Head of EPMO

Starr; New York (NY); On-site; USD 225,000 - 275,000; Full time

Job summary

Starr is seeking a Head of EPMO in New York to lead the enterprise change portfolio, govern funding, and deliver high-impact initiatives aligned with corporate strategy.

You will partner with Finance, Operations, and IT to optimize intake, prioritization, and business case evaluation while guiding a centralized team of program managers to realize strategic benefits.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a related field; Master’s degree preferred.
• PMP certification or equivalent preferred.
• 15+ years in project/program/portfolio management with leadership.
• Experience leading enterprise portfolio management in large organizations.
• Strong executive communication and board-facing presentation skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead enterprise project portfolio management aligning strategy, investment and business objectives.
• Govern intake, prioritization, and approval processes for new initiatives.
• Develop and challenge business cases with costs, benefits, ROI, and resource needs.
• Provide executive-level reporting and portfolio health insights to CEO and Board.
• Oversee delivery standards, governance, and cross-functional coordination.

Skills

Portfolio Mgmt

Strategic Planning

Executive Communication

Team Leadership

Risk Mgmt

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Master’s degree preferred

Job description

Join Starr, a global leader in commercial insurance with over a century of expertise. We empower our employees to innovate, make impactful decisions, and build lasting client relationships worldwide. At Starr, you'll work in an entrepreneurial culture alongside accessible leaders, leveraging our financial strength and vast industry experience to deliver solutions for our clients, no matter how complex. Grow your career with a rapidly growing company that invests in its people and their ability to drive real progress.

Position Summary

The Head of EPMO is responsible for leading the company's enterprise change portfolio, ensuring strategic initiatives are prioritized, governed, funded, and successfully delivered in alignment with corporate objectives. This role serves as the central point of accountability for portfolio management and project execution, providing executive leadership with a single source of truth for enterprise change initiatives across business and technology organizations.

The Head of EPMO partners closely with executive leadership, Finance, Operations, and Information Technology to establish project intake and prioritization processes, develop and evaluate business cases, monitor portfolio performance, and track the realization of strategic benefits. The role also leads a centralized team of program and project managers responsible for delivering high-visibility initiatives within the enterprise change portfolio.

Reporting into the Office of CEO and as a trusted advisor to senior leadership, the Head of EPMO provides executive‑level insights on portfolio health, investment decisions, resource allocation, risks, dependencies, and business outcomes that enable informed decision‑making across the organization.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Portfolio Leadership

• Lead the enterprise project portfolio management function, ensuring alignment between strategic priorities, investment decisions, and business objectives.
• Govern enterprise‑wide project intake, prioritization, and approval processes to evaluate and sequence new initiatives.
• Partner with business sponsors, Finance, and Technology leaders to develop, challenge, and validate business cases, including costs, benefits, return on investment, resource requirements, and strategic alignment.
• Maintain the enterprise change portfolio as the organization’s authoritative source of truth, providing transparency across business and technology initiatives.
• Establish portfolio monitoring processes that track financial performance, benefit realization, delivery progress, resource utilization, risks, dependencies, and overall portfolio health.
• Collaborate with Finance to manage portfolio‑level investment governance, ensuring ongoing visibility into program expenditures, benefits realization, and value delivery.
• Provide executive‑level reporting and concise portfolio insights for the CEO, Executive Committee, Board of Directors, and other senior leadership forums.
• Facilitate strategic portfolio reviews and investment decision sessions, supporting leadership in balancing competing priorities and resource demands.

Project Delivery Oversight

• Lead and develop a centralized team of program and project managers responsible for the successful execution of high‑priority strategic initiatives.
• Establish clear delivery standards, governance frameworks, and accountability mechanisms to ensure consistent project execution across the enterprise.
• Monitor program and project performance, proactively identifying risks, issues, dependencies, and resource constraints that may impact strategic outcomes.
• Partner with business and technology leaders to resolve delivery challenges and ensure initiatives remain aligned with approved scope, budget, timeline, and expected benefits.
• Oversee enterprise milestone management, ensuring accurate forecasting, escalation, and execution against strategic commitments.
• Drive cross‑functional coordination among business, operations, technology, and external partners to support successful project outcomes.
• Ensure effective transition from project implementation to operational ownership and benefit realization.

Governance, Reporting & Executive Communications

• Establish and maintain enterprise governance forums and decision‑making structures supporting portfolio oversight and project execution.
• Develop executive dashboards, portfolio scorecards, and management reporting that provide meaningful insights into strategic initiative performance.
• Deliver clear and actionable executive summaries highlighting portfolio progress, key decisions, emerging risks, financial performance, and expected business outcomes.
• Ensure portfolio data integrity and consistency across reporting processes, systems, and stakeholder communications.

Organizational Leadership

• Lead a high‑performing EPMO organization focused on accountability, execution excellence, and business value realization.
• Coach and develop program and project management professionals, strengthening enterprise delivery capabilities.
• Foster a culture of collaboration, transparency, and continuous improvement across the change portfolio.
• Promote best practices in project, program, portfolio, and change management while balancing governance with delivery agility.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Finance, Insurance, Technology, or a related field; Master’s degree preferred.
• PMP certification or equivalent project/program management certification preferred.
• 15+ years of progressive experience in project, program, or portfolio management, including 7+ years in leadership roles.
• Demonstrated experience leading enterprise portfolio management functions within a large, complex organization.
• Proven success establishing project intake, prioritization, funding, governance, and benefits realization processes.
• Experience partnering with Finance organizations on investment governance, business case development, portfolio cost management, and value realization tracking.
• Strong understanding of portfolio management disciplines, strategic planning, and organizational transformation.
• Experience managing teams of program and project managers responsible for large‑scale business and technology initiatives.
• Exceptional executive communication skills with demonstrated experience presenting to C‑suite leaders and Boards of Directors.
• Insurance or financial services industry experience strongly preferred.

Key Competencies

• Enterprise Portfolio Management
• Strategic Planning & Investment Governance
• Executive Communication & Board Reporting
• Business Case Development & Benefits Realization
• Program & Project Delivery Leadership
• Financial Acumen & Portfolio Analytics
• Cross‑Functional Leadership & Influence
• Organizational Change & Transformation
• Risk Management & Executive Decision Support
• Team Leadership & Talent Development

For individuals assigned and/or hired to work in New York, Starr Insurance Companies is required by law to include a reasonable estimate of the compensation range for this role. The wage range for this role takes into account the wide range of factors that are considered in making compensation decisions including but not limited to skill sets: experience and training: licensure and certifications: and other business and organizational needs. A reasonable estimate of the current range is $225,000 - $275,000.

Starr is an equal opportunity employer, which means we’ll consider all suitably qualified applicants regardless of gender identity or expression, ethnic origin, nationality, religion or beliefs, age, sexual orientation, disability status or any other protected characteristic. We recruit and develop our people based on merit and we’re committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. We offer first class training and development opportunities to all employees. Our aim is to grow our own talent and bring out the best in people.