Senior Director, Institutional Initiatives Portfolio Management

Job description

**This position is listed on behalf of a partner company, which manages all applications and next steps. Our partner is looking for a Senior Director, Institutional Initiatives Portfolio Management based in the United States.** The Senior Director will provide strategic leadership for a portfolio of high-impact institutional initiatives, overseeing projects from initial planning through implementation and delivery. This role partners with executive sponsors and cross-functional stakeholders to translate strategic priorities into actionable plans and measurable outcomes. Leading a team of experienced project managers, the successful candidate will drive effective governance, resource coordination, risk management, and accountability across complex initiatives. Working closely with change management and process improvement teams, the role will help ensure organizational readiness, stakeholder engagement, and sustainable adoption of new processes. The position requires an experienced leader who can navigate a complex, matrixed environment, facilitate executive decision-making, and maintain visibility into project progress and results. This is a senior-level opportunity offering a mostly remote working arrangement, with a strong focus on institutional impact and operational excellence. ### Accountabilities - Lead the planning, coordination, management, and delivery of approved institutional initiatives sponsored by executive leadership, ensuring alignment with strategic objectives and intended outcomes. - Translate strategic vision and desired results into actionable implementation plans, project milestones, deliverables, and resource requirements. - Partner with executive sponsors and stakeholders across project management, information technology, academic units, and administrative functions to coordinate priorities and facilitate effective decision-making. - Lead and support a team of experienced project managers, providing oversight of project governance, schedules, resources, risks, dependencies, progress, and outcomes. - Establish clear project plans, executive-level status reports, presentations, and communication processes to maintain transparency and accountability throughout delivery. - Collaborate with change management and process improvement leaders to assess business process impacts, stakeholder needs, organizational readiness, and implementation requirements. - Ensure project-related changes are effectively communicated, adopted, and sustained, while supporting the realization of intended benefits. - Identify and resolve delivery challenges, manage competing priorities, and maintain momentum across multiple concurrent initiatives. - Build consensus among diverse stakeholders and ensure effective collaboration between technical and functional teams. - Provide executive sponsors with clear visibility into project status, emerging risks, decisions required, and overall delivery performance. ### Requirements - Bachelor's degree required; a master's degree is preferred. - At least 10 years of demonstrated experience leading a project management team or working within a consulting or Project Management Office (PMO) organization. - Experience operating in a complex, matrixed environment and collaborating with stakeholders across different organizational levels. - Strong understanding of project management methodologies, project plans, lifecycle deliverables, executive reporting, and implementation planning. - Demonstrated ability to translate strategic objectives into structured, actionable plans and manage complex portfolios, programs, or projects. - Excellent analytical, strategic planning, and problem-solving skills, with the ability to manage multiple initiatives in fast-paced, high-pressure environments. - Strong written, verbal, and presentation skills, including the ability to adapt communication styles to different audiences and seniority levels. - Proven ability to build consensus, engage diverse teams, and work effectively with technical and functional stakeholders to achieve shared objectives. - Knowledge of IT project planning and solution development, including defining objectives, planning lifecycle deliverables, assessing resource availability, and evaluating technical solutions. - At least two years of higher education experience is preferred. - Seven or more years of experience in a consulting organization is preferred. - A demonstrated track record of successful portfolio, program, and project management is preferred, particularly supporting senior leadership in higher education, government, or nonprofit organizations. ### Benefits - Annual base salary: USD $220,000–$260,000. This range is published for the position in New York City and may not apply uniformly to other US locations. - Mostly remote work arrangement: Remote work for more than 60% of the time. - Full-time employment. - Compensation offers may consider the scope of responsibilities, relevant experience, education, skills, internal equity, and market conditions. - The stated salary range covers base pay only and excludes potential incentives, bonuses, or other additional compensation. - No specific healthcare benefits, retirement plans, paid leave provisions, or additional perks were detailed in the provided posting.