Description

Senior Programme Manager - Operational Resilience / Risk Management (Freelance) Location: Noord-Holland, NetherlandsCommitment: Full-time, 4 days per week onsiteContract: Long-term freelance assignmentLanguage: English (Dutch is a plus)Start date: ASAP About the Assignment For a large international organisation operating in a complex industrial environment, we are seeking an experienced Senior Programme Manager - Operational Resilience & Risk Management. The organisation is executing a major Operational Resilience Programme alongside an existing Digital Resilience Programme. These initiatives focus on improving organisational resilience, strengthening risk management and supporting compliance with evolving European legislation and standards, including NIS2 and the Critical Entities Resilience (CER) Directive. The programme spans approximately 10 workstreams and involves a multidisciplinary team of around 32 professionals across the first and second lines of defence. The successful candidate will primarily operate within the second line of defence and work closely with senior Risk and Information Security leadership. Responsibilities Lead and coordinate a large-scale Operational Resilience Programme. Manage approximately 10 interdependent workstreams. Establish and maintain effective programme governance, PMO processes, reporting and controls. Oversee large programme budgets, resources, milestones and deliverables. Ensure programme delivery remains aligned with strategic objectives and regulatory requirements. Coordinate cross-functional stakeholders across risk, security, technology and operations. Identify, monitor and manage programme risks and dependencies. Facilitate collaboration between senior management and operational teams. Provide clear progress reporting and escalate challenges where required. Ensure effective execution and accountability across the programme. Required Experience Extensive experience as a Senior Programme Manager, Programme Director or similar. Proven track record delivering large, complex risk management, operational resilience, cybersecurity or security transformation programmes. Strong experience with programme governance, PMO structures, budget management and delivery. Demonstrated ability to manage multiple workstreams simultaneously. Experience in complex industrial or operational organisations. Excellent communication, stakeholder engagement and leadership skills. Ability to translate strategic objectives into practical deliverables. Comfortable working with senior executives as well as operational teams. Preferred Background We are particularly interested in professionals with experience in: Manufacturing and industrial environments Energy and utilities Critical infrastructure Operational Technology (OT) environments Supply chain and logistics operations Large-scale security and risk transformation programmes Knowledge of NIS2, CER and relevant European cybersecurity and resilience frameworks would be advantageous. Candidates with exclusively banking or financial services experience are less aligned with this assignment. Assignment Details This is a senior, hands-on programme leadership assignment involving substantial stakeholder coordination, complex programme delivery and organisational risk management. The assignment offers long-term continuity within an established programme structure with approved resources and executive sponsorship. Interview process: One interview stage with senior leadership. Please apply with your updated CV, availability and a short summary of relevant experience managing large-scale risk management, operational resilience or security programmes in industrial or operational environments.