Director, PMO

Western Growers Family of Companies•Irvine, CA

1d•Remote

About The Position

Part of the Western Growers Family of Companies, Western Growers Assurance Trust (WGAT) was founded in 1957 to provide employer-sponsored health benefit plans for the agricultural community. WGAT is the largest provider of health benefits for the agriculture industry, headquartered in Irvine, California. Its mission is to deliver value to agriculture-based employer groups by offering robust health plans that meet the needs of a diverse workforce. The Director, PMO position reports directly to the Vice President of Key Accounts and will manage a Project Management Office (PMO) of project management professionals. This role facilitates the completion of various large-scale programs, technical & operational projects, and new product offerings or business lines by coordinating multiple project teams. The Director will manage a portfolio of complex initiatives spanning multiple lines of business, establish best project practices, templates, and tools to mature the organization's project capabilities, increasing efficiency, boosting productivity, and achieving project and business goals. This position will have 5-7 direct reports including Project Specialists, Project Managers, Business Analysts, and Change Management professionals.

Requirements

Project Management Professional (PMP)
5+ years’ experience implementing and overseeing programs, projects, new business lines, and product offerings.
Experience leading, motivating, and managing various project and program team sizes, including internal and external resources, while holding the team accountable for performance.
Knowledge of Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) rules and regulations.
Deep subject matter expertise in managing a complex portfolio encompassing both formalized programs, projects, and out-of-cycle requests.
Proven ability to manage a project portfolio, ensuring successful delivery on time, within budget, and meeting defined success criteria, while establishing clear goals and accountabilities.
Demonstrated expertise in developing project plans, allocating resources, identifying potential risks/issues, and creating effective contingency plans.
Strong knowledge of the integrated systems lifecycle development utilizing different - and sometimes - multiple development models (e.g., agile, waterfall, hybrid, etc.).
Significant experience in developing comprehensive performance measures and metrics by which to assess program and project performance, looking at the organization's objectives and strategies, cost/spend data, quality, schedule, resources, return on investment, and other measurement variables.
Leads performance review engagements.
Advanced computer skills in Microsoft Office Suite and project management software.
Excellent leadership, communication (written, verbal, and presentation), and interpersonal skills.
High business and project management acumen to exploit best practices and yield results.
Internet access provided by a cable or fiber provider with 40 MB download and 10 MB upload speeds.
Home router with wired Ethernet (wireless connections and hotspots are not permitted).
A designated room for your office or steps taken to protect company information (e.g., facing computer towards wall, etc.).
A functioning smoke detector, fire extinguisher, and first aid kit on site.

Nice To Haves

BA/ BS degree (or higher) in business administration, Information Technology, Project Management, or a related field and 10 years of experience managing project functions with progressive responsibility
TPA organization or employer health benefits experience

Responsibilities

Develop, manage, and lead a team of 3A+ self-accountable professionals.
Develop a culture of authentic, personal accountability by modeling the behavior that defines it.
Instill a culture of safety and expectation within your respective area/s.
Require direct reports to hold themselves accountable to high performance standards and personal conduct in a clear, helpful, straightforward way.
Conduct one-on-one conversations with every direct report quarterly focused on their 3A+ capabilities, impact, and effort.
Make decisions and choices, impacting staff, using the steps outlined in the “Outward Mindset Skills for Leaders” guide.
Develop and implement KPIs and other metrics to monitor the health and performance of the project portfolio.
Lead the development of a project management strategy that advances organizational growth, operational excellence, and competitive positioning.
Integrate project management practices into the organization's overall strategic planning process to drive business growth and competitiveness.
Develop and oversee the project portfolio strategy, prioritizing projects based on their alignment with business objectives, return on investment, and strategic impact.
Ensure that project budgets align with broader financial goals, creating efficient capital deployment to support both current and future organizational needs.
Forecast future resource needs based on the strategic project pipeline and develop plans to meet those needs.
Oversee large, often cross-functional organization-wide projects or initiatives by bringing together multiple stakeholders to help drive decisions.
Ensure that evaluation systems are in place related to the company and departmental goals.
Work with internal and external teams to collect relevant data, coordinate and execute required analysis, develop, report progress, and make recommendations to Executive leadership and project stakeholders.
Conduct project evaluations to seek to improve project performance and outcomes.
Act as a trusted advisor to the executive team, communicating critical project insights that shape decision-making at the highest levels.
Foster strategic partnerships across departments, ensuring cross-functional alignment and collaboration on shared organizational goals.
Utilize all capabilities to satisfy one mission — to enhance the competitiveness and profitability of our members.
Do everything possible to help members succeed by being curious and striving to understand what others are trying to achieve, planning, and executing work helpfully and collaboratively.
Be willing to adjust efforts to ensure that work and attitude are helpful to others, be self-accountable, create a positive impact, and be diligent in delivering results.
Maintain a valid Project Management Professional certification.
Maintain internet speed of 40 MB download and 10 MB upload and router with wired Ethernet.
Maintain a HIPAA-compliant workstation and utilize appropriate security techniques to ensure HIPAA-required protection of all confidential/protected client data.
Maintain and service safety equipment (e.g., smoke detector, fire extinguisher, first aid kit).
All other duties as assigned.