Technology Portfolio Planning Manager

Freshfields Rechtsanwälte Steuerberater PartG mbB; Manchester; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Freshfields Rechtsanwälte Steuerberater PartG mbB is seeking a Technology Portfolio Planning Manager to lead the planning, governance, and resourcing of the technology change portfolio. The role ensures delivery capacity aligns with business priorities and governance standards are consistently applied.

The manager will oversee a team including a Technology Resource Planning Analyst, Technology Portfolio Analyst, and Technology Change & Communications Lead, providing direction and coaching for a

Qualifications

• Lead planning of the technology change portfolio roadmap.
• Oversee portfolio governance processes and reporting.
• Ensure consistent application of lifecycle methodologies and governance standards across initiatives.
• Drive organisational agility through effective portfolio management practices.

Responsibilities

• Lead portfolio planning and governance across Technology Delivery to align with strategic objectives.
• Establish and embed resource planning strategies and capacity management.
• Oversee change and communications leadership, including stakeholder engagement and adoption strategies.
• Provide day-to-day leadership and coaching to portfolio analysts and managers.
• Engage with stakeholders across Technology Delivery, Architecture, and BAU teams.

Skills

Portfolio planning

Governance

Resource management

Stakeholder engagement

Change leadership

Line management

Coaching & performance

Tools

Time tracking tools

Dashboard reporting

Job description

Role summary/purpose of job

The IT organisation consists of three main divisions: Technology, Data, and Product.

The Technology division includes Technology Services, responsible for systems support and system maintenance; Technology Delivery, which implements technology changes within the Business; and Architecture, which supports IT architectural design functions to align with the Business strategy and expectations.

The Technology Portfolio Planning Manager is responsibile for the planning, forecasting, and resourcing of the Technology change portfolio, as well as ovesight of the coordination of change and communication activities that support successful delivery.

This leadership role combines oversight of portfolio governance and resource management with accountability for stakeholder engagement and change enablement. The role ensures that delivery capacity is aligned with business priorities, governance frameworks are consistently applied, and communication strategies effectively support adoption and transparency.

The manager will also line manage the Technology Resource Planning Analyst, Technology Portfolio Analyst and the Technology Change & Communications Lead, providing direction, coaching, and performance oversight to drive a high-performing and collaborative team culture.

Key responsibilities and deliverables

Portfolio Planning & Governance

• Lead the planning of the technology change portfolio roadmap, ensuring alignment with strategic objectives.
• Oversee Technology portfolio governance processes including reporting to ensure transparency and accountability.
• Ensure consistent application of project lifecycle methodologies and governance standards across all Technology portfolio initiatives.
• Champion the journey towards organisational agility by introducing efficient and effective Technology portfolio management practices.

Resource Management

• Establish resource management as a core service offering within IT & Technology Delivery, embedding it into delivery and planning processes.
• Develop and implement resource planning strategies that align resource allocation with portfolio demands and organisational goals.
• Lead IT-wide resource capacity planning to ensure optimal utilisation across programmes, projects, and BAU activities.
• Analyse resource demand, availability, and constraints to create effective allocation plans and identify optimisation opportunities.
• Forecast resource supply and demand in collaboration with Delivery Managers and Technical Lead
• Resolve resource conflicts and escalations, and support contingency planning for high-risk scenarios.
• Oversee the introduction, configuration, and continuous improvement of resource planning and time tracking tools.
• Maintain accurate resource records and documentation to support planning and reporting.
• Provide guidance to portfolio areas on skill requirements and resource acquisition strategies.

Change & Communication Leadership

• Hold overall accountability for the planning, execution, and effectiveness of change and communication activities across the Technology Delivery portfolio.
• Oversee the development and delivery of communication strategies that support stakeholder engagement, transparency, and adoption of technology-driven change.
• Ensure the Technology Change and Communication Manager has clear objectives and support to deliver impactful communication plans for IT initiatives, including go-live messaging, stakeholder updates, and change impact communications.
• Provide strategic direction for change enablement activities, including stakeholder impact assessments, readiness evaluations, and training coordination.
• Monitor the effectiveness of communication channels (e.g. newsletters, dashboards, Teams updates) and ensure they are aligned with portfolio priorities and audience needs.
• Review and approve change management strategies that support the adoption of new systems, tools, and processes.
• Ensure feedback loops are in place and used to refine communication and change approaches based on stakeholder input and project dynamics.
• Oversee the creation and use of templates for standardised communications and post-implementation feedback processes.
• Ensure dashboards and visual reporting tools are used to track communication effectiveness and change adoption metrics.
• Identify and manage risks related to change and communication activities, escalating where necessary and ensuring mitigation plans are in place.

Leadership & Line Management

• Provide day-to-day leadership, coaching, and development support to the Technology Resource Planning Analyst and Technology Portfolio Analyst and the Technology Change and Communications Manager.
• Set clear objectives, conduct regular performance reviews, and support career development and progression.
• Foster a collaborative, inclusive, and high-performing team culture aligned with the values of the Technology Delivery function.

Stakeholder Engagement

• Act as a key liaison between Technology Delivery, Architecture,