Manager – Demand & Portfolio Management

Emirates Integrated Telecommunications Company; Dubai; On-site; AED 480,000 - 720,000; Full time

Job summary

Emirates Integrated Telecommunications Company in Dubai is seeking a Senior IT Demand, Portfolio & Delivery Manager to own end-to-end demand lifecycle and align with IT roadmap. You will manage capacity, budgeting, and governance across Agile and Waterfall programs to drive fastest time-to-value.

Ideal candidate has 10–15 years in IT demand/portfolio management, telecom IT experience (BSS/OSS preferred), multi-vendor exposure, and strong stakeholder communications.

Qualifications

• Bachelor degree in IT/Information Services/Computer Science.
• Certifications in Project Management and Agile methodologies.
• Master’s degree is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Own end-to-end demand lifecycle from intake to closure across BAU, projects, and strategic initiatives.
• Governance: enforce standardized artefacts (BRDs, epics, CRs) with Product, Architecture and Delivery teams.
• Act as single point of orchestration for business demands impacting IT systems.
• Manage demand flow across Agile and Waterfall delivery streams with clear execution model.
• Provide data-driven portfolio insights to IT leadership on status, risks, and value.
• Define KPIs and dashboards; continuously improve demand management processes.

Skills

Portfolio management

Demand management

Stakeholder management

Executive communication

Trade-off decisions

Agile SAFe

Waterfall

Capacity planning

Vendor governance

Jira

Confluence

Portfolio reporting tools

Education

Bachelor's degree in IT/Information Services/Computer Science

Master’s degree

Tools

Jira

Confluence

Job description

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:

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

Experience:

• 10–15 years of experience in IT demand, portfolio, program, or delivery management
• Experience in telecom IT environments (BSS/OSS preferred)
• Prior experience working with large transformation programs and BAU portfolios
• Exposure to multi-vendor delivery environments
• Must have exposure to the Netcarcker stack

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
• 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