Sr Director Portfolio Mgmt

Amtrak; Hamden (CT); On-site; USD 188,000 - 243,000; Full time

Job summary

Amtrak seeks a Senior Portfolio Director to lead a portfolio of 3–5 mega bridge projects along the Northeast Corridor and beyond. You will direct multi‑project teams, manage design and construction of heavy civil assets with $1–2B+ implementation cost over 5+ years, and ensure timely, cost‑effective delivery.

Responsibilities include establishing program governance, interfacing with Finance, Procurement, executives, regulators, and external partners, and mentoring PM staff to uphold strict

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required or equivalent experience.
• 13 years of prior relevant experience required.
• 15+ years of relevant experience preferred.
• PMP or PE Certification in good standing.
• Public/private partnership / EPC experience.
• Mega programs (> $500M) in transportation.
• Expertise in project design, engineering, procurement, construction, commissioning.
• Strong knowledge of Project Controls & Financials; scheduling, risk, change management.
• Experience with multiple contract forms (DBB, DB, GMP, CMAR, etc.).

Responsibilities

• Direct multiple project teams to deliver bridge and heavy civil assets.
• Establish governance and controls for escalation and decision-making.
• Coordinate with executives, regulators, and cross‑functional partners.
• Mentor staff and ensure adherence to PM practices across the portfolio.

Skills

Bridge program management

Team leadership

Financial modeling

Governance & controls

Procurement knowledge

Stakeholder management

Risk assessment

Contract types knowledge

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Job description

The Senior Portfolio Director is responsible for the delivery of a portfolio (3-5) strategic transformational mega complexity bridge projects with significant impacts to company’s core business operations and other projects/duties as a member of the Capital Delivery – Major Bridge Team. These projects will be located along the Northeast Corridor, and other Amtrak operational locations, generally north of NYC. The position will focus on the delivery of bridge and heavy civil infrastructure assets consisting of multiple projects and work-streams, cross-departmental interfaces, multiple technologies and assets with $1-$2B/5yr+ implementation cost and timelines. Program components may include multiple projects with various delivery strategies, external entities, public/private partnerships, third party contractors and variety of phasing and funding sources or arrangements. Complexity may also include the significant need for government relations and external communications and marketing. Individuals in this role work independently with some indirect executive supervision and may have direct project director and project manager reports with matrixed subordinate team members. This position will make decisions in areas that drive and influence company-wide financial, reputational, and organizational impacts, both immediate and long term. The role requires regular interactions with Finance and Procurement to produce analytical and metrics-based reporting to Program Steering Committees, Executive Leadership Team, Board of Directors, State and Federal Regulators.

Essential Functions

• Direct multiple project teams to ensure timely and cost-effective sequencing and execution across several projects within an assigned portfolio focusing on the design and construction of bridge and heavy civil infrastructure assets.
• Maintain close interfaces with other interdependent strategic initiatives in close alignment with company’s bridge and heavy civil assets plans.
• Establish Program Governance and Controls structures to enable effective escalation and decision-making processes.
• Identify, document and elevate cross-organizational and vendor-driven dependencies, and work with executives and peers across the organization and other external parties as appropriate.
• Collaborate with program directors, project directors and project managers to identify and manage assessment of major changes to scope, schedule and budget through the appropriate Program and Enterprise governance approval mechanisms,
• Hire and mentor Program Director and Project Management staff and matrixed team members and provide direction on adherence to the Project Management practices to drive consistent and timely results during the design, construction and commissioning phases of the portfolio. Ensuring execution of all aspects of the projects in accordance with contractual obligations.
• Lead program’s annual planning activities in collaboration with senior leaders, including business case development, financial modeling, grant application and funding requests and development of portfolio’s critical success criteria.
• Interface with Project Controls and Finance support staff to ensure that portfolio’s financial performance and forecast information is available and reportable for senior executives and government regulators.
• Identify and evaluate the risks associated with portfolio execution (both design and construction) and work across the organization to establish and monitor mitigation plans.
• Identify efficiencies and present recommended improvement opportunities at various levels of management

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required or equivalent combination of training, education and relevant experience may be considered in lieu of a degree.

Plus

• 13 years of prior relevant experience required
• 15+ years of relevant experience preferred

Preferred Qualifications

• PMP or PE Certification in good standing
• Public/private partnership, joint venture and/or alternative delivery experience.
• Infrastructure construction program management, general contractor or other applicable EPC background.
• Experience managing mega programs (>$500 M) in the transportation industry environment.
• Exceptional knowledge and experience on project design, engineering, procurement, material management, construction, commissioning, start up, turnover, sequencing, and interfaces.
• Thorough understanding of Project Controls and Financials including scheduling, progress measurement, risk assessment and management, and change management.
• Experience of multiple commercial executions structures including Lump Sum (Fixed Price) Contract, Cost-Plus-Fee Contract, Construction Manage at Risk (CMAR) Contract, Design-Bid-Build (DBB) Contract, Design-Build (DB) Contract, Guaranteed Maximum Price (GMP) Contract, etc.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Expert senior level complex bridge and heavy civil program (>$250 M) management experience with strong focus on collaboration, team building, and driving on-time and on-budget project completion.
• Solid knowledge of competitive procurement processes and regulations, including alternate delivery (DB, CMAR, Progressive DB) methods in the bridge and heavy civil arenas.
• Ability to exercise independent judgment and make solid business decisions within scope of the portfolio based on a thorough bridge design and construction background and experience.
• Highly motivated and self-directed
• Excellent analytical, mathematical, and creative problem-solving skills.
• Excellent listening, interpersonal, written, and oral communication skills.
• Logical and efficient, with keen attention to detail.
• Ability to effectively prioritize and execute tasks while under pressure.
• Must have work authorization in the United States
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to work effectively with internal and external stakeholders

Environmental Conditions/Physical Demands

The salary/hourly range is $187,500.00 – $242,892.00. Pay is based on several factors including but not limited to education, work experience, certifications, etc. Depending on an employee’s assigned worksite or location, Amtrak may consider a geo-pay differential to be applied to the employee’s base salary. Amtrak may offer additional incentive and pay programs to recognize and reward our employees, including a short-term incentive bonus based upon factors such as individual and company performance that is commensurate with the level of the position.