Senior Manager/Manager, IT Portfolio Management

AirBorneo Airways Sdn Bhd; Kuching; Hybrid; MYR 180,000 - 280,000; Full time

Job summary

AirBorneo Airways Sdn Bhd seeks an experienced Senior IT Portfolio Manager to oversee the organisation's technology initiatives, align them with strategy and ensure robust governance. You will lead a PMO team, coordinate across delivery leads, and drive evidence-based decision making.

The role focuses on planning, prioritisation, reporting and risk management across multiple programs, ensuring value delivery and regulatory compliance within a large aviation technology estate.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in IT, CS, Engineering or related field.
• Postgraduate qualification in business, technology management or project/portfolio management is an advantage.
• Professional certifications in project, programme or governance disciplines are preferred (PMP, PRINCE2, COBIT).

Responsibilities

• Oversee IT portfolio planning, prioritisation and governance.
• Lead portfolio reporting, dashboards and governance forums.
• Coordinate PMO team activities and stakeholder engagements.
• Ensure adherence to portfolio lifecycle, risk and dependency management.
• Provide data-driven recommendations for resource, funding and sequencing.

Skills

Portfolio management

Governance

Stakeholder management

Leadership

Risk assessment

Data analysis

Education

Bachelor’s degree in IT/CS/Engineering/Business

Postgraduate qualification in business/tech management

Tools

Microsoft Excel

Power BI

PowerPoint

SharePoint / Microsoft Lists

MS Project

Job description

A. RESPONSIBILITIES

1. IT Portfolio Planning and Prioritisation

• Maintain an integrated view of proposed, approved, active, on-hold and completed Technology initiatives across the organisation.
• Coordinate the periodic IT portfolio planning cycle, consolidating new demand, project roadmaps, spill-over commitments and mandatory initiatives.
• Assess and challenge portfolio submissions for strategic alignment, business value, urgency, risk, dependencies, resource demand, affordability and delivery readiness.
• Develop portfolio prioritisation recommendations and scenarios for consideration by the Head of Technology and relevant governance forums.
• Support sequencing decisions to reduce resource conflicts, operational disruption and competing implementation timelines.

2. Portfolio Governance and Assurance

• Operate portfolio governance controls, including portfolio intake, classification, stage/gate status, required approvals, reporting standards and evidence requirements.
• Review portfolio and project submissions for completeness, quality and compliance before they are tabled to Technology leadership or governance forums.
• Monitor adherence to the approved project lifecycle and follow up directly with project managers, sponsors and delivery leads on outstanding governance obligations.
• Return incomplete or unsupported submissions for correction and elevate repeated or high-impact non-compliance when direct engagement does not achieve resolution.
• Maintain an auditable record of key portfolio decisions, approvals, exceptions and escalations.

3. Portfolio Performance, Risk and Dependency Management

• Maintain accurate and current portfolio information covering scope, schedule, milestones, status, budget, forecast, risks, issues, dependencies, decisions and benefits.
• Consolidate project health into portfolio-level views and identify systemic delivery concerns, cross‑project dependencies and resource bottlenecks.
• Challenge project status where reported progress is not supported by evidence, milestones or actual delivery outcomes.
• Track material portfolio risks, issues and dependencies to closure or formal acceptance, ensuring accountable owners and target dates are identified.
• Coordinate recovery, remediation or escalation actions for projects requiring management attention.

4. Financial, Capacity and Resource Oversight

• Work with Finance, project owners and Technology teams to maintain a consolidated view of approved budget, committed spend, actual spend, forecast and material variances across the IT portfolio.
• Support annual budgeting and reforecasting by consolidating portfolio requirements, recurring commitments, new initiatives and spill-over expenditure.
• Monitor portfolio resource demand and capacity constraints across Technology teams and critical delivery partners.
• Provide evidence‑based recommendations on resourcing, sequencing, deferment or reprioritisation where capacity or funding constraints affect delivery.
• Highlight unplanned expenditure, cost pressures and unfunded requirements for timely management decision.

5. Portfolio Reporting and Decision Support

• Produce portfolio dashboards and health reports for the Head of Technology, Technology leadership and relevant governance forums.
• Provide concise analysis of what changed, why it matters, decisions required, management attention needed and the impact on roadmap, risk, budget or operations.
• Maintain consistent RAG/status criteria and reporting definitions across the portfolio to improve comparability and decision quality.
• Prepare portfolio information for Steering Committee, leadership, budget, audit and other governance discussions as required.
• Maintain the IT portfolio register and ensure changes in priority, status, ownership, budget or target dates are reflected promptly.

6. Benefits and Portfolio Closure Oversight

• Ensure expected outcomes and benefits are identified for material initiatives and linked to appropriate business owners.
• Monitor whether project closure requirements are completed, including outstanding actions, handover, documentation, financial closure, lessons learned and post‑implementation review where applicable.
• Provide portfolio-level visibility of realised, delayed or at‑risk benefits and recommend follow‑up actions where intended outcomes are not being achieved.

7. Stakeholder and Team Management

• Lead and develop assigned portfolio / PMO team members, set work priorities and maintain appropriate quality standards for analysis and reporting.
• Act as the principal operational point of contact for IT portfolio management matters, providing guidance to project managers, delivery leads and Technology teams.
• Facilitate portfolio review meetings and working sessions, ensuring actions, decisions and escalations are recorded and followed through.
• Build a culture of evidence‑based reporting, disciplined escalation, transparency and ownership across the Technology portfolio.

8. Regular Activities and Reporting Cadence

• Weekly: refresh portfolio status, risks, issues, milestones, financial exceptions and governance actions; follow up overdue updates and corrective actions.
• Bi-Weekly: issue consolidated portfolio health and performance reporting, including trend analysis and matters requiring Technology leadership attention.
• Monthly or as required: issue portfolio health and performance reporting to project sponsor.
• Quaterly: support portfolio prioritisation, roadmap reviews, benefits review, budget reforecasting and capacity planning.
• Annually: coordinate inputs to the Technology planning and budget cycle and ensure approved initiatives and commitments are reflected in the portfolio baseline.
• Ad hoc: prepare portfolio analysis, executive briefings, audit evidence and management papers requested by Head, IT PMO, Governance & Admin Support.

Key Performance Measures / KPIs

• Portfolio data quality

  Portfolio register, project status, milestones, financials, risks and dependencies are complete, current and supported by appropriate evidence.

• Reporting discipline

  Portfolio dashboards and management reports are issued within the agreed reporting calendar, with material exceptions clearly highlighted.

• Governance compliance

  Required project lifecycle, gate, approval and documentation obligations are monitored; non‑compliance is followed up and escalated in accordance with governance requirements.

• Portfolio health

  Critical risks, issues, dependencies, schedule slippages and budget variances are identified early, challenged and escalated with clear corrective actions.

• Prioritisation effectiveness

  Portfolio recommendations are supported by consistent assessment of strategic alignment, value, risk, urgency, capacity, dependencies and affordability.

• Financial oversight

  Portfolio-level forecast, committed spend and budget variances are monitored with Finance and project owners; material variances are reported promptly.

• Benefits visibility

  Expected benefits and outcomes are captured for material initiatives and tracked through implementation and post‑implementation review where applicable.

• Stakeholder service

  Leadership and project stakeholders receive reliable portfolio information, timely challenge and clear governance guidance to support decision‑making.

B. ACCOUNTABILITIES

• Ownership and integrity of the IT portfolio register, portfolio reporting framework and portfolio management calendar.
• Accuracy, timeliness and consistency of portfolio‑level reporting and escalation provided to Technology leadership.
• Effective operation of portfolio intake, prioritisation, status monitoring, governance tracking and portfolio review processes.
• Early identification and escalation of material portfolio risks, delivery concerns, resource conflicts, financial pressures and cross‑project dependencies.
• Quality of portfolio analysis and recommendations used to support prioritisation, sequencing, funding and resource decisions.
• Appropriate follow‑up of project governance obligations and management actions until closure, acceptance or formal escalation.
• Performance, development and work quality of assigned portfolio / PMO team members.

The role is accountable for the quality of portfolio oversight and decision support; individual project sponsors and project/delivery managers remain accountable for business outcomes, project delivery and execution within their approved authority.

C. AUTHORITY

Decisions the Role May Make Independently

• Set and administer the portfolio reporting calendar, data standards, templates and routine operating processes approved for use by the department.
• Require project delivery teams to provide portfolio information, supporting evidence and corrective updates within agreed timelines.
• Return incomplete, inconsistent or unsupported portfolio/project submissions for correction before governance review.
• Classify and consolidate portfolio information in accordance with approved definitions, governance criteria and reporting standards.
• Assign routine work and reporting responsibilities to assigned team members within approved role boundaries.

Approvals / Recommendations Within the Role

• Endorse the completeness and readiness of portfolio submissions for onward review by the Head or relevant governance forum.
• Recommend portfolio priorities, sequencing, resource allocation options, recovery actions, deferment, escalation or closure based on analysis and evidence.
• Recommend changes to portfolio management standards, reporting requirements and governance controls based on operational findings.

Budget, Resources and Assets

• Manage departmental resources, portfolio management tools and approved operating expenditure assigned to the role within the organisation's Delegation of Authority (DoA).
• Monitor and report portfolio budgets and forecasts; approval of project funding, budget transfers, procurement awards, contractual commitments or unbudgeted expenditure remains subject to the applicable DoA and authorised approving authority.

Matters Requiring Escalation or Higher Approval

• Material changes to approved project scope, funding, benefits, target dates or strategic priority that exceed delegated thresholds.
• Critical or high‑impact portfolio risks, significant operational/safety implications, regulatory or security concerns, and repeated governance non‑compliance.
• Decisions involving project cancellation, suspension, major reprioritisation, vendor/contract commitment or exceptions to approved policy and governance requirements.
• Resource conflicts or budget constraints that cannot be resolved within the department or materially affect committed business outcomes.

D. DELEGATION OF DUTIES

Acting / Backup Arrangement

During temporary absence, routine operational responsibilities may be assigned to a designated IT Portfolio Management team that formally nominated by the role holder and acknowledged by the Head, IT PMO, Governance & Admin Support. For extended absence, an acting appointment should be confirmed by the Head in accordance with company practice.

Responsibilities That May Be Delegated

• Routine portfolio data collection, register maintenance, meeting coordination, action tracking and preparation of standard dashboards or reports.
• Follow‑up with project teams on overdue updates, evidence and agreed corrective actions.
• Preparation of analysis and working papers for review by the role holder or acting authority.

Limitations on Delegated Authority

• Delegation does not transfer the role holder's accountability for the quality and integrity of portfolio oversight unless a formal acting appointment is made.
• Strategic prioritisation recommendations, formal escalations, exceptions, commitments of funds, policy deviations and decisions reserved under the DoA may not be delegated beyond the authority granted to the acting officer.
• Material decisions taken during an acting period must be documented and reported to the Head and, where appropriate, to the returning role holder.

E. MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Education

• Bachelor's degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, Engineering, Business, Management or a related discipline.
• Postgraduate qualification in business, technology management or project/portfolio management is an advantage for the Senior Manager level.

Professional Certifications

• Professional certification in project, programme, portfolio or governance disciplines is preferred, such as PMP, PRINCE2, COBIT or equivalent.
• ITIL, Agile, risk, finance or governance‑related certifications are an advantage depending on the portfolio environment.

Relevant Experience

• Manager level: typically at least 8 years of relevant experience in IT portfolio management, PMO, programme/project management, IT governance or technology planning, including experience coordinating multiple concurrent initiatives.
• Senior Manager level: typically at least 10 years of relevant experience, with demonstrated leadership of an enterprise or large Technology portfolio, PMO or complex multi‑project environment.
• Experience in aviation, airline operations, transport or another regulated / operationally critical industry is strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated experience in portfolio reporting, executive decision support, budget/forecast coordination, risk and dependency management, and governance assurance.

Technical Skills and Knowledge

• Strong knowledge of portfolio, programme and project management disciplines, including prioritisation, demand management, stage/gate governance, delivery assurance and benefits tracking.
• Strong analytical capability in portfolio financials, resource/capacity planning, schedule health, risk, dependencies and performance trends.
• Working knowledge of IT governance and service management concepts, including COBIT and ITIL principles, and of Agile, Waterfall and hybrid delivery methods.
• High proficiency in portfolio reporting and productivity tools such as Microsoft Excel, Power BI, PowerPoint, SharePoint / Microsoft Lists, MS Project and equivalent PPM or work‑management platforms.
• Ability to translate complex project information into concise executive‑level insights, options and recommendations.

Competencies and Behaviours

• Strong judgement, analytical thinking and attention to detail, with the confidence to challenge unsupported status or assumptions.
• High level of integrity, objectivity and discipline in reporting, escalation and governance matters.
• Strong stakeholder management, facilitation and influencing skills across technical, business and leadership audiences.
• Persistent but constructive approach to accountability and follow‑through, including management of overdue actions and non‑compliance.
• Ability to work effectively under competing priorities and time‑sensitive operational conditions.
• Leadership capability to coach team members, set standards and develop portfolio management maturity.

Regulatory / Industry‑Specific Requirements

• Must comply with AirBorneo policies, Technology governance requirements, information security controls, records management requirements and applicable regulatory obligations.
• Must understand that Technology changes and projects may affect airline operational continuity, aviation safety, cybersecurity, data protection and regulatory compliance; relevant impacts must be identified and escalated through the appropriate accountable functions.