Application Portfolio Manager

Stefanini Group•Deerfield, IL

17h•Onsite

About The Position

Stefanini Group is hiring! Stefanini is looking for an Application Portfolio Manager in Deerfield, IL. As the Sr. Consultant, you'll lead the Application Rationalization Team (ART). You'll be responsible for driving decision-ready application portfolio outcomes across the client's enterprise. Operating within ATLAS (Application & Technology Lifecycle Advisory Services), the ART Lead partners with Procurement, Security, Infrastructure, and Business Owners to map the full contractual application landscape, analyze utilization, identify overlapping capabilities, and drive strategic consolidation. This role leads time-boxed rationalization sprints that produce clear disposition decisions, not analysis artifacts.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in an Information Technology discipline or equivalent experience.
10+ years of experience in enterprise architecture, application portfolio management, and/or IT strategy, with a proven track record of delivering application rationalization at enterprise scale.
Strong understanding of rationalization frameworks (Gartner TIME or equivalent disposition models) and experience applying them in large-scale enterprise environments.
Demonstrated expertise in TCO analysis, business value scoring, and multi-dimensional application assessment across large application portfolios (500+ applications).
Demonstrated ability to collaborate constructively and negotiate effectively across global lines of business and user bases.
Experience partnering with Procurement on licensing optimization, vendor consolidation, and contract alignment.
Strong working knowledge of enterprise portfolio tooling (e.g., ServiceNow APM/CMDB).
Experience managing or directing globally distributed team members.
Excellent communication skills, with the ability to distill complex application landscapes into one-page, decision-ready recommendations and effectively collaborate with cross-functional teams, business stakeholders, and executive leadership.
Proven ability to work in a fast-paced, dynamic environment with a strong focus on delivering results within time-boxed sprint constraints.

Nice To Haves

Experience in large-scale IT transformation, separation (TSA), or carve-out programs.
TOGAF or equivalent enterprise architecture experience.
Knowledge of cloud migration assessment frameworks (6R model) as they relate to disposition decisions.

Responsibilities

Lead 2-week ART sprints through four phases: Discovery (app landscape mapping), Rationalization (cost, contract, overlap, and risk analysis), Disposition Decision, and Actionability Assessment.
Assign each in-scope application a disposition: Keep & Invest, Contain, Consolidate, Replace, or Retire.
Enforce non-negotiable exit criteria for every sprint: documented disposition, named owner, clear next step (Execute / Defer / Close), and recorded assumptions and risks.
Measure sprint velocity by decisions completed, not applications touched.
Partner with Procurement to map the full contractual application landscape, including licensing, renewals, and vendor consolidation opportunities.
Analyze application portfolios across cost (license + support + infra), utilization, functional overlap, risk posture, and contractual position.
Enrich CMDB with application lifecycle data and maintain inventory accuracy.
Identify consolidation candidates and feed the debt remediation team's execution pipeline.
Work with application owners and business stakeholders across client's global operations to validate facts, assumptions, and business impact.
Drive alignment on difficult disposition decisions, particularly where organizational attachment conflicts with portfolio health.
Present concise, defensible recommendations to leadership, governance forums, and Architecture Review Boards (ARBs).
Participate in weekly intake triage: classify and route work to ART pipeline, DART queue, delegated decision, or backlog.
Contribute to the maturation of ATLAS intake processes, sprint cadence, and rationalization patterns.
Help establish application lifecycle standards across the enterprise.
Support ATLAS reporting on portfolio health metrics, rationalization velocity, and cost avoidance.