competitive salary depending on the experience you can bring  

Closing date: Friday 4th September

People are living longer and we’re excited by the opportunities this brings to help people live their best lives. We’re here for everyone who wants to make the most of their time on the planet and leave it a little better than they found it – however grand or humble their ambitions. 

We help people live their best lives. We help them with the big stuff, for the moments that matter: Pensions, Savings, Investments. At Aegon, we strive in creating a diverse organisation that plays a meaningful role in driving greater equity, inclusion and belonging. 

We're looking for an experienced Programme Manager to join our Transformation team and lead a critical technology migration programme. This is a unique opportunity to oversee the transition of Aegon UK's mainframe services from a US-hosted environment to a UK-based third-party hosted solution, delivered in partnership with our partners.

This is a fixed-term role to support the delivery of a specific project and is expected to run for approximately 12 months from late Q3 2026.

Reporting to the Transformation Programme Director, with a dotted reporting line into the Chief Technology Officer, you'll provide leadership, oversight and governance across a complex programme involving multiple stakeholders, technical teams and delivery partners. You'll play a key role in ensuring the migration is delivered successfully, safely and in line with agreed timelines, budgets and quality standards.

Key Responsibilities include:

• Lead and oversee the successful delivery of the mainframe migration workstream, working closely with our external partners and internal stakeholders.

• Manage programme delivery against agreed scope, timelines, budget, quality standards and change control requirements.

• Define, secure and manage the resources required to deliver programme objectives, adjusting plans where necessary to ensure successful outcomes.

• Develop and maintain robust programme plans, budgets and forecasts, escalating material variances where appropriate.

• Identify, manage and mitigate risks, issues, dependencies and scope changes, ensuring timely engagement with stakeholders.

• Act as a key escalation point, providing guidance and support across related delivery workstreams.

• Establish and embed effective assurance disciplines across the programme, including audits, reviews and delivery health assessments.

• Conduct regular reviews with programme teams, suppliers and senior stakeholders to monitor progress and drive successful delivery.

• Provide clear, timely reporting on programme performance, risks, issues and overall delivery health.

• Ensure appropriate governance and controls are maintained throughout the programme lifecycle.

• Build strong relationships with business, technology and supplier partners to support successful programme delivery.

• Promote a positive, collaborative and delivery-focused culture, providing leadership and direction through influence rather than direct line management.

• Ensure all regulatory obligations, company policies and risk management requirements are understood and adhered to.

We’d love to hear from you if you have:

• A proven track record delivering large-scale mainframe migration programmes, including migrations between service providers and/or geographical locations.

• Knowledge of IBM mainframe technologies and associated platforms, including IBM Z, DB2, MQ, Datacom, SAS, PEGA, CA Tape Management, Paragon and AutoRek.

• Significant experience leading complex technology programmes and managing multiple interdependent workstreams.

• Strong programme and project management expertise across planning, governance, stakeholder management, budgeting, risk, procurement and delivery management.

• Experience working with outsourced technology providers and strategic delivery partners.

• A strong understanding of programme governance, assurance frameworks and delivery lifecycle methodologies.

• Experience managing technical programmes and collaborating effectively with technology SMEs and delivery teams.

• Excellent stakeholder management skills, with the ability to influence and engage at all levels of an organisation.

• Strong leadership, negotiation and conflict resolution capabilities.

• Proven ability to identify and manage programme resources, dependencies, risks and issues.

• Sound commercial and financial management skills, including budget forecasting and cost control.

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to balance strategic priorities and delivery requirements.

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including experience presenting to senior stakeholders and executive audiences.

What’s in it for you?

• We’re serious about your future and our enhanced pension scheme is now in place.  We ask you to contribute 3% of your salary to your pension and we’ll put in 9%.  If you decide to contribute more, we’ll match it up to a combined total of 20% of your salary (that’s 7% from you and 13% from us). 

• A discretionary bonus, depending on personal and company performance

• Annual car allowance

• 38 days leave per year (including bank holidays, pro-rated for part-time)

We also offer private medical cover, life assurance, critical illness cover, enhanced parental leave and a variety of lifestyle benefits to help our employees live their best lives, including retail discount vouchers, cycle2work scheme, subsidised restaurant and online GP appointments.  To find out more about what to expect at Aegon, visit our careers site.

This is an opportunity to lead a business-critical technology transformation programme that will shape Aegon UK's future technology landscape. You'll work with experienced business and technology leaders, influence key strategic outcomes and play a central role in delivering one of the organisation's most significant infrastructure migration initiatives.

The legal bits 

We’ll need you to confirm you have the right to work in the UK. If we offer you a job and you accept, there are some checks we need to complete before you can start with us. This will include a credit and criminal record check, as well as providing satisfactory references.