BMW Program Manager

About the Role
The Programme / Project Manager plays a crucial role in managing the training programme with a mandate to ensure effective training delivery, client partnership, financial control, service quality, compliance with KPIs, and oversight of product launches and events. This position requires strong project management capabilities, financial acumen, and exceptional people leadership skills to drive the training centre’s objectives and foster successful partnerships.

Duties & Responsibilities

Client Partnership & Programme Governance

• Act as direct support to the Training Manager in planning, executing, and controlling the Training Centre, its activities, and resources.
• Act as the primary point of contact for the client on the training programme.
• Develop and maintain programme and project plans, including milestones, owners, deliverables, budget, implementation timing, and approval gateways for each new learning initiative.
• Lead the start-up phase of new projects: problem definition, concept development, and vendor selection.
• Identify training and coaching opportunities that align with the client's business objectives based on market requirements or insights from the Regional Office (RO).
• Lead the development of training and coaching programmes for the client’s approval.
• Schedule meetings with project stakeholders and decision-makers for proposed solutions.
• Ensure timely delivery of new programmes within budget and to the client's standards, including reporting and participant feedback.
• Maintain a repository of training materials, ensuring version control and organization of all updates, enhancements, and records.
• Review existing training programmes to ensure alignment with current products and updated training methods, executing approved update plans.
• Evaluate Sales & Product Trainers' proposals for improving training materials and methodologies.
• Review and approve the annual training plan and training calendar prepared by the Training Co-ordinator before submission to the client.
• Support training needs analysis and quarterly adjustments to the training plan.
• Manage programme risks, issues, and changes, communicating the impact on scope, timelines, resources, and costs.
• Maintain documentation related to programme decisions and actions.
• Track all new projects and value-added services delivered by the company.
• Lead participation in audits, programme reviews, and client governance activities.

Client Meetings & Reporting

• Run weekly operations meetings covering priorities, delivery status, and actions with the team.
• Chair monthly client meetings, focusing on performance, KPIs, SLA results, and forward planning.
• Lead quarterly account meetings to review annual volumetrics, capacity assumptions, and demand trends.
• Review all reports and the monthly KPI scoreboard before distribution to the client.
• Sign off on the monthly SLA report and chair the joint review of the SLA exception register with the client.
• Keep the client informed of successes and noteworthy stories, maintaining a success log with evidence.

Financial Control

• Prepare annual budget inputs, including training volumes and costs, for the Senior Director's approval with the client.
• Control all programme financials against the approved budget and escalate commercial risks as necessary.
• Prepare monthly forecasts of revenue, vendor cost, and training volumes.
• Ensure recovery of company revenue: sign off on monthly invoices and reconcile SLA credit deductions.
• Reconcile vendor costs against client invoicing monthly.
• Liaise with company Finance and the Senior Director on billing, forecasting, and commercial matters.

Service Quality, KPIs & SLA Compliance

• Set and monitor KPIs for the team; act on deviations and identify improvement opportunities.
• Maintain service delivery quality standards for the Training Centre and lead continuous improvement reviews.
• Review Training Administrator’s reports on Operating Standards Manual compliance and address any gaps.
• Submit Deviation Requests to the client within contractual timelines.
• Direct the Training Administrator's preparation of Deviation Requests and Legitimate Cause claims, managing disputes as needed.
• Issue Service Rectification Plans for Non-Compliance Events and ensure accountability for compliance registers.

Product Launches, Conferences & Events

• Oversee all product launches, conferences, and events, ensuring quality, budget adherence, and compliance with client CI and brand standards.
• Review and approve launch event concepts developed by the Training Co-ordinator.
• Lead briefings for launches or events and ensure smooth execution as per approved plans.

Vendor Oversight

• Approve training vendors and programmes in collaboration with the client and the regional office.
• Produce briefing documents for supplier tenders outlining programme requirements, success factors, budget, and timing.
• Conduct annual reviews with suppliers, incorporating feedback from stakeholders.

People & Resource Management

• Lead the client team to achieve KPIs and SLA obligations.
• Manage the performance of direct reports, including objective setting, performance reviews, and improvement plans.
• Approve time sheets and leave requests for Training Centre staff and handle team escalations.
• Manage grievances and employee issues in collaboration with the company's management.
• Recruit staff, maintain a recruitment pipeline, and ensure timely onboarding and certification of trainers.
• Support trainer capacity planning, allocation, and professional development initiatives.

Ad Hoc Duties

• Undertake additional duties for the successful delivery of the training programme as requested by the Senior Director.

Key Performance Measures
The Programme / Project Manager is measured on the overall performance, including SLA requirements effective January 1, 2027:

• Course fill-rate of at least 95% with a minimum of 8 participants.
• Participant satisfaction of at least 90% per course and monthly average.
• Complete content readiness before each course delivery.
• Timely recruitment and replacement of trainers.
• Compliance with all local, legal, and financial regulations.
• Financial performance against budget, including full revenue recovery.
• Minimize SLA service credits, submitting Rectification Plans on time.

Professional Competence

• Strong programme and project management across multiple workstreams and stakeholders.
• Proven financial control and management of budgets, forecasting, and commercial risk.
• Experience managing SLAs and KPIs, with strong governance and issue management skills.
• Ability to align business requirements with measurable programme plans.
• Confidently manage senior client stakeholders and lead formal meetings.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills to interpret training data and KPI reports.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office, especially Excel, PowerPoint, and Teams; familiarity with TMSi or similar LMS is beneficial.

Personal Competence

• Demonstrates accountability and ownership for outcomes.
• Maintains professionalism and confidence with stakeholders.
• Possesses high emotional intelligence and cultural awareness.
• Commercially minded with attention to detail.
• Proactively identifies issues and opportunities.
• Maintains composure under pressure and effectively manages priorities.
• Builds trust and credibility with clients, team, and vendors.
• Fosters a positive, collaborative, and solution-oriented environment.