Senior Project Manager

Senior Project Manager - Monolith Modernisation & Data Sovereignty Programme6 month initial contract but likely to extendMarket rate: Outside IR35About the RoleOur client has a 17-year-old monolithic application with significant Legacy complexity and a very large MySQL/Percona cluster hosted in AWS (EU Region). Increasingly, enterprise clients, especially in the US, require strict data residency (eg, all data stored exclusively in US regions), which the current architecture cannot support.The business is now embarking on a major transformation programme, aiming to:Break apart the existing monolith into a more modular, service-oriented architecture (not necessarily full microservices, but decoupled enough to allow region-specific deployments).Redesign the data tier to enable multi-region data hosting, tenant-level segregation, and future compliance with data sovereignty laws.Ensure operational continuity while migrating very large, business-critical datasets.We are seeking a Senior Project Manager with demonstrable experience steering large-scale monolith modernisation programmes, cloud migrations, and complex data infrastructure changes.Key ResponsibilitiesProgramme LeadershipLead the end-to-end planning and delivery of the monolithic application modernisation initiative.Build and maintain programme roadmaps, resource plans, risk registers, RAID logs, and budget oversight.Shape delivery methodology (Agile, hybrid, or phased transformation) suitable for a Legacy-heavy environment.Technical Transformation OversightUnderstand at a high level how monolithic systems work, the risks of refactoring them, and the paths to migrate toward modular architectures.Collaborate with engineering, data, and product teams to define migration strategies, such as:Strangulation pattern/incremental extraction of servicesDatabase sharding or regional replicationRe-platforming or refactoring Legacy MySQL/Percona setupsEnsure the programme aligns with AWS best practices for multi-region deployments and data handling.Data Residency & Compliance DeliveryWork with legal, compliance, and data teams to ensure the future platform supports:US-only hosting when requiredEU data sovereigntyA clearly defined multi-region architectureCoordinate with external customers (including US corporations) to demonstrate compliance plans.Stakeholder ManagementAct as the primary communication bridge between engineering, executive leadership, clients, and vendors.Prepare and present executive-level updates, risk reports, and milestone tracking.Manage cross-functional teams (DevOps, Data, Engineering, QA, Security).Risk & Dependency ManagementAnticipate modernisation risks including:Data migration failuresDowntime risks from refactoring the monolithComplex dependency chains within Legacy codePerformance regressionsLead problem-solving and escalation when issues arise.Required Experience & SkillsExtensive experience in project/programme management with at least 3 major Legacy modernisation or cloud transformation programmes delivered.Strong understanding of monolithic architectures and the challenges of modernising them (tight coupling, hidden dependencies, limited scalability, database centralisation).Experience with AWS, preferably including multi-region, data-sovereignty or regulated-data environments.Proven delivery of programmes touching large relational databases (eg MySQL/Percona, sharding, regional replication, high-availability setups).Exceptional communication skills and ability to simplify complex engineering problems for non-technical leadership.Familiarity with data protection (GDPR, CCPA, etc.) and enterprise customer requirements around data residency.Experience leading teams in both Agile and hybrid environments.Nice to HaveExperience with SaaS platforms with large customer datasets.Experience working with Percona MySQL clusters at scale.Background with re-platforming Legacy PHP/Java/.NET monoliths (not required to code).Certifications: AWS Cloud Practitioner or higher, PMP/Prince2, Scrum Master.