Portfolio Control Senior Manager

Job Description

The Project Portfolio Management (PPM) Senior Manager is responsible for leading and institutionalizing enterprise-wide portfolio management practices, ensuring all initiatives are strategically aligned, financially governed, and executed with full transparency.

This role acts as a critical bridge between strategy and execution, ensuring that strategic priorities are translated into a governed, optimized, and value-driven portfolio of initiatives. It will drive the transformation from fragmented project execution into a structured, data-driven portfolio model, addressing key challenges such as inconsistent demand intake, lack of project classification, limited financial visibility, and weak governance enforcement.

Key Responsibilities

• Strategic Planning, Direction & Alignment
• Partner with executive leadership to support the development and refinement of organizational strategy
• Ensure clear linkage between strategy, initiatives, and measurable business outcomes
• Establish mechanisms to continuously align portfolio execution with evolving strategic priorities
• Lead strategic planning cycles from a portfolio perspective (initiative shaping, sequencing, and dependencies)
• Define and govern strategic KPIs and value realization frameworks across the portfolio
• Portfolio Strategy & Governance
• Define and lead the enterprise-wide PPM framework, standards, and operating model
• Translate strategic objectives into a structured and governed project portfolio
• Establish portfolio segmentation (e.g., strategic, regulatory, operational, innovation)
• Ensure alignment between portfolio investments and organizational strategy
• Demand Management & Intake Control
• Design and enforce a centralized demand intake and approval process
• Institutionalize project classification standards (project vs. BAU vs. enhancement)
• Ensure all requests are captured through a unified platform (eliminating shadow processes)
• Ensure all initiatives are uniquely identified and tracked
• Portfolio Prioritization & Optimization
• Establish and govern a standardized prioritization model (value, cost, risk, dependencies)
• Lead portfolio planning cycles and continuous reprioritization
• Optimize resource allocation across competing initiatives
• Manage trade-offs and scenario analysis at portfolio level
• Financial Governance & Value Realization
• Own portfolio-level financial oversight, including budget alignment and tracking
• Ensure project-level budget visibility and linkage to financial systems
• Monitor financial performance (actuals vs. forecast vs. approved budgets)
• Drive benefits realization tracking and value measurement
• Governance & Performance Management
• Define and enforce portfolio governance frameworks, stage gates, and approval workflows
• Define portfolio KPIs, SLAs, and performance metrics
• Establish executive-level dashboards and reporting standards
• Provide actionable insights on portfolio health, risks, and dependencies
• Escalate and manage underperforming or at-risk initiatives
• Tools, Data & Systems Integration
• Lead the implementation and governance of PPM tools and platforms
• Ensure integration across systems (e.g., Jira, ERP, procurement systems)
• Eliminate duplication and enforce a single source of truth
• Standardize project structures (WBS, PO linkage, renewals, etc.)
• Reporting & Executive Insights
• Provide executive dashboards and portfolio insights (status, risks, financials, dependencies)
• Enable data-driven decision-making through accurate and timely reporting
• Communicate portfolio health to senior leadership
• Continuous Improvement & Maturity Development
• Assess current maturity and define a PPM maturity roadmap
• Benchmark against best practices (e.g., PMI (Project Management Institute), Axelos)
• Continuously refine governance, processes, and performance frameworks
• Lead transformation initiatives to enhance portfolio effectiveness
  
  

Qualifications

Job Requirements

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Business, IT, Engineering, or a related field
• Master's degree or MBA with a technology management or digital strategy focus (preferred).
  
  

Experience

• 10–15+ years of experience in Project, Program, or Portfolio Management
• Proven experience in establishing or transforming PPM functions at enterprise level
• Demonstrated experience developing or contributing to digital transformation strategies and multi-year technology roadmaps.
• Proven track record of designing and running portfolio prioritization frameworks in organizations with competing demands and resource constraints.
• Experience in complex, multi-stakeholder environments
• Strong exposure to financial governance, budgeting, and investment planning
• Experience leading a team or function; not just managing projects, but managing people and building a practice
  
  

Certifications

• PMP — Project Management Professional, PMI or equivalent (required).
• PMI-PfMP — Portfolio Management Professional, or PgMP — Program Management Professional (highly preferred; demonstrated willingness to certify is acceptable).
  
  

Leadership & Core Competencies

• Strategic thinker; able to hold the long-term direction and the immediate decision simultaneously, without losing sight of either
• Influential communicator; builds alignment across peers, teams, and leadership through clarity, credibility, and consistency.
• Strong governance design and enforcement capability
• Advanced financial and analytical skills
• Decision-making under ambiguity
• Transformation and change leadership
• Structured problem-solving.
  
  

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