Program Manager, Project Management Office

About the role

The Program Manager leads a team of Project Managers and ensures successful delivery across multiple initiatives, providing strong governance, planning oversight and strategic direction so projects are delivered on time, within budget and aligned with business objectives. The role bridges IS and business teams, manages risks proactively and gives executives visibility on project health and outcomes. It is based in Tokyo with a hybrid working arrangement.

Key responsibilities

• Lead, mentor and coach a team of Project Managers, resolve escalations and risks, and foster accountability and continuous improvement.
• Review and validate project plans, milestones, sequencing and dependencies, monitor progress and drive corrective actions.
• Review project status regularly, establish governance practices and give data-driven insights on portfolio health.
• Monitor budgets, forecasts and actual costs, and work with Project Managers on corrective financial actions.
• Communicate between IS, business teams and external stakeholders, keep sponsors informed and present consolidated reports to senior leadership.
• Generate and review consolidated project and portfolio reports, presenting clear executive summaries.
• Proactively identify, assess and mitigate risks, and support resolution of high-impact issues and cross-project dependencies.
• Identify gaps in delivery processes and recommend and implement improvements and standardised ways of working.

Required profile

• 10+ years of experience in project/program management.
• Proven experience leading teams of Project Managers or delivery leads, and delivering large-scale, cross-functional projects.
• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Business or a related field.
• Fluent Japanese and English.

Required skills

• Leadership, stakeholder engagement and presentation skills with CXO-level audiences.
• Understanding of project lifecycle, planning, governance, financial tracking and performance reporting.
• Hands-on experience in Agile (Scrum / SAFe) and Waterfall project execution.