Manager Portfolio Demand Management (Emirati Talent)

Key Accountabilities:

• Demand Intake & Governance
  • Own and manage the end-to-end demand lifecycle from intake to closure across BAU, projects, and strategic initiatives.
  • Ensure all demands meet entry criteria (business case, scope clarity, dependencies, and priority alignment).
  • Enforce standardized demand artefacts (BRDs, epics, CRs) in collaboration with Product, Architecture, and Delivery teams.
  • Act as the single point of orchestration for Business demands impacting IT systems.
  • Cultivate strong relationships and communication channels with Business [Commercial & Customer and Channels], IT [design, delivery and development. etc], Technology [Architecture, Service Operation, Network, TSRM], and Support Functions [Finance, HR, Procurement, etc].
  • Key contributor for Product simplification and rationalization, MVP focus, embedding digital first components as applicable for fastest TTM and highest value.
• Portfolio Prioritization & Planning
  • Drive portfolio prioritization aligned to business strategy, regulatory needs, and IT roadmap.
  • Balance short-term BAU, revenue-generating initiatives, and long-term strategic investments.
  • Facilitate prioritization forums with senior Business and IT stakeholders.
  • Maintain a single version of truth for the demand and project portfolio.
• Capacity & Financial Alignment
  • Partner with Capacity & Planning teams to align demand forecasts with available capacity (internal teams and strategic vendors).
  • Ensure demand plans are feasible within budget, MD capacity, and delivery constraints.
  • Highlight capacity bottlenecks, funding gaps, and trade-off options to leadership.
  • Support budget planning, forecast accuracy, and portfolio-level financial transparency.
• Agile & Waterfall Portfolio Oversight
  • Manage demand flow across Agile squads and Waterfall delivery streams, ensuring clarity on execution model.
  • Ensure Agile backlogs are sufficiently refined and aligned with PI/quarterly planning.
  • Track execution progress, dependencies, and risks across both models.
• Stakeholder Management & Communication
  • Act as a trusted advisor to senior Business stakeholders on demand feasibility and sequencing.
  • Provide clear, data-driven portfolio insights to IT leadership (status, risks, trade-offs, value).
  • Resolve cross-functional conflicts related to priority, capacity, and delivery ownership.
• Reporting, Metrics & Continuous Improvement
  • Define and track portfolio KPIs (e.g., demand throughput, execution predictability, scope stability, time-to-market).
  • Provide executive-level dashboards and insights for decision-making.
  • Continuously improve demand management processes, tools, and governance frameworks.

Qualifications, Experience And Skills:

Qualifications

• Minimum Bachelor in Information Technology/ Information Services/ Computer Science
• Certifications such as Project Management, Agile Methodologies is preferred
• Master’s degree is a plus

Experience

• 10 years of experience in IT demand, portfolio, program, or delivery management
• Prior experience working with large transformation programs and BAU portfolios
• Exposure to multi-vendor delivery environments
• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, IT, or Business (MBA preferred)

Skills

• Strong portfolio and demand management expertise in large IT environments
• Excellent stakeholder management and executive communication skills
• Ability to make trade-off decisions balancing value, cost, risk, and capacity
• Structured, data-driven, and outcome-oriented mindset
• Experience in telecom IT environments (BSS/OSS preferred)
• Strong understanding of Agile, SAFe, and Waterfall delivery models
• Solid grasp of capacity planning, MD-based delivery models, and vendor governance
• Proficiency with Jira, Confluence, and portfolio reporting tools

Success Measures

• Improved demand predictability and on-time delivery
• Reduced unplanned work and scope volatility
• Higher portfolio throughput and business satisfaction
• Clear alignment between strategy, funding, capacity, and execution