Program Director

Program Director – Process & System Transformation

Job Summary

Independence Pet Holdings (IPH) is seeking a collaborative and results-oriented Program Director to support the Program Business Owner and Business Leader to lead a high-impact transformation initiative focused on optimizing business processes and modernizing core enterprise systems. This role is central to building a future-ready insurance platform and its supporting processes that enhances operational efficiency, scalability, and customer experience.  The ideal candidate will drive cross-functional and business-wide alignment, manage complex program interdependencies, and ensure effective delivery of program goals.

Key Responsibilities:

• Translate executive strategy into actionable program goals with clear milestones, KPIs, and measurable outcomes.

• Establish and manage program governance structures, steering committees, and stakeholder engagement models.

• Lead end-to-end program delivery across multiple workstreams, including platform migration, AI enablement, data strategy, and business process redesign.

• Serve as a liaison between business and technology teams to ensure strategic alignment and shared understanding, advocating for business needs.

• Manage vendor relationships including system integrators, AI vendors, cloud providers, and consulting firms (e.g., PwC).

• Build and maintain strong relationships across the businesses, Technology, Finance, HR, and external partners.

• Proactively identify risks, resolve issues, implement migration strategies, and escalate as required to keep the program on track.

• Ensure adherence to regulatory requirements, data privacy standards, and ethical AI practices in partnership with Legal & Compliance, Data, and Tech.

• Monitor and report on program performance, benefits realization, and post-implementation impact.

• Develop executive-level reporting on program status, risks, and escalations.

• Design and execute change management strategies to drive adoption, minimize disruption, and foster continuous improvement.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree required; MBA or equivalent advance degree is a plus.

• Minimum 10 years of experience in program management.

• Proven success managing large-scale transformation programs ($50M+) with cross-functional complexity.

• Strong ability to align technology initiatives with business strategy and regulatory frameworks.

• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills.

• Demonstrated problem-solving capabilities and proactive mindset.

• High emotional intelligence (EQ), adaptability, and ability to thrive in high-pressure, fast-paced, fluid environments.

• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to build trust and rapport with stakeholders at all levels.

Preferred Attributes:

• Deep understanding of insurance operations and Policy Administration System (PAS) lifecycle.

• Familiarity with modern PAS platforms (e.g., Guidewire, Duck Creek, Majesco).

• Understanding of AI / ML applications in insurance (e.g., fraud detection, underwriting automation).

• Experience with cloud-native architectures and data migration strategies.

• Experience working in a global or multi-entity environment.

• Certifications such as Six Sigma, Lean Six Sigma, PMP, PgMP, or equivalent are highly desirable.

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