Job Summary:

Join the team delivering the Bus Solution package of the Opal Next Generation (ONG) program—an exciting, high-impact initiative that will reshape how passengers plan journeys, pay for travel, and access real-time information across the NSW Opal-enabled bus network.

As Program Director, you will be accountable for the successful leadership, delivery, governance, and commercial performance of the TfNSW ONG project during implementation and transition phases.

This is a senior, high visibility leadership role responsible for the successful, on-time and on-budget delivery of the TfNSW ONG project, standing up the PMO function, ensuring all contractual obligations are met, coordinating multi-disciplinary and globally distributed teams, and maintaining strong stakeholder relationships across government agencies, operators, technical teams, and Modaxo global resources.

Job Description:

How you’ll make an impact:

Project Leadership:

• Lead the overall delivery of the ONG Project, ensuring all contractual commitments, scope, timelines, and quality outcomes are met.
• Lead mobilisation activity including governance setup, internal and external kick-offs, resource ramp up, and stakeholder onboarding.
• Ensure all contractual inputs (SoW, compliance matrices, WBS, pricing assumptions) are fully understood and translated into delivery plans.
• Stand up and mature the PMO function to ensure strong governance, structured reporting, and disciplined project management processes.
• Provide clear direction, alignment, and mobilisation across cross functional, global teams including engineering, software, hardware, customer success, operations, and finance.

Commercial Oversight & Governance:

• Oversee program budget, revenue performance, forecasting accuracy, change control, and commercial risk.
• Own day-to-day P&L management for the project, including partnering with Finance month-end processes, variance analysis, and corrective actions to protect margin.
• Manage financial controls across invoicing, revenue recognition inputs, and cash collection milestones in partnership with Finance.
• Provide accurate financial reporting and narrative to internal executives (budget vs actuals, margin drivers, and key commercial risks) with clear actions and decisions required.
• Ensure adherence to contract obligations, service agreements, PMO standards, and internal project governance frameworks.
• Drive alignment between operational delivery and commercial objectives, including P&L considerations for the program.
• Establish strong change control governance to protect margin, scope, and delivery efficiencies.
• Advocate for commercial discipline across the program team, ensuring early flagging of risks and variations.

Stakeholder Management:

• Act as the primary senior contact for TfNSW and other external delivery partners.
• Build trusted relationships with executive stakeholders, ensuring clear communication, risk transparency, and proactive issue resolution.
• Work closely with other Modaxo Business Units (BUs), as required, to leverage shared capabilities and ensure alignment of solution delivery.
• Advise senior leadership on program health, risk profile, and strategic decision points up to Executive decision makers.
• Demonstrate strong executive presence and influence by communicating with clarity, confidence, and composure in high-stakes environments.
• Prepare and deliver concise, decision-oriented updates to Modaxo and BU executives, including clear options, recommendations, and escalations when required.
• Build alignment across internal senior leaders by proactively managing messaging, expectations, and interdependencies across functions and BUs.
• Coordinate engagement across third-party vendors, operators, and government decisionmakers when required.

Team Leadership & People Management:

• Build, lead, and mentor a high performing project and PMO team including Project Managers, Technical Leads, Analysts, and SMEs.
• Ensure resourcing levels meet program demand and proactively address capability gaps.
• Build organisational capability within the PMO, including leading and mentoring future leaders, succession planning, and embedding delivery excellence standards.
• Set clear objectives and performance expectations, provide regular coaching and feedback, and address performance issues promptly and fairly.
• Lead recruitment, onboarding, and team design to ensure the right mix of delivery, technical, and PMO capability across project phases.
• Promote an inclusive, psychologically safe team environment, supporting engagement and wellbeing while maintaining a high-performance culture.
• Foster a culture of accountability, clarity, collaboration, and continuous improvement across the delivery environment.

Risk, Issues & Quality Management:

• Oversee risk identification, mitigation, escalation pathways and decision governance.
• Ensure quality assurance processes are embedded, and customer expectations are managed proactively.
• Provide scenario planning, mitigation strategies, and forward-looking risk intelligence.
• Champion delivery excellence and ensure all work is compliant with delivery standards.

Government, Regulatory & Public Accountability:

• Ensure compliance with government reporting requirements, assurance gates, and public accountability expectations.
• Represent the organisation in audits, reviews, assurance checkpoints, and steering committee sessions with agencies and ministerial bodies.

Transition & Handover Leadership:

• Manage the transition from project implementation into operational support and maintenance phases, including partnering with Customer Support Leaders to ensure adoption, training, and operational readiness.
• Ensure structured handover processes and ongoing customer relationship continuity.

What you'll bring to the role:

• 10+ years leading large‑scale, complex, multi‑year technology or transport projects.
• Demonstrated experience in government facing program leadership roles.
• Proven track record delivering $20M–$100M+ programs involving software, hardware, and systems integration.
• Experience standing up or maturing PMO functions.
• Strong commercial acumen including contract interpretation, change control, and P&L oversight.
• Exceptional stakeholder management and communication skills at executive and ministerial levels.
• Familiarity with enterprise transit technology solutions.
• Formal PM qualifications (PMP, MSP, PRINCE2, Agile).
• Calm, structured leadership under pressure.
• Strong judgement and ability to navigate ambiguity.
• A collaborative style balanced with assertiveness and accountability.
• High integrity, resilience, and a delivery focused mindset.
• Experience in delivery of transport, fare collection, ITS, or safety critical systems is highly desirable.
• On-site location: Sydney-based. Expected attendance in line with project, up to ~four days per week on-site, split between TfNSW stakeholder locations and the program delivery office as required by project phase.
• Travel: Occasional interstate and international travel to coordinate with Modaxo global engineering teams.

Success in the role will be determined by:

• Achievement of all contractual delivery milestones on time and on budget.
• Strong customer satisfaction and strengthened partnership with TfNSW and related stakeholders.
• Effective PMO mobilisation, governance discipline, and reporting transparency.
• Program-level financial performance (P&L contribution, forecasting accuracy, margin protection).
• Low project risk profile, with proactive mitigation demonstrated.
• Talent retention, team engagement, and capability uplift across the program team.

Worker Type:

Regular

Number of Openings Available:

1