Portfolio Lead / Portfolio Lead

We have multiple Portfolio Lead / Senior Portfolio Lead requirements. These are high-priority roles.

We have the following portfolio areas:

1. Portfolio Lead – General IT Portfolio
2. Portfolio Lead – CTD (Clinical Trials Division)
3. Portfolio Lead – Commercial & Finance
4. Portfolio Lead – DPD (Drug Product Division)

Senior Portfolio Lead / Portfolio Lead
Location: Boston, MA
Work Model: Hybrid
Employment Type: Contract
Experience: 13+ Years

Role Overview
We are looking for a Senior Portfolio Lead / Portfolio Lead to manage the strategic, financial, operational, and governance aspects of a large IT portfolio.
The Portfolio Lead will work closely with senior IT leadership and act as a trusted partner in portfolio planning, budgeting, prioritization, delivery governance, risk management, and executive reporting.
The ideal candidate should have experience managing large technology portfolios, multiple projects/programs, Project Managers/Program Managers, and significant CapEx/OpEx budgets.

Key Responsibilities

• Own and manage the overall health of a $15M–$25M IT/Technology portfolio.
• Translate business strategy and Annual Operating Plan (AOP) priorities into an executable portfolio roadmap.
• Lead portfolio planning, prioritization, sequencing, and investment decisions.
• Manage CapEx/OpEx budgets, forecasts, actuals, variances, funding, and financial reporting.
• Lead monthly and quarterly portfolio governance and executive leadership reviews.
• Prepare executive-ready dashboards, presentations, portfolio health reports, and decision materials.
• Provide clear visibility into project/program status, risks, issues, dependencies, resource constraints, and financials.
• Lead and/or matrix-manage Project Managers, Program Managers, analysts, vendors, and delivery teams.
• Review and challenge business cases, funding requests, project plans, benefits, and recovery plans.
• Identify delivery risks early and drive corrective actions, recovery plans, and escalations.
• Evaluate new project demand and make recommendations to start, continue, pause, defer, stop, or re-prioritize initiatives.
• Manage cross-functional stakeholders including IT leadership, business leaders, Finance, Procurement, Engineering, vendors, and PMO teams.
• Track business benefits, value realization, adoption, and measurable outcomes.
• Maintain accurate portfolio information and dashboards using tools such as Planview, Clarity, Smartsheet, ServiceNow, Jira, Power BI, or similar platforms.
• Improve portfolio reporting, governance processes, data quality, and decision-making discipline.
• Act as a trusted deputy/partner to senior IT leadership and ensure portfolio continuity.

Must-Have Skills & Experience

• 13+ years of experience in Portfolio Management, Program Management, PMO Leadership, IT Delivery, or Technology Transformation.
• Proven experience managing large, complex technology portfolios, preferably $15M–$25M+.
• Strong experience with CapEx, OpEx, budgeting, forecasting, actuals, variance analysis, and financial governance.
• Strong experience with AOP/annual planning, portfolio prioritization, investment planning, and demand management.
• Experience managing multiple Project Managers and Program Managers.
• Strong experience in portfolio governance, executive reporting, risk management, dependency management, and delivery oversight.
• Ability to prepare and present executive-level reports, dashboards, recommendations, and decision materials.
• Strong stakeholder management skills with the ability to influence senior leadership without direct authority.
• Experience managing vendors and third-party delivery partners.
• Experience with Planview, Clarity, Smartsheet, ServiceNow, Jira, Power BI, or similar portfolio/PPM tools.
• Strong Excel and PowerPoint skills.
• Experience working in a global, matrixed organization.
• Strong communication, leadership, problem-solving, and decision-making skills.
• Life Sciences / Pharma
• Manufacturing
• Healthcare
• Supply Chain
• Clinical / Regulatory environments
• Quality-controlled or other regulated industries
• PMP, PgMP, PfMP, PRINCE2, SAFe, or similar certification

Ideal Candidate

The ideal candidate is not just a Project Manager. We are looking for someone who has progressed into Portfolio/PMO leadership and can manage multiple programs, budgets, resources, risks, and stakeholders while providing executive-level decision support.

Key Keywords

Portfolio Management | IT Portfolio Management | PMO Leadership | Program Management | AOP | CapEx | OpEx | Budget | Forecast | Financial Management | Portfolio Governance | Executive Reporting | Planview | Clarity | Smartsheet | ServiceNow | Power BI | Risk Management | Resource Planning | Vendor Management | Benefits Realization

Domain preference:

• CTD → Clinical Trials / Supply Chain / Logistics
• Commercial & Finance → CRM / Commercial / Finance / Quote-to-Cash / Analytics
• DPD → Pharma Manufacturing / MES / LIMS / QMS / Automation

Need strong Portfolio/PMO leaders rather than candidates who are primarily project managers.