Agile Project/Program Manager - Senior Epic Owner - Freelance role - 2 days per week onsite in Leuven officeRole overviewWe are looking for a Senior Epic Owner with more than 5 years of experience in guiding epics within an Agile environment. In this role, you will drive alignment between business, IT and security stakeholders and help steer complex initiatives from definition through implementation, delivery and continuous evaluation.The main focus of this assignment is to support the management of business impact related to security patching under strict SLAs. This includes increased patching frequency, emergency rules of engagement and improved coordination between the teams involved.Key responsibilitiesGuide the epic through the portfolio kanban and ensure continuous alignment with stakeholders.Collaborate effectively with other roles, Agile Release Trains and delivery teams.Work with stakeholders and subject matter experts to define the epic and clarify business objectives.Work with development teams to size the epic and provide input for prioritization.Create the Lean business case and assess other relevant factors needed for decision-making.Define a clear roadmap, including ownership, timing, dependencies, deadlines and milestones.Secure commitment from the Agile Release Trains involved.Work closely with Product Managers and System Architects to split the epic into features.Help prioritize backlog items in the relevant ART backlogs.Participate in Program Increment Planning and System Demos.Evaluate delivered features against the Minimum Viable Product and epic business case at the end of every PI.Support decision-making on the continuation of the epic implementation at the end of every PI.Report on the progress of the Minimum Viable Product to key stakeholders and Lean Portfolio Management using KPIs and leading indicators.Specific assignment contextThe Epic Owner will drive alignment between business and IT/security teams on protocols for managing the business impact of security patching under strict SLAs. This includes increased patching frequency and emergency rules of engagement.As a second focus area, the Epic Owner will use the outcomes and lessons learned from high-volume patching and vulnerability remediation table-tops or fire-drills — executed by the relevant operational teams — to define high-level action plans. These action plans should focus on removing bottlenecks, improving coordination, increasing standardization and enabling greater automation, without prescribing detailed technical solutions. Additional focus topics may be added as the project evolves.Required experience and knowledgeMore than 5 years of experience as an Epic Owner or in a similar Agile delivery role.Strong experience with Agile methodology, portfolio kanban, PI Planning and Agile Release Trains.Good understanding of Lean business cases, MVP definition, backlog prioritization and stakeholder alignment.Experience working in complex IT or security-driven environments.Knowledge of information security concepts is required, especially in the context of security patching, vulnerability remediation or operational risk reduction.Core competenciesStrong collaboration skills across business, IT, security and delivery teams.Critical thinking and the ability to structure complex problems into actionable plans.Sound decision-making and the ability to support prioritization discussions.Strong priority management in a complex stakeholder environment.Clear, structured and convincing communication.Strong negotiation skills.Solid project management capabilities.Security-driven mindset.Language requirementsDutch: required.English: required.Ideal candidate profileThe ideal candidate is a senior Agile professional who can bring structure, alignment and momentum to complex cross-functional initiatives. You are comfortable working with business, IT and security stakeholders, and you know how to translate strategic objectives into a clear roadmap, concrete features and measurable outcomes.