Senior IT Project Manager – Payments & SWIFT
London (Hybrid, 3 days onsite)
£850/day | Inside IR35
Initial 6-Month Contract
A leading international banking institution is seeking an experienced Senior IT Project Manager to join its established Project Management function and deliver a portfolio of strategic payments-focused initiatives across a complex, highly regulated environment.
This role offers the opportunity to lead business-critical programmes spanning payments transformation, SWIFT messaging, ISO 20022 adoption and regulatory-driven change, partnering with senior stakeholders across Technology, Operations, Risk, Compliance and the wider business. The successful candidate will play a key role in ensuring the successful delivery of initiatives that sit at the heart of the bank's payments infrastructure and ongoing transformation agenda.
Key Responsibilities
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Lead the end-to-end delivery of complex technology and business change programmes, from initiation through to implementation and post-delivery support.
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Manage project governance, financials, planning, resource allocation, RAID management and executive reporting.
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Drive collaboration across cross-functional teams including Technology, Operations, Information Security, Risk, Compliance and business stakeholders.
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Deliver strategic initiatives involving payment processing platforms, SWIFT messaging, cash management and wider payments infrastructure.
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Support the delivery of ISO 20022 and messaging transformation programmes, ensuring alignment with regulatory and market requirements.
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Manage third-party vendors, delivery partners and Statements of Work (SoWs).
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Facilitate steering committees and governance forums, providing clear visibility of progress, risks, dependencies and key decisions.
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Lead testing, deployment, cutover and operational readiness activities to ensure successful implementation.
Skills & Experience
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Proven track record delivering complex Payments Technology programmes within Banking or Financial Services.
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Strong knowledge of SWIFT messaging, including exposure to MT and MX formats.
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Experience delivering ISO 20022 transformation initiatives.
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Understanding of payment schemes and market infrastructures including CHAPS, SEPA and TARGET2/T2.
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Experience working with cross-border payments, payment operations, liquidity or cash management environments.
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Demonstrated success delivering projects within highly regulated organisations.
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Excellent stakeholder engagement skills, with the ability to communicate effectively at Director and Executive level.
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Strong governance, risk, dependency and vendor management capabilities.
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PMP, PRINCE2, APM or equivalent project management certification would be advantageous.