Strategic Portfolio Manager

CSC; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading technology firm in the UK is seeking a Strategic Portfolio Manager to implement strategic goals and manage project portfolios. The ideal candidate will have over 10 years of experience in project management, strong leadership abilities, and exceptional communication skills. You will work in a hybrid environment, driving alignment and collaboration across teams. If you're passionate about delivering innovative solutions while focusing on customer needs, this is the role for you.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of project and portfolio management experience.
• PMP training and certification preferred but not required.
• Exceptional leadership skills, able to inspire and motivate teams.
• Strong understanding of strategy development and business needs.
• Exceptional verbal and written communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Partner with technology leadership to define and implement strategic goals.
• Ensure all projects align with the company's strategic goals.
• Manage VP’s project portfolio, prioritizing initiatives.
• Facilitate communication across teams to ensure smooth execution.
• Monitor project portfolio performance using KPIs.

Skills

Project management

Leadership

Communication

Customer focus

Strategic alignment

Education

Bachelor's or Master's degree in business, information systems, project management or related field

Tools

ServiceNow

Job description

Strategic Portfolio Manager

Monday-Friday, Standard Hours

Hybrid Work Model - 3 days/onsite, 2 days/remote

If you like finding and implementing innovative solutions, you’ll fit in perfectly at CSC. The world’s leading provider of business, legal, tax, and digital brand services, we use technology to make businesses run smoother and smarter. And as an Enterprise Technology Strategic Portfolio Manager (SPM), that’s what you’ll be doing, too. If you enjoy a dynamic career in a fast-paced, trend-setting work environment, this is the job for you.

The Strategy and Portfolio Service is responsible for developing, aligning, and tracking Enterprise Technology strategy with business goals. The team ensures that strategic initiatives are aligned with enterprise goals by partnering with business leaders and architects to shape direction and oversee delivery.

As a Strategic Portfolio Manager, your focus is on providing actionable visibility into the strategic alignment and health of a service-focused portfolio of work. In this role, you will partner closely with senior leaders to drive the development and implementation of our technology strategy, highlight wins and define constraints to success whilst also directly coaching and supporting technology teams. With a strong comprehension of Enterprise Technology’s long‑term strategies and tactical processes, the SPM is our ‘navigator’ to success.

To be successful in this role, you should bring a history of success in project and portfolio management, a passion for direct and influential leadership, a relentless customer focus, and a desire to execute work rapidly, even while adapting to changing needs.

Some of the things you’ll be doing

• Partner with technology leadership to drive the definition, creation, and implementation of detailed strategic goals for the organization.
• Ensure that all projects and programs are aligned with the company's strategic goals and objectives. This involves continuous evaluation and adjustment of the project portfolio to meet evolving business needs.
• Manage your VP’s project portfolio, prioritizing initiatives based on their strategic importance, resource availability, and potential impact. This includes regular reviews and adjustments to ensure optimal resource allocation and project execution.
• Facilitate effective communication and collaboration across different teams and functions. This ensures that all stakeholders are informed and engaged, and that projects are executed smoothly and efficiently.
• Monitor the performance of the project portfolio, using key performance indicators (KPIs) to track progress and identify areas for improvement. This helps us ensure that projects are delivered on time, within budget, and to the desired quality standards.
• Committed to continuous improvement, regularly reviewing and refining our processes and practices to enhance efficiency and effectiveness. This includes leveraging best practices and lessons learned to drive better outcomes.

What technical skills, qualifications and experience do you need?

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in business, information systems, project management or related field; or equivalent experience. PMP training and certification preferred, but not required.
• 10 or more years of project and portfolio management experience, with a responsive and collaborative focus on delivering solutions to complex needs for internal and external customers.
• Exceptional leadership skills with the ability to support and communicate strategic vision, provide tactical guidance, and inspire and motivate direct and indirect employees, while ensuring reducing friction in project management processes.
• Strong knowledge and understanding of strategy development, business needs, with the ability to establish and maintain a high level of customer trust and confidence.
• Exceptional verbal and written communication skills; expertise in setting and managing customer expectations (internal and external).
• Team resource and capacity management experience with ability to identify constraints and navigate approaches to successful delivery.
• Escalation management experience supporting, troubleshooting, and resolving issues requiring leadership engagement.
• Awareness of portfolio, project and change management best practices, processes, and functionalities.
• Familiar with project management methodologies (e.g., PMBOK and Agile).
• Familiar with change management methodologies (e.g., Prosci and ADKAR).
• Strong knowledge of ServiceNow and/or related platforms to ease administrative overhead and reporting needs.