Director, Project and Portfolio Management

Darling Ingredients•Irving, TX

1d•Onsite

About The Position

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.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Information Systems, Information Technology, Computer Science or equivalent experience
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

Nice To Haves

MBA preferred
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.)

Responsibilities

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