Senior Portfolio Optimization Process Owner

Centene Corporation; United States; Hybrid; USD 103,000 - 191,000; Full time

Job summary

Centene Corporation is seeking a senior-level professional to define, execute, and continuously improve Strategic Portfolio Management (SPM) processes. The role partners across business, technology, and finance to align portfolio initiatives with enterprise objectives and drive data-driven decision making.

You will lead the design and communication of governance updates, executive reporting, and strategic recommendations while ensuring portfolio health and value realization across portfolios,

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree and 4–6 years of related experience.
• Equivalent experience through proven accomplishments and scope.
• Preferred certifications in portfolio management and quality assurance.

Responsibilities

• Define, execute, and advance SPM processes to align initiatives with strategy.
• Communicate governance updates, executive reporting, and strategic recommendations to stakeholders.
• Collaborate across process owners and interfacing teams to improve governance and execution.
• Prioritize backlog for portfolio management enhancements and governance improvements.
• Develop executive-level reporting and decision-support materials for leadership.
• Champion governance enhancements and capability investments to elevate process maturity.

Skills

Analytical skills

Project management

Strategic thinking

Stakeholder communication

Process improvement

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Six Sigma Black Belt

Portfolio Management Professional (PMP)

SAFe Lean Portfolio Management (LPM)

Job description

Position Purpose: Accountable for defining, executing, and continuously advancing Strategic Portfolio Management (SPM) processes to align portfolio initiatives with organizational objectives. Establishes and drives data driven decision making, optimizes process efficiency and establishes robust mechanisms to monitor portfolio health enabling maximum value realization and achievement of strategic goals.

Key Details: Partners across business, technology, finance, and transformation teams to improve governance effectiveness, strategic alignment, portfolio transparency, and execution outcomes while supporting enterprise initiatives from planning through operationalization. Preferred experience includes supporting executive leadership teams in Strategic Portfolio Management (SPM), corporate strategy, business transformation, governance and operating model design, business operations, and organizational effectiveness.

• Execute the design, implementation, and continuous improvement of new and existing Strategic Portfolio Management (SPM) processes, driving tool adoption while ensuring alignment with guiding principles, governance frameworks, and organizational strategy.
• Architect, document, and deliver clear, impactful communication of processes,governance updates, executive reporting, controls, and strategic recommendations to stakeholders, leadership teams, and end users.
• Orchestrate collaboration across process owners and interfacing teams, synchronizing improvement initiativeswhile driving alignment across business, technology, finance, and transformation stakeholders.
• Validate process designs, including the correct business requirements, ensuring scalability and alignment with strategic needs.
• Prioritize technical backlog for future enhancements to portfolio management processeswhile identifying opportunities to improve governance capabilities, reporting effectiveness, and organizational execution.
• Coordinate alignment between organizational strategy and operational execution, enabling agile decision making around budgets, resource prioritization,investments, and portfolio outcomes.
• Coordinate defining and communicating the process mission, vision, tactics, goals, objectives, and KPIs, ensuring they remain tightly aligned with enterprise strategiesand transformation priorities.
• Oversee portfolio process health proactively ensuring alignment with strategic priorities, organizational roadmaps, governance policies, and quality standards.
• Develop executive-level reporting, presentations, business cases, governance materials, and decision-support content to facilitate leadership alignment, portfolio transparency, and informed decision making.
• Deliver in-depth insights and provide actionable recommendations on portfolio reports, with a focus on the health, performance,value realization, risks, and outcomes of portfolios, sub-portfolios, and projects.
• Support governance forums, strategic planning activities, leadership reviews, and transformation initiatives through stakeholder coordination, action tracking, issue resolution, and execution oversight.
• Champion transformative business process changes,governance enhancements, and capability investments that elevate process maturity,strengthen organizational effectiveness, and enable sustained excellence.
• Performs other duties as assigned.
• Complies with all policies and standards.

Education/Experience: Requires a Bachelor’s degree and 4 – 6 years of related experience.

Or equivalent experience acquired through accomplishments of applicable knowledge, duties, scope and skill reflective of the level of this position.

Soft Skills:

• Intermediate - Seeks to acquire knowledge in area of specialty
• Intermediate - Ability to identify basic problems and procedural irregularities, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions
• Intermediate - Ability to work independently
• Intermediate - Demonstrated analytical skills
• Intermediate - Demonstrated project management skills
• Intermediate - Demonstrates a high level of accuracy, even under pressure
• Intermediate - Demonstrates excellent judgment and decision making skills
• Intermediate - Ability to communicate and make recommendations to upper management
• Intermediate - Ability to drive multiple projects to successful completion

License/Certification:

• CSSBB - Six Sigma Black Belt , Non-Black Belt certifications will be considered as well, preferred
• Portfolio Management Professional (PMP) , SAFe LPM certification will be considered as well, preferred
• Certified Project Management Professional (PMP)-PMI preferred

Pay Range: $102,900.00 - $190,500.00 per year

At Centene, we connect people to the care they need to live healthier lives — and the work you do here makes that impact real every day. You’ll take on meaningful challenges that directly support individuals, families, and communities, building your skills while making healthcare more accessible and effective. It’s work with a purpose you can see, backed by a team committed to improving lives well beyond the workday.

Centene offers a comprehensive benefits package including: competitive pay, health insurance, 401K and stock purchase plans, tuition reimbursement, paid time off plus holidays, and a flexible approach to work with remote, hybrid, field or office work schedules. Actual pay will be adjusted based on an individual’s skills, experience, education, and other job-related factors permitted by law, including full-time or part-time status. Total compensation may also include additional forms of incentives. Benefits may be subject to program eligibility.

Centene is an equal opportunity employer that is committed to diversity, and values the ways in which we are different. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status, or other characteristic protected by applicable law.

Qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records will be considered in accordance with the LA County Ordinance and the California Fair Chance Act