Senior Project/Program Manager with German

The candidate will lead a large, multi-project programme for a major European operator in a highly regulated, safety-critical infrastructure environment. The primary objective is to evaluate and implement the use of public cloud infrastructure for control and safety technology that must meet stringent safety and cybersecurity requirements.

• IPMA B certification or an equivalent recognised project management certification (e.g. PMP, PRINCE2) required.
• Several years of experience managing large programmes in highly regulated or safety-critical sectors.
• Proven track record designing and steering complex project organisations with multiple sub-projects and managing senior stakeholders up to management-board level.
• Substantial experience with cloud technologies, preferably hyperscaler environments, in highly available or safety-critical contexts and large-scale cloud transformation or migration initiatives.
• Practical experience with projects governed by CENELEC standards and with V-Model based lifecycles.
• Experience operating hybrid delivery models combining V-Model and agile practices (e.g. Kanban), including structured quality assurance and documentation processes.
• Strong governance, communication and leadership skills; experience leading international and intercultural teams and coordinating external partners.
• German: near-native level (C2) for project communication and safety/V-Model documentation; technical English proficiency for specifications and collaboration.
• Ability to present complex technical and programme information clearly, and to formulate practical recommendations for decision makers.

• Assume overall responsibility for the multi-project programme including quality, timeline, scope and adherence to the authorised budget.
• Establish and steer a project organisation compliant with CENELEC standards and aligned with a V-Model lifecycle, incorporating agile elements (e.g. Kanban) where beneficial.
• Plan, monitor and maintain safety-relevant documentation such as safety plans, system safety analyses, test concepts, verification plans and safety evidence.
• Ensure robust requirements management through appropriate tools and practices (for example Polarion or equivalent).
• Define, moderate and enforce quality gates, including peer reviews, independent verification, external assessments and decision approvals.
• Coordinate with the cloud provider to define and deploy a cloud environment that meets availability, safety and regulatory requirements.
• Provide transparent programme planning and reporting: status reports, budget burn-down, schedule and effort tracking.
• Identify, evaluate and continuously track risks and mitigation measures across sub-projects and suppliers.
• Organise and chair steering committees and expert workshops; present results and provide clear decision recommendations to senior stakeholders.
• Support cybersecurity workstreams by coordinating phase planning and communication with advisory and approval bodies.
• Prepare completion reports and support the development of cost models to inform follow-up decisions.