Program Manager, Technology Services

Job ID: 52860

Job Category: Policy, Planning & Research

Division & Section: Technology Services, Enterprise Strategy & Project Delivery

Work Location: Metro Hall, 55 John St, Toronto

Job Type & Duration: Temporary, Full-time, 12 month vacancy

Salary: $113,683.00 - $155,216.00

Shift Information: Monday to Friday, 35 hours per week

Affiliation: Non-Union

Number of Positions Open: 1

Posting Period: 28-Apr-2025 to 12-May-2025

Job Summary:

We’re looking for a collaborative, value-driven leader to partner with the Program Support Team and provide expert strategic coaching, advice, and support to Technology Services Division and management team. The ideal person will lead and orchestrate initiatives that transcend traditional program management by embedding business agility and continuous improvement principles into all levels of accountability. Partnering with different leaders, this individual will enable leaders, cross-functional teams, cultivate a culture of learning, quality, and adaptive delivery, and help people reimagine how to co-create value, navigate consistent complexity, and respond to change. By doing so, this person would address matters related to issue management, audit management, council, committee and communication activities, and would lead initiatives, projects and activities, reporting on division-wide performance measures and stakeholder liaison activities.

Major Responsibilities:

Strategic Leadership and Business Agility Enablement

• Establishes strong, trusted, and collaborative working relationships with the division at all levels.
• Provides strategic advice and operational support on Agile transformation and business agility strategy and practices, cultural change, and operating model evolution.
• Supports the evolution of Agile operating models, scaling frameworks, and team structures based on organizational maturity and context.
• Provides strategic advice, day-to-day operational support and professional judgment on complex and contentious issues for Enterprise Strategy and Project Delivery (ES&PD) and the overall Division.
• Supports balanced view of planning, design, development, implementation and maintenance / sustainment of products for TSD. Also supports transition from project to product thinking, ensuring cross-functional teams are aligned to customer value and long-term outcomes.
• Monitors leading and emerging industry trends and delves into leading practices to co-create adaptive improvement and business agility enablement strategies, fostering value delivery, team health and effectiveness.
• Identifies and removes / supports to remove organizational impediments to business agility. Works with leadership to influence systems, structures and mindsets.
• Advocates the Divisions values, principles and objectives in a variety of meetings and forums with authority to speak on behalf of the Division, as needed.
• Represents the Program Support Team on City wide corporate initiatives and at meetings and forums on Technology Services
• Maintains a continuous and thorough knowledge of current corporate and other division’s issues and initiatives. Contributes to the creation of psychologically safe environments where learning and innovation can thrive.

Agile Governance, Metrics and Continuous Improvement

• Provides input into Agile governance, so that it supports risk management, effective decision-making, alignment with organizational goals, and enables teams to: continuously improve, take ownership of products/services; be transparent, empowered.
• Collaborates across Technology Services Division to address matters related to audit management. This can include recommendations to modify Agile governance, identification of education/training opportunities, etc.
• Supports divisional performance tracking. Guides use of Agile metrics, key performance indicators and/or objectives and key results, and performance measures to foster transparency, data-guided decision-making.
• Continuously improves program quality assurance and processes to support the Division, ensuring a high quality of service and building capacity and capability, directly contributing to the DCTO/CTO's mandate.
• Makes recommendations to senior divisional management with regard to areas of optimization and business process simplifications that could result in alternate service delivery/contracting out, restructuring, changes in staffing level, downsizing, resource allocation, improvement of end-to-end ideation, delivery, and sustainment of products and services.
• Ensures that the project expenditures are controlled and maintained within approved budget limitations.

Coaching, Enablement, and Learning Culture

• Develops and manages business agility initiatives related to Program Support Team, and supports divisional strategies and issues as communicated by Director, Program Support.
• Develops and contributes to internal coaching resources, learning journeys, and business agility playbooks to build capability at scale in TSD.
• Facilitates workshops, leadership sessions, agile / scaled agile ceremonies as needed to model industry standards, foster team effectiveness, clarity of purpose, and sustainment
• Develops consistent and effective communication to all levels within TSD to: help establish and enable business agility; provide leadership coaching to senior leaders, people managers, and teams to build business agility leadership muscle and adaptive decision-making.
• Co-creates a brand with and for Program Support Team, determining brand voice, complete with communication strategies according to different audiences, context which requires confidence and tact.

Team Leadership and Operational Management

• Develops and implements detailed plans and recommends policies regarding program specific requirements.
• Manages and coordinates assigned projects, ensuring effective teamwork and communication, high standards of work quality and organizational performance and continuous learning.
• Partners with the Program Support Team to continually improve the team, building on existing and new capabilities, so the team can continue to grow and work effectively together
• Provides confidential staffing and labour relations assistance for the Division and attends meetings where confidential labour relations information is discussed.

Stakeholder Engagement and Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Works with diverse internal and external stakeholders to partner in the development, modification, and implementation of impediment management strategies, policies and procedures, and liaises with Program Support on appropriate responses and delivery as needed.
• Collaborates across teams and the division to develop solutions that align with divisional priorities and needs.
• Partners with multiple stakeholders, along with external sources, to identify themes across TSD. This information is used as input to continuously improve overall systems, including programs and processes.
• Develops and maintains strong relationships with key leaders to maintain insight into challenges, identify themes, so that Program Support Team can respond in a timely manner.
• Participates on various Committees and TSD meetings as a divisional representative, to learn, observe, identify opportunities and add value.
• Works in collaboration with Strategic Public & Employee Communications on contentious issues, and issues of media interest, in developing appropriate responses and key messages for the DCTO/CTO and the senior management in the Division.

Reporting, Research, and Analysis

• Conducts comprehensive research into assigned area ensuring that such research takes into account developments within the field, corporate policies and practices, legislation and initiatives by other levels of government.
• Develops effective issues management strategies and assists the Director of Program Support in addressing emerging and ongoing challenges ensuring timely support in the delivery of TSD programs and special initiatives.
• Prepares communications to provide strategic advice and guidance specifically in relation to developing and implementing innovative solutions and business agility initiatives.
• Prepares strategic analysis reports for varied audiences, including Director of Program Support, Project Directors, DCTOs, CTO, and foster bi-directional participation in discussion of themes and opportunity assessments.

Key Qualifications:

1. Considerable experience in Agile environments, including coaching teams, leaders, and organizations towards business agility.
2. Experience with Agile values, principles, frameworks and methods like Scrum, Kanban, Lean are required. LeSS, Nexus, Disciplined Agile or SAFe are considered an asset.
3. Experience supporting the shift from project to product, outcome-driven delivery, and value stream alignment
4.  Ability to facilitate workshops of different sizes, coach individuals and teams, and foster high-performing psychologically safe environments
5. Skilled in stakeholder engagement, building trusted relationships, and organizational change management to enable cultural and structural transformation
6.  Ability to lead change in complex environments and navigate ambiguity with strong interpersonal influence
7. Strategic thinker, collaborator, enabler. Demonstrates discretion and emotional intelligence – able to hold conversations in confidence while identifying and elevating systemic themes to enable action and improvement.
8. Proficient in Agile metrics, OKRs, KPIs, and data-informed decision-making to drive continuous improvement.
9.  Ability to identify which metrics should be tracked and be able to communicate to audiences with varied levels of understanding
10. Relevant certifications are considered an asset.. For example: CSP, CSM, CSPO, CAL-T, CAL-E, CAL-O, ICAgile Certified Expert (ICE-AC or ICE-EC) or ICAgile Agile Coaching (ICP-ACC) or Enterprise Coaching (ICP-ENT)

Equity, Diversity and Inclusion

The City is an equal opportunity employer, dedicated to creating a workplace culture of inclusiveness that reflects the diverse residents that we serve. Learn more about the City’s commitment to employment equity.

Accommodation

The City of Toronto is committed to creating an accessible and inclusive organization. We are committed to providing barrier-free and accessible employment practices in compliance with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA). Should you require Code-protected accommodation through any stage of the recruitment process, please make them known when contacted and we will work with you to meet your needs. Disability-related accommodation during the application process is available upon request. Learn more about the City’s Hiring Policies and Accommodation Process.