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
• Demonstrated experience establishing or maturing a PMO from a tactical to a strategic function
• Demonstrated experience in personnel management
• Ability to work with cross-functional global teams
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills and proven ability to work effectively with all organizational levels
• Ability to effectively prioritize and execute tasks in a high-pressure environment is crucial
• Strong business and financial acumen, with experience in business case development, ROI analysis, and benefits realization
• Ability to facilitate relations between business groups and technology departments
• Experience working both independently and in a team-oriented, collaborative environment is essential
• Excellent communication skills with both internal and external customers
• Experience working in Microsoft Office suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.)

Working Conditions and Physical Demands

N/A | Occasionally = up to 20% | Frequently = 21% to 50% | Constantly = at least 51%

Working Environment

• N/A - Exposed to unpleasant or disagreeable physical environments such as high noise level, strong odors, and/or exposure to heat and cold
• N/A - Exposed to bio hazardous conditions
• N/A - Exposed to toxic or caustic chemicals which mandate attention to safety considerations
• N/A - Exposed to Electrical hazards; risk of electrical shock
• N/A - Handles or works with potentially dangerous equipment
• Frequently - Travels to offsite locations
• N/A - OTHER: N/A

Physical Demands

• Constantly - Must be able to remain in a stationary position (Sit)
• Constantly - Must be able to move about inside/outside office or work location (Walk)
• Constantly - Operates a computer and other office machinery (Use hands to finger, handle or feel)
• N/A - Must be able to position one's self to maintain computers in the lab, including under desks and in the server closet (Stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl)
• N/A - Must be able to ascend/descend on a ladder (Climb or balance)
• Constantly - Must be able to use senses to; effectively communicate with co-workers and clients and detect hazardous conditions (Talk, hear, taste, smell)

Weight and Force Demands

• Occasionally - Up to 10 pounds
• Occasionally - Up to 25 pounds
• N/A - Up to 50 pounds
• N/A - Up to 100 pounds
• N/A - More than 100 pounds

The information contained in this job description is intended to describe the essential job functions required of those assigned to this job. It is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to perform the job. Please note that management retains the right to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this job at any time. The ability to competently perform all the essential duties of the position, with or without reasonable accommodation, demonstrated commitment to effective customer service delivery, integrity, and the ability to work productively as a member of a team or work group are basic requirements of all positions at Darling Ingredients.

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