The Portfolio Manager leads a high-performing team of Program and Project Managers to ensure the successful delivery of complex, high-impact client programs that drive strategic business outcomes at scale. This role provides portfolio-level oversight across multiple concurrent delivery engagements, ensuring consistent governance, operational excellence, stakeholder alignment, and financial accountability across the entire book of business. Beyond portfolio leadership, this role serves as a force multiplier — elevating the capabilities of Strategic Program Managers through active mentorship, coaching, and the cultivation of a delivery culture rooted in collaboration, accountability, and continuous improvement. The ideal candidate brings deep experience leading leaders, managing large and diverse program portfolios in a client-facing environment.
Key Responsibilities
Strategic Alignment & Portfolio Governance
• Owns end-to-end portfolio oversight, ensuring the intake, tracking, and execution of projects align with organizational priorities and measurable business outcomes.
• Works closely with Clients to prioritize projects based on business value, resource constraints, and risk considerations — maintaining clarity and momentum across a dynamic work environment.
• Establishes and maintains project governance processes and standards that ensure consistency, transparency, and accountability across the portfolio.
• Manages resource allocation across the portfolio, ensuring alignment to strategic priorities and operational needs.
Stakeholder Engagement & Delivery Management
• Builds trusted partnerships with Client stakeholders, partners, project managers, engineers, and field teams to monitor portfolio health and maintain alignment with organizational goals.
• Facilitates recurring portfolio status meetings and cross-functional working sessions to drive decision-making and sustain program momentum.
• Maintains clear, consistent communication on team workload, performance metrics, and program and/or project progress — translating complex information for audiences from field level to the Client.
• Leverages strong interpersonal skills and emotional intelligence to influence outcomes, resolve friction, and champion collaboration across diverse stakeholder groups.
Project Planning & Execution
• Oversees program managers developing and implementing project plans with disciplined attention to scope, schedules, resource requirements, and deadlines — operating effectively under tight time constraints.
• Applies structured problem-solving practices to maintain portfolio momentum and remove delivery obstacles.
• Proactively identifies and mitigates portfolio-level risks, issues, and critical dependencies before they impact delivery and leads escalation management and resolution planning across the portfolio.
• Own portfolio-level financial performance including revenue forecasting, gross profit performance, utilization, backlog management, and margin improvement initiatives.
Communication
• Establish strong operating rhythms with project managers and delivery leaders through portfolio reviews, risk reviews, financial reviews, and delivery health checks.
• Ensure a high-quality client experience through proactive communication, accountability, and consultative engagement.
• Establishes standardized mechanisms for workload tracking, risk monitoring, and performance reporting to provide real-time visibility into portfolio status.
Monitoring, Reporting & Continuous Improvement
• Creates and delivers reporting and dashboards that synthesize portfolio health, team performance, and strategic insights for leadership and key stakeholders.
• Anticipates operational needs and develops practical, business-aligned solutions that improve execution quality and stakeholder satisfaction.
• Drives continuous process improvement efforts to maximize team efficiency, enhance project management practices, and increase value delivery across the portfolio.
Qualifications
• Bachelor’s degree in business management, engineering or related field; Advanced degree or MBA preferred.
• PMP or PgMP, Agile, SAFe, or ITIL certifications a plus.
• 10+ years in program/project management, with 5+ years leading large, complex, cross-functional IT or infrastructure programs in a Professional Services and/or Managed Services environment
• The ideal candidate will possess strong leadership skills, strategic thinking abilities, and a proven track record of successfully managing complex project portfolios. They will lead multi-disciplinary teams to ensure effective project execution and portfolio management.
• Strong experience in budgeting, forecasting, and financial reporting for multimillion-dollar programs.
• Excellent written and verbal communications skills including the ability to communicate complex ideas and information to different audiences and levels.
• Knowledge of IT infrastructure, governance, risk management, and program planning tools (e.g., MS Project, Smartsheet, Power BI).
• Exceptional interpersonal, communication, and conflict-resolution skills, with a high degree of emotional intelligence.