Share Email Opening Title AVP, IT Portfolio Management  Category Information Technology   Description Job Summary This IT leadership role is accountable for IT Portfolio Management, including project management, resource planning and demand management. The AVP, Portfolio Management is responsible for tracking overall demand for IT services, forecasting future demand and resource needs for project work, supervising project managers, monitoring work in progress, and ensuring the accurate tracking and forecasting of project portfolio expenses for the effective and efficient delivery of IT projects. The AVP, Portfolio Management works closely with NWL business partners to ensure IT resource investments provide the greatest return and value to the organization. The position works collaboratively with each business department to identify, estimate and prioritize work based on objective cost benefit analysis. The AVP, Portfolio Management has a deep understanding of NWL products, people and processes to develop a meaningful and collaborative partnership with NWL business partners. This collaborative partnership drives project execution for maximum benefit, ensuring NWL customer needs, project schedule and expense targets area all met, while ensuring IT Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC) and IT General Controls are enforced through appropriate project management discipline. Essential Functions Track / manage work requests with customer priority, distributing requests to appropriate project teams or IT departments for maintenance effort requests or queuing up new proposed projects for project scoping and effort estimation. Evaluate, and collaboratively work with NWL business partners, schedule IT project work for maximum IT investment return while ensuring critical operational, customer and compliance project needs are met. With and through the project management team, effectively manage IT projects to ensure on-time / on-budget project delivery. Monitor and report project portfolio metrics / dashboards such as project plan status (budget, schedule and resource allocation), work requests (open, closed, in process), support hours, resource utilization, etc. Administer and report resource time tracking for approved project, support and administrative work effort; including contract staff / vendors. Monitor, report and forecast project portfolio expenses and resource demands. Ensure IT management and project managers are aware of expense / resource utilization trends. In coordination with Accounting and IT management, ensure appropriate administration processes are in place to track project expenses (e.g., project codes, account codes, capital versus expense budgets, invoice reconciliation, etc.). Ensure portfolio and project management processes enforce NWL Software Development Lifecyle (SDLC) and IT General Controls and best practices. Provide supervision and NWL product, administrative process and technical guidance to the Portfolio management staff. Administer project portfolio tracking and administration tools such as Microsoft Project, Azure Devops (ADO), Mavenlink, etc. Sets the mission and vision of the Portfolio Management organization to foster a business-oriented culture and mindset driven by continual project and process improvement techniques. Works with the IT senior leadership team on the service portfolio and governance required to prioritize resources, including budget. Acts as a trusted advisor, and builds and maintains relationships with other IT leaders and business executives to develop a clear understanding of business needs. Ensures cost-effective delivery of IT services to meet those needs, and is able to respond with the agility required to address changing business priorities. Leverages influencing and negotiation skills across IT and the enterprise to enable cost-effective and innovative solutions in the achievement of business goals. Participates in the assessment of external and internal technology capabilities required to achieve desired competitive positioning. Maintains currency on new methodologies and best practices to provides direction to Portfolio Management project management staff. Champions Portfolio Management's involvement in the IT organization's innovation efforts and its role in experimenting with new solutions to take advantage of business opportunities. Works with HR and the IT leadership team to develop a Portfolio Management "talent strategy" that aligns with the current and future business and IT strategy. Continually looks for leading-edge and innovative solutions to the recruitment, development and retention of the Portfolio Management workforce. Serves as the resident authority for the portfolio and project management discipline, mentoring Portfolio Management staff on project management methodologies and best practices. Drives the adoption and commitment to continual service improvement. Exercises oversight to ensure operations, policies, procedures, and activities fully comply with company policies, regulatory compliance and audit requirements. Knowledge, Skills & Abilities Exceptional leadership skills, with the ability to develop and communicate a Portfolio Management vision that inspires and motivates staff and aligns with the IT and business strategy. Ability to build a strong partnership with the business and demonstrate the business value of IT. Effective influencing and negotiation skills in an environment in which resources may not be in direct control of this role. Excellent analytical, strategic conceptual thinking, strategic planning and execution skills. Strong business acumen, including industry, domain-specific knowledge of the enterprise and its business units. Expertise in budget planning and financial management, preferably with showback and/or chargeback models. Application of appropriate regulatory or statutory compliance, including SOX, GDPR, and information security. Demonstrated ability to develop and execute a strategic people plan that ensures the right people are in the right roles at the right time, and employees are highly engaged and satisfied. Deliver effective service management through the definition and adoption of a governance practice that uses KPIs and metrics to track and measure the quality of service. Integrates them with key accountabilities to ensure consistency of approach and continual service improvement. Strong vendor management and partner relation skills to identify and leverage resources internal and external to the enterprise to enhance capabilities that support business objectives. Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to explain technical concepts and technologies to business leaders, and business concepts to the Infrastructure Services workforce. Insurance industry experience - Life & Annuity, ACORD standards, agency / producer systems, etc., and/or brokerage, financial services a strong plus. Ability to perform effectively under stressful conditions such as directional changes, tight deadlines and limited resources. Formal project / program / portfolio management experience as demonstrated by the ability to use project management software, create plans, managing multiple simultaneous project efforts, including departmental tracking of budget, schedule, resource assignments and staff utilization.   Position Requirements Education & Experience Bachelors or master's degree in computer science, information systems, business administration or related field, or equivalent work experience. 15+ years of experience in IT and/or business/industry. 10+ years of experience in project / program / portfolio management using multiple project management methodologies (waterfall, iterative, agile, hybrid agile, etc.) preferred. 5+ years in an IT leadership role preferred. 2+ years of large-scale insurance systems implementation experience preferred. 5+ years insurance or financial services experience preferred. Licenses & Certifications PMP certification preferred, or completion within 2 year of employment. Certified Scrum Master and/or PMI-ACP preferred. Completion of LOMA insurance courses I and II required within first year of employment. Supervision & Leadership Responsible for objective-setting, performance and salary administration for all Portfolio Management staff. Work Environment This job operates in a professional office environment. This role routinely uses standard office equipment such as computers, phones, photocopiers, filing cabinets and fax machines. Regular and predictable attendance is required. Overtime may be required at peak times. The employee is regularly required to use hands to handle or feel. The employee is regularly required to talk or hear. The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of their job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Statement of Other Duties Proviso: The information contained in this job description is not intended to be an all-inclusive list of duties and responsibilities, skills and abilities, or other listed requirements. Management may, at its discretion, assign, reassign, or add additional duties and responsibilities to this job at any time. The duties and responsibilities in this job description may be subject to change at any time due to reasonable accommodation or other reasons.   Full-Time/Part-Time Full-Time   Position AVP, IT Portfolio Management   Exempt/Non-Exempt Exempt   About the Organization National Western Life provides high quality insurance products on a global basis to meet the financial security needs of well-defined market segments. We provide professional and friendly service to our policyholders and agents and are responsive to the needs of our employees, shareholders and the community.   EOE Statement We are an equal employment opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status or any other characteristic protected by law.   This position is currently not accepting applications. 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