IT Portfolio Manager

Job Title: IT Communications Portfolio Manager

Location: Hybrid Remote in New York, NY 10038 (3-4 days onsite per week)

Term: Right-to-Hire (6 months to Perm Conversion)

Salary: $75 to $88 per hour

Industry: Insurance

Note: Must have legal authorization to work in the United States. No Corp to Corp (C2C) or Visa sponsorship provided.

Job Overview:

• We are looking for a senior-level IT Portfolio Manager who will play the role of a Brand Ambassador for the IT department to the corporate team. In most industries, the IT department is often undervalued and not prioritized, so, the main function of this IT Portfolio Manager is to understand the company's IT department, craft communications for corporate teams, work closely with leaders across the globe, and share IT initiatives within the organization to promote and highlight the value of the IT department.
• We are looking for an IT Portfolio Manager or a Program Manager with relevant experience, who has a good understanding of IT processes and recognizes the value IT can bring to the organization.
• This is a high-level corporate role, so we seek someone who is a strong communicator, presentable, and able to engage and collaborate with all types of leadership personalities, regardless of how unique they may be. The candidate should be flexible, adaptable to the corporate environment, not easily intimidated, and unafraid to ask questions. We need someone efficient in facilitating tasks and highly resourceful.
• While communication skills are crucial, IT knowledge is equally important. The candidate should be able to speak with business leaders, understand the situation through collaboration, and develop solutions.
• We are looking for someone analytical, who can evaluate a project, collaborate with the corporate team, and provide suggestions such as, If we go down this route, this will be the outcome, but if we try this, then this may be what we can accomplish. Essentially, we need someone who is not just good at identifying problems but also capable of developing recommendations to resolve them, sharing insights collaboratively, and helping unify the leadership team. We want someone who doesn t just complain but offers solutions or contributes to solving problems.
• This Manager should act like a chameleon, mirroring who they are speaking to and treating each interaction independently. They will be working with leadership teams with different and strong personalities, so we need someone with thick skin, who can speak confidently, is quick on their feet, a creative thinker, and able to go with the flow and keep up.
• Presentation is key for this role. As this is a highly corporate position, we need someone presentable who knows how to carry themselves well. They should be able to build a brand within the corporation, effectively mirroring their audience to ensure they can sell the value of the IT department.
• Experience with Confluence is needed. The candidate should know how to utilize it, extract data from it, and navigate the system effectively.

Responsibilities:

• IT Strategy & Roadmap: Condense the core aspects of the Global IT Strategy & Roadmap and Emphasize the alignment between business objectives, IT strategy, and IT initiatives. Highlight portfolio challenges and risks to stimulate constructive discussions and resolutions among readers.
• Program Status Reporting: Coordinate and gather project status updates from junior to senior project managers across all projects. Compile a comprehensive report highlighting accomplishments and challenges faced across the entire portfolio. Demonstrate the ability to communicate the status to Csuite stakeholders through various channels, including emails, presentations, and the ability to slice and dice the program by size, impact, and spend.
• Stakeholder Engagement: Act as the primary communication link between the CIO, IT project managers, and the rest of the organization. Foster relationships with key stakeholders, including executive leadership, department heads, and end-users, to ensure buy-in and support for IT initiatives.
• Performance Monitoring and Reporting: Communicate program performance to stakeholders. Prepare detailed reports on program status, milestones, and risks, offering actionable insights and recommendations.
• Risk and Change Management: Identify potential risks and opportunities within IT programs and develop strategies to address them. Manage changes to the program scope, schedule, and costs, ensuring minimal impact on the organization
• Coordination and Communication: Demonstrate excellent communication and coordination skills to ensure that all project managers provide accurate and timely updates. Foster strong relationships with project managers to facilitate effective information sharing
• Project Management Expertise: Possess a strong understanding of project management methodologies and best practices. Leverage this knowledge to provide guidance and support to project managers across the portfolio.
• Analytical and Problem-Solving Skills: Exhibit excellent analytical and problem-solving skills to identify potential risks, bottlenecks, and opportunities for improvement across the IT program portfolio.

Requirements:

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Business Administration, IT, Communications, or a related field.
• Proven experience as an IT Program Manager, Communications Specialist, or similar managerial position, with a strong understanding of project/program management techniques and methods
• Excellent knowledge of performance evaluation and change management principles.
• Outstanding leadership, organizational, and communication skills.
• Proficiency in MS Office and familiarity with program/project management software (e.g., Basecamp, MS Project)
• Ability to develop effective corporate communication strategies and manage internal communications (memos, newsletters, etc.)
• Exceptional problem-solving ability and analytical skills.