Director, PMO - Store Development

The Gap•Folsom, CA

About The Position

About the Role The Director of PMO serves as the strategic integrator for Store Development—aligning vision, data, and cross-functional expertise to deliver an annual portfolio of capital investments. This leader applies advanced problem solving, sharp critical thinking, and strong self-starting leadership to steer complex programs through governance, influence senior decision-makers, and elevate operational excellence across Creative, Design Development, Architecture, and Construction. What You'll Do Portfolio & Pipeline Leadership Lead the end-to-end pipeline operating rhythm, integrating milestones, risks, resources, and dependencies into a unified portfolio view. Synthesize complex operational and financial data into clear, compelling CFO/CEO/Board-level updates. Apply critical thinking to evaluate scenarios, assess tradeoffs, and guide strategic prioritization. Governance & Investment Decisioning Drive structured decision-making across L1–L4 REC governance, ensuring clarity, rigor, and transparency. Evaluate ambiguous information using structured problem-solving frameworks to guide investment recommendations. Operate independently, proactively identifying risks, surfacing insights, and removing barriers. Program & Milestone Management Oversee cross-functional program milestones and ensure Creative and Design Development deliverables align to store build schedules. Validate business-case assumptions and timeline dependencies using analytical reasoning and scenario modeling. Translate strategy into actionable plans and lead improvements to throughput, rework reduction, and variance control. Executive Communication & Insights Create executive-ready presentations that simplify complex concepts for VP+ audiences. Develop data-driven "what-if" analyses to support strategic decision-making. Represent Store Development with clarity, confidence, and compelling insight in executive forums. High-Profile Projects Independently lead complex, high-visibility initiatives with strong ownership of outcomes. Use thoughtful storytelling to articulate progress, risks, and decisions to senior stakeholders. Leadership & Core Competencies Critical Thinking: Identifies root causes, challenges assumptions, and evaluates long-term implications of decisions. Problem Solving: Applies structured frameworks to resolve ambiguity, anticipate downstream impacts, and design scalable solutions. Self-Starter Leadership: Operates with autonomy, initiates action without prompting, and models accountability and follow-through. Cross-Functional Influence: Builds alignment across functions and drives clarity and momentum in complex environments. Executive Communication: Tailors insights for VP+ audiences and delivers succinct, data-backed recommendations.

Requirements

12+ years of progressive experience in Program, Project, or Portfolio Management, including 6+ years leading PMO teams or managing leaders in a complex, cross-functional environment.
Deep understanding of Store Development disciplines—Real Estate, Architecture, Design Development, Creative, and Construction—with the ability to connect strategy to execution.
Exceptional critical thinking skills with the ability to break down ambiguous problems, identify root causes, and evaluate multiple solution paths using structured analytical methods.
Advanced problem-solving capability, including scenario modeling, risk evaluation, and synthesis of complex data into clear, actionable insights for executives.
Self-starter with strong ownership—able to independently drive strategies, decisions, and deliverables with minimal oversight while holding self and others accountable.
Demonstrated ability to influence and build alignment across diverse, senior-level stakeholders; skilled at navigating competing priorities and shaping decisions without authority.
Strong executive communication skills, capable of distilling complexity into crisp, compelling narratives for VP+, CFO, CEO, and Board audiences.
Expertise in governance frameworks (REC L1–L4 or equivalent), portfolio reporting, and operating rhythms, with experience implementing scalable, repeatable PMO processes.

Responsibilities

Lead the end-to-end pipeline operating rhythm, integrating milestones, risks, resources, and dependencies into a unified portfolio view.
Synthesize complex operational and financial data into clear, compelling CFO/CEO/Board-level updates.
Apply critical thinking to evaluate scenarios, assess tradeoffs, and guide strategic prioritization.
Drive structured decision-making across L1–L4 REC governance, ensuring clarity, rigor, and transparency.
Evaluate ambiguous information using structured problem-solving frameworks to guide investment recommendations.
Operate independently, proactively identifying risks, surfacing insights, and removing barriers.
Oversee cross-functional program milestones and ensure Creative and Design Development deliverables align to store build schedules.
Validate business-case assumptions and timeline dependencies using analytical reasoning and scenario modeling.
Translate strategy into actionable plans and lead improvements to throughput, rework reduction, and variance control.
Create executive-ready presentations that simplify complex concepts for VP+ audiences.
Develop data-driven "what-if" analyses to support strategic decision-making.
Represent Store Development with clarity, confidence, and compelling insight in executive forums.
Independently lead complex, high-visibility initiatives with strong ownership of outcomes.
Use thoughtful storytelling to articulate progress, risks, and decisions to senior stakeholders.