This strategically critical position involves serving as the single accountable executive for a flagship European Commission program in the domains of Dataspace and Artificial Intelligence. Operating at the intersection of cutting-edge technology policy and large-scale public-sector delivery, the role bears ultimate responsibility for scope, schedule, budget, quality, risk, and stakeholder satisfaction across a multi-partner consortium delivering transformative digital infrastructure for Europe.
Responsibilities
Establish and chair the Programme Governance Board, ensuring alignment with European Commission priorities and contractual obligations
Define and own the integrated programme master plan (IMP), managing interdependencies across all workstreams and consortium partners
Drive end-to-end programme execution from inception through deployment and operational handover, maintaining a €100M+ budget baseline
Apply and adapt EU programme management frameworks (e.g., PM²) and Agile-at-scale methodologies as appropriate
Own programme-level risk register, issue log, and escalation procedures; proactively identify and mitigate threats to delivery
Lead the operational governance of a consortium comprising four partner organisations, including sub-contractor oversight and contractual compliance
Chair and facilitate Consortium Management Committees, Technical Steering Committees, and Joint Programme Boards
Manage partner performance, monitor KPIs, and enforce SLAs and contractual obligations under the prime contract
Resolve cross-partner conflicts, resource contention, and scope boundary disputes with authority and diplomacy
Foster a collaborative, high-performance consortium culture aligned with shared programme objectives
Serve as the primary relationship owner and executive point of contact for European Commission DG counterparts
Build and sustain trusted advisory relationships with Commission programme sponsors, IT Steering Committees, and EC senior management
Engage proactively with EU country stakeholders across 27 Member States, coordinating national rollout activities and managing country-level expectations
Represent the programme in high-level review meetings, governance forums, and political-level briefings
Navigate the EU institutional landscape with sensitivity to political dynamics, procurement regulations, and EU financial regulations
Oversee technical delivery of Dataspace architecture components
Drive AI programme workstreams in alignment with the EU AI Act, the AI Office, and Commission AI strategies
Ensure technical solutions are interoperable, standards-compliant (EUCS, ETSI, W3C, ISO), and aligned with EU security requirements
Collaborate with Enterprise Architects, Data Engineers, Developers, testers and AI specialists to validate technical direction and manage delivery risk
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Own and manage the full programme budget (€100M+), including baseline, forecast, earned value management (EVM), and variance reporting
Oversee procurement activities under EU Financial Regulations and applicable framework contracts
Prepare and defend financial reports, Monthly Progress Reports (MPR), and Quarterly Management Reviews for the Commission
Ensure auditability of programme expenditure in accordance with EC Internal Audit Service (IAS) standards
Implement and maintain the Quality Management Plan (QMP) in accordance with ISO 9001 and EC quality standards
Ensure compliance with GDPR, NIS2, EU AI Act, and relevant Commission security policies (ITSM, ISMS)
Produce executive-level programme dashboards, milestone reports, and presentations for senior EC stakeholders
Manage lessons learned, continuous improvement, and knowledge transfer processes throughout the programme lifecycle
Requirements
Minimum 15 years of IT programme/project management experience
At least 8 years in senior/lead programme management/director roles
Demonstrated track record of successfully delivering EU Commission IT programmes at scale (€50M+ budget), ideally with DGs like DIGIT, TAXUD, CONNECT, or equivalent
Proven experience managing and leading multi-partner consortia as prime contractor in EU public procurement contexts
Deep operational knowledge of EU procurement frameworks, framework contracts, and EU Financial Regulations
Hands-on experience with EU programme management methodology PM² or equivalent, including governance, reporting, and documentation standards
Experience engaging with EU Member State government stakeholders and national administrations across multiple countries
Substantial technical exposure to Dataspace architectures and/or AI programme delivery in a public sector or regulated environment
Master's degree (or equivalent) in Computer Science, Information Systems, Engineering, Public Administration, or a related field
Direct experience on EU Dataspace programmes (e.g., GAIA-X, IDSA-aligned, European Health Data Space, Mobility Data Space, or similar)
Knowledge of EU AI initiatives including the EU AI Act implementation, the European AI Office, and AI regulatory compliance frameworks
Familiarity with EC digital infrastructure programmes such as CEF Digital, the Digital Europe Programme (DEP), or Horizon Europe ICT projects
Experience with EC interoperability frameworks (EIF) and the ISA²/Interoperable Europe Act
Understanding of cloud sovereign requirements under EUCS and European cloud initiatives
PMP, PRINCE2 Practitioner, ITIL 4 Foundation, Scrum@Scale, or SAFe certification
EU institutional training or EPSO-related qualifications
Benefits
A strategically pivotal role shaping Europe's digital infrastructure for a decade to come
Direct engagement at the highest levels of the European Commission and EU Member State governments
Leadership of one of the most complex and high-profile EU IT programmes currently in execution
Competitive executive compensation package benchmarked to the Brussels senior IT programme management market
Access to a high-calibre consortium team with deep EU institutional and technical expertise
Continuous professional development and access to leading EU digital policy forums and conferences
About the Company
Sopra Steria offers tailored, end-to-end corporate technology and software solutions to help clients make bold choices and deliver results. With more than 56,000 colleagues in 30 countries, it ranks as Europe’s leading digital solutions provider. Some of the most successful companies in Europe rely on its technology due to its commitment to innovation, collaboration, and value in business development.
