Release Train Engineer - PLRe Technology in London

The Technology function comprises multiple globally distributed teams (Global Technology Solutions; Global Service & Infrastructure Management; Risk; Enterprise Architecture & Data; Information Security; and regional support hubs). Together, they are responsible for the design, delivery, management and security of PL Re’s global application and infrastructure landscape. The team delivers a mixture of bespoke, business‑critical solutions (e.g., Underwriting, Claims, Pricing and Actuarial applications) and enterprise systems, while maintaining a high standard of service and security across our UK/Europe, Asia, North America and Australia offices.

We are investing in strengthening our Technology change delivery capability as part of a maturing Portfolio Management and governance framework. As a result, we are seeking an experienced Senior Project Manager to lead a number of strategically important change initiatives across Technology and the wider business. This role will own end‑to‑end project delivery across multiple domains—Platforms, Infrastructure, Data, Enterprise Architecture, Information Security and Partnerships with Actuarial, Finance, Operations and regional business units. You will be accountable for ensuring projects are well‑governed, strategically aligned, properly costed, risk‑managed and delivered to agreed outcomes.

You will play a key role in supporting the uplift in Technology Portfolio maturity, contributing to planning cycles, supporting effective prioritisation, and ensuring that delivery teams operate with discipline, transparency and predictable cadence. This position requires a proactive leader with deep delivery experience, exceptional stakeholder and vendor management skills, and the confidence to influence senior technology and business stakeholders. You will also act as a mentor to Project Managers and Analysts, supporting the development of delivery capability across the function.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the full lifecycle delivery of medium‑to‑large technology projects, from concept and mobilisation through to implementation and handover to BAU.
• Manage scope, schedule, budget, resources, dependencies and delivery risks to ensure predictable outcomes.
• Ensure clear definition of benefits, deliverables, dependencies and success criteria.
• Operate within the Technology Portfolio Management and governance frameworks, ensuring disciplined reporting, RAID management and change control.
• Produce high‑quality reporting and insight for Portfolio governance, Technology leadership, Steering Committees and Executive forums.
• Ensure compliance with Technology risk management, security standards and regulatory expectations (where applicable).
• Engage and influence stakeholders across all Technology towers and business units, managing expectations and ensuring aligned priorities.
• Work collaboratively with Enterprise Architecture, Information Security and Risk to secure appropriate design, assurance and approval.
• Manage relationships with external vendors, ensuring contractual commitments and deliverables are met.
• Contribute to quarterly planning cycles, project pipeline shaping, and multi‑year roadmap development.
• Support Portfolio leadership in preparing prioritisation materials, business cases and impact assessments.
• Drive clarity on capacity requirements, delivery sequencing and resource constraints.
• Provide day‑to‑day leadership and coaching to Project & Portfolio teams.
• Promote best‑practice delivery disciplines and champion continuous improvement across the change community.
• Support the maturity of PMO and Portfolio processes and tooling.

Qualifications, Expertise and Attributes

• Significant experience delivering complex technology projects in a multi‑discipline, multi‑location environment, ideally within financial services, reinsurance, insurance or another risk‑aware sector.
• Expert understanding of project and programme management methodologies, including Agile, Waterfall and hybrid approaches, with the ability to tailor methods pragmatically to the initiative.
• Proven leadership in governance and assurance, including RAID management, dependency mapping, quality gates, design assurance, regulatory awareness and change control.
• Strong financial and business acumen, including budgeting, forecasting, cost tracking and benefit realisation management.
• Exceptional stakeholder management skills, with the ability to influence, negotiate, challenge constructively and work effectively at all levels up to Executive and Steering Committee.
• Excellent communication skills, capable of producing executive‑ready reporting, board‑level summaries, and clear, concise technical and delivery documentation.
• Demonstrable experience in strategic planning cycles, including quarterly planning/PI planning, roadmap formation, and delivery sequencing.
• Solid understanding of technology change landscapes, including infrastructure, platforms, data, integration, security and cloud adoption.
• Strong analytical capability, with experience interpreting complex delivery, financial and resource data to inform decision‑making and insight-led reporting.
• Advanced proficiency in delivery and Portfolio tooling, such as structured PPM systems, Jira/Atlassian, MS Project, Power BI, Confluence and MS365.
• Proactive, organised and resilient, with the ability to navigate ambiguity, manage competing demands and maintain delivery discipline in a fast‑moving environment.
• Ideally educated to degree level, but applications from individuals with demonstrable relevant experience are also actively sought.
• Professional certifications (APM, PRINCE2, SAFe, PMP, Scrum, or equivalent) are desirable, with a commitment to ongoing professional development.

Working For Pacific Life Re

Every person in our global team is valued for the unique qualities they bring to our business and we seek to build their expertise and support their individual ambitions at every step. Of course, we take our work seriously and we know our team can operate under great pressure. We work hard and thrive on achievement, but we also know how to have fun and relax too. We regularly host a range of team building days to strengthen our team’s connection with each other and reflect on their successes. Providing employees with a healthy work-life balance is very important to our culture. We have a wide range of employee benefits and we host regular social activities and well being initiatives. We are also committed to supporting our employee’s involvement in their communities, by actively fundraising, hosting charity events and overseeing volunteering opportunities.

Benefits (Only for Permanent and Fixed Term Employees)

• 25 days of annual leave with option to buy/sell more days
• Adoption and fertility leave
• Generous enhanced parental leave
• Comprehensive private insurance coverage for employee and dependents
• Group Life Insurance coverage of 9x basic annual salary and Group Income Protection up to 75% of basic annual salary
• Optical benefits
• 15% combined employee/employer contributions
• Subsidized gym membership
• Access to Employee Assistance Program
• Cycle to Work and Electric Car Salary Sacrifice Scheme
• Time off for volunteering
• Charitable matching of employee donations

As part of our commitment to diversity and inclusion, we will provide reasonable adjustments during the recruitment process to ensure equal access to applicants with disabilities. Please contact us about your needs so that we can discuss these with you to make sure that suitable adjustments are made, where possible.

Pacific Life Re Values

At Pacific Life Re, our vision is to bring an innovative and dynamic approach to the marketplace. Our global team is not afraid to disrupt and challenge industry thinking to provide the best solutions.