Director - IT Planning & Performance Management

Kemper; Downers Grove (IL); On-site; USD 130,000 - 216,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Discretionary annual bonus

Job summary

Kemper is seeking a Director of IT Planning & Performance Management to lead enterprise IT planning, governance, and performance visibility across multiple technology domains. You will align priorities, demand, capacity, and investments to support executive decisions and enterprise objectives.

In a matrix leadership context, you’ll guide embedded IT Planning and Delivery Managers while ensuring effective resource decisions and delivery execution in a collaborative environment.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of progressive experience in IT strategy and leadership.
• 5+ years of matrix leadership across cross-functional tech teams.
• Strong governance, budgeting, and executive reporting experience.
• Bachelor's degree in Information Technology, Business, or related field; professional certifications preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead enterprise IT planning and performance governance across critical domains.
• Align priorities, demand, capacity, and investments to enterprise objectives.
• Direct planning dashboards and executive reviews; report delivery health and risks.
• Foster improvement across Agile, SAFe, and delivery models.

Skills

IT strategy

Governance

Executive reporting

Budget forecasting

Stakeholder management

Education

Bachelor's degree in Information Technology, Business, or related discipline

Tools

SAFe

Agile

Job description

Location(s)
Alpharetta, Georgia, Birmingham, Alabama, Chicago, Illinois, Dallas, Texas, Downers Grove, Illinois, Jacksonville, Florida, St. Louis, Missouri

Details

Kemper is one of the nation’s leading specialized insurers. Our success is a direct reflection of the talented and diverse people who make a positive difference in the lives of our customers every day. We believe a high-performing culture, valuable opportunities for personal development and professional challenge, and a healthy work-life balance can be highly motivating and productive. Kemper’s products and services are making a real difference to our customers, who have unique and evolving needs. By joining our team, you are helping to provide an experience to our stakeholders that delivers on our promises.

The Director of IT Planning & Performance Management leads enterprise-wide IT planning, governance, and performance visibility across Apex (CTO), CISO, Enterprise Technology Services (ETS), and Data. This role aligns technology priorities, demand, capacity, investments, and roadmaps to support informed executive decisions and enterprise objectives.

Operating through a matrix leadership model, the Director establishes common standards and provides functional direction to embedded IT Planning and Delivery Managers while organizational leaders retain accountability for resource decisions and delivery execution.

Position Responsibilities

1. Enterprise Strategy & Roadmaps: Integrate organizational IT plans and roadmaps into a consolidated enterprise view, identifying strategic priorities, cross-functional dependencies, and investment trade-offs.

2. Demand Prioritization & Governance: Establish consistent demand intake, evaluation, prioritization, and planning standards; facilitate escalation and resolution of competing cross-IT priorities.

3. Capacity & Investment Oversight: Consolidate resource capacity, demand, budget, forecast, and investment information to identify constraints and inform enterprise allocation decisions.

4. Performance & Executive Reporting: Direct enterprise IT planning dashboards and leadership reviews, providing clear visibility into commitments, delivery health, risks, dependencies, and outcomes.

5. Matrix Leadership & Improvement: Provide functional direction, coaching, and performance input to embedded planning managers; strengthen enterprise planning practices across Agile, SAFe, and other delivery models.

Position Qualifications

• 10+ years of progressive experience in IT strategy, technology planning, program management, governance, or related technology leadership.
• 5+ years of leadership experience, including matrix leadership or oversight of cross-functional technology teams.
• Demonstrated success in enterprise demand management, prioritization, integrated roadmaps, capacity planning, and investment governance.
• Strong experience with IT budgets, forecasting, executive performance reporting, and Agile/SAFe or other delivery practices.
• IT portfolio management experience
• Excellent strategic analysis, executive communication, influencing, facilitation, and stakeholder management skills.
• Bachelor's degree in Information Technology, Business, or a related discipline, or equivalent experience; relevant advanced education or professional certifications preferred.
• This position works at our Kemper office.

The range for this position is $129500 to $215700. When determining candidate offers, we consider experience, skills, education, certifications, and geographic location among other factors. This job is eligible for an annual discretionary bonus and Kemper benefits (Medical, Dental, Vision, PTO, 401k, etc.).

Kemper is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All applicants will be considered for employment without attention to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran, disability status or any other status protected by the laws or regulations in the locations where we operate. We are committed to supporting diversity and equality across our organization and we work diligently to maintain a
workplace free from discrimination.

Kemper does not accept unsolicited resumes through or from search firms or staffing agencies. All unsolicited resumes will be considered the property of Kemper and Kemper will not be obligated to pay a placement fee.

Kemper will never request personal information, such as your social security number or banking information, via text or email.Additionally, Kemper does not use external messaging applications like WireApp or Skype to communicate with candidates.If you receive such a message, delete it.

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