Director, Project and Portfolio Management

Position Summary

The Director, Project and Portfolio Management is a strategic leader responsible for the centralized management and governance of the entire IT project portfolio. This role will establish and mature the Project Management Office (PMO) as a strategic function that ensures IT initiatives are aligned with Darling Ingredients' business goals, deliver measurable value, and are executed efficiently.

The Director will lead the IT Project Portfolio Management process and team, from intake and prioritization to benefits realization. They will be responsible for developing and implementing best practices, methodologies (e.g., Agile, Waterfall, Hybrid), and tools to elevate the organization's project execution capabilities and provide transparent reporting to executive leadership.

Essential Duties/Responsibilities:

Nothing in this job description restricts management's right to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this job at any time.

* Develops and executes a roadmap for maturing the PMO's capabilities, moving from a focus on execution to a strategic, value-driven function

* Defines and implements standard project management methodologies, processes, and tools across the IT organization

* Champions and implements a benefits realization framework to track the expected vs. actual value delivered by IT projects

* Ensures the scope, goals, and deliverables of IT projects support business goals in collaboration with senior management

* Defines project success criteria and disseminate them to involved parties throughout project lifecycle

* Effectively communicates and manages expectations of PMO to project managers, owners, sponsors, team members, and other stakeholders

* Manages consolidated view for all IT projects including milestones/deliverables

* Determines frequency and content of status reports from project managers, analyze results and troubleshoot problem areas/mitigate project risks

* Effectively manages PMO resource allocation to ensure projects are completed on time and on budget

* Develops and communicates best practices, techniques, and tools for project planning, execution, project management, ongoing milestone/deliverable tracking, communication, and key performance metrics

* Coaches, mentors, motivates, and supervises project team leads, team members, and contractors and influence them to take positive action and accountability for their assigned work

* Identifies and resolves issues and conflicts within and between various project teams

* Develops and presents executive-level dashboards and reports on portfolio health, project status, and value realization for the CIO, C-suite, and business leaders.

* Partners with the IT Finance Manager to ensure robust business cases are developed for all projects, including ROI and TCO analysis

* Oversees portfolio-level budget management and resource capacity planning to ensure efficient allocation of resources

* Assists IT Governance in managing the IT project intake, evaluation, and prioritization process to ensure alignment with strategic business objectives and maximize business value

* Tracks the overall IT project portfolio, providing a consolidated view of status, budget, resources, and risks to executive leadership

* Leads, coaches, and mentors a team of project managers, fostering a culture of accountability, continuous improvement, and strategic thinking

* Acts as an expert resource and escalation point for project-related issues and conflicts.

* Promotes a culture of effective organizational change management to ensure the successful adoption of new technologies and processes

* Other duties as assigned

Minimum Qualifications:

* Bachelor's degree in Information Systems, Information Technology, Computer Science or equivalent experience; MBA preferred

* Project Management Professional (PMP) Certification required

* 10+ years of experience in IT project management

* 5+ years in a leadership role managing a PMO or a large portfolio of projects

Preferred Qualifications:

* Portfolio Management Professional (PfMP) or Program Management Professional (PgMP) certification

* Excellent leadership, management, facilitation, and problem-solving skills

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