Portfolio Manager Central/East

Job Description
A Brief Overview

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 theintake, tracking, and execution of projects align with organizationalpriorities and measurable business outcomes.
• Works closely with Clients to prioritize projects basedon business value, resource constraints, and risk considerations -maintaining clarity and momentum across a dynamic work environment.
• Establishes and maintains project governance processesand standards that ensure consistency, transparency, and accountabilityacross the portfolio.
• Manages resource allocation across the portfolio,ensuring alignment to strategic priorities and operational needs. StakeholderEngagement & Delivery Management
• Builds trusted partnerships with Client stakeholders,partners, project managers, engineers, and field teams to monitorportfolio health and maintain alignment with organizational goals.
• Facilitates recurring portfolio status meetings andcross-functional working sessions to drive decision-making and sustainprogram momentum.
• Maintains clear, consistent communication on teamworkload, performance metrics, and program and/or project progress -translating complex information for audiences from field level to theClient.
• Leverages strong interpersonal skills and emotionalintelligence to influence outcomes, resolve friction, and championcollaboration across diverse stakeholder groups. Project Planning& Execution
• Oversees program managers developing and implementingproject plans with disciplined attention to scope, schedules, resourcerequirements, and deadlines - operating effectively under tight timeconstraints.
• Applies structured problem-solving practices tomaintain portfolio momentum and remove delivery obstacles.
• Proactively identifies and mitigates portfolio-levelrisks, issues, and critical dependencies before they impact delivery andleads escalation management and resolution planning across the portfolio.
• Own portfolio-level financial performance includingrevenue forecasting, gross profit performance, utilization, backlogmanagement, and margin improvement initiatives. Communication
• Establish strong operating rhythms with projectmanagers and delivery leaders through portfolio reviews, risk reviews,financial reviews, and delivery health checks.
• Ensure a high-quality client experience throughproactive communication, accountability, and consultative engagement.
• Establishes standardized mechanisms for workloadtracking, risk monitoring, and performance reporting to provide real-timevisibility into portfolio status. Monitoring, Reporting &Continuous Improvement
• Creates and delivers reporting and dashboards thatsynthesize portfolio health, team performance, and strategic insights forleadership and key stakeholders.
• Anticipates operational needs and develops practical,business-aligned solutions that improve execution quality and stakeholdersatisfaction.
• Drives continuous process improvement efforts tomaximize team efficiency, enhance project management practices, andincrease value delivery across the portfolio.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in business management, engineeringor related field; Advanced degree or MBA preferred.
• PMP or PgMP, Agile, SAFe, or ITIL certifications aplus.
• 10+ years in program/project management, with 5+ yearsleading large, complex, cross-functional IT or infrastructure programs ina Professional Services and/or Managed Services environment
• The ideal candidate will possess strong leadershipskills, strategic thinking abilities, and a proven track record ofsuccessfully managing complex project portfolios. They will leadmulti-disciplinary teams to ensure effective project execution and portfoliomanagement.
• Strong experience in budgeting, forecasting, andfinancial reporting for multimillion-dollar programs.
• Excellent written and verbal communications skillsincluding the ability to communicate complex ideas and information todifferent audiences and levels.
• Knowledge of IT infrastructure, governance, riskmanagement, and program planning tools (e.g., MS Project, Smartsheet,Power BI).
• Exceptional interpersonal, communication, andconflict-resolution skills, with a high degree of emotionalintelligence.

Requirements

Mark - here is the PMO Hiring Initiative Overview summary from the details we built:

PMO Hiring Initiative - Overview
Hiring Objective

• Build a high-performing Project Management Office (PMO) team across the U.S. (and select UK opportunities).
• Target roles include:
  
  
  • Portfolio Managers
  • Program Managers
  • Senior Project Managers
• Approximately 25+ open positions.
• Priority is quality of hire over speed - leadership prefers waiting for the right person rather than filling seats quickly.

Ideal Candidate Profile
Cultural Fit (Top Priority)

Candidates must demonstrate:

• Strong alignment with company core values
• High emotional intelligence (EQ)
• Accountability and ownership mindset
• Professional executive presence
• Trusted advisor mentality
• Strong relationship-building skills
• Clear, confident communication
• Collaboration and team-first approach
• Ability to professionally represent the brand with customers

Leadership preference:

• Strong performer + great teammate
• Technical expert who creates friction or lacks collaboration

Consulting Mindset Requirements

A major focus is hiring people with consulting experience, not just project tracking experience.

Strong candidates should show:

• Ability to operate in ambiguous environments
• Client-facing experience
• Executive stakeholder management
• Business outcome focus
• Ability to challenge respectfully and influence decisions
• Experience guiding customers vs simply taking direction

The team is looking for people who can say:

"Here is the business outcome we need, here are the risks, and here is the recommended path forward."

Not:

"Tell me what tasks you want completed."

Portfolio Manager Expectations

Focus:

• Strategic leadership
• Multiple programs/projects
• Executive relationships
• Business alignment

Key abilities:

• Manage portfolios tied to business goals
• Prioritize investments and resources
• Provide executive visibility
• Identify risks across programs
• Drive customer value realization

Program Manager Expectations

Focus:

• Coordinating complex initiatives

Key abilities:

• Lead multiple related projects
• Manage dependencies
• Coordinate teams and stakeholders
• Remove roadblocks
• Communicate status and risks clearly
• Ensure business outcomes are achieved

Senior Project Manager Expectations

Focus:

• Delivery excellence

Key abilities:

• Own project execution from start to finish
• Manage scope, budget, timeline, risks
• Lead cross-functional teams
• Maintain strong customer communication
• Drive accountability

Preferred Background

Strong preference for:

• Consulting firms
• Professional services organizations
• Enterprise customer environments
• Technology transformation programs

Experience areas valued:

• Infrastructure
• Cloud
• Data center
• Digital transformation
• Security
• Enterprise IT programs

Key Interview Evaluation Themes

Hiring managers should determine:

Leadership

• Does this person lead outcomes or just manage tasks?

Customer Presence

• Would we trust this person in front of a senior executive customer?

Adaptability

• Can they succeed without perfect direction?

Communication

• Can they simplify complex issues?

Accountability

• Do they own problems through resolution?

Team Fit

• Will others want to work with them?

Hiring Philosophy Summary

The ideal PMO candidate is:

A consultant first, project manager second.

Someone who combines:

• Business acumen
• Delivery discipline
• Customer trust
• Leadership presence
• Strong teamwork

The goal is to hire people who can become long-term trusted advisors and leaders, not just manage schedules and status reports.