Director-Project Portfolio Planning Office

Sound Transit•Seattle, WA

2h•$160,000 - $276,000•Hybrid

About The Position

This opportunity has a focus on evolving the IT project portfolio management office toward an agency aligned IT division that is customer-centric and service minded. Builds effective strategic relationships with other departments, while enabling the Project Portfolio Management team to deliver effective portfolio management, program management, and project management services, quality assurance services, and IT business controls at a time of rapid agency growth. This position reports to the Deputy Executive Director IT Business & Portfolio Management. With the DED, this position is responsible for a centralized services model representing IT programs and projects, quality assurance, and IT business controls, in alignment with business partners agency wide. This position is responsible for ensuring that the work of the Project Portfolio Management Office adds measurable business value, is relevant to the strategy of the organization, and meets the goals set by the ITLT. This role is responsible for standardizing and maintaining various methods and practices for project management and tracking and reporting the conformance of projects to plans and expectations. This position is tasked with setting, improving, and communicating project management standards, methodologies (waterfall and agile), and best practices; supporting and enabling the organization's projects, programs, and structured work efforts; and optimizing and managing the project management workforce and project resourcing.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Business Management, Information Systems, Engineering, or closely related field.
Eight years hands-on experience in senior level IT project/program positions; Or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
Six years of leadership, budgetary, planning and workforce management experience.
Enterprise Portfolio, Program & Project Strategy: Applies best practice portfolio, program, and project management principles to align initiatives with business strategy and maximize organizational value.
Aligns business and technology strategy by translating agency priorities into investment portfolios and delivery plans.
Demonstrates a strong understanding of IT organizational success factors and enterprise delivery challenges.
Understands applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations relevant to IT investment and delivery.
Governance, Controls & Performance Management: Leads development and maturation of governance, controls, and standards for portfolio, program, and project management.
Applies project control disciplines to manage scope, schedule, cost, risk, and quality across enterprise initiatives.
Drives performance measurement and transparency through defined metrics, reporting, and benefit realization practices.
Promotes continuous improvement across portfolio and delivery services.
Delivery Methods, Tools & Standards: Leads delivery using multiple methodologies and tools including PMBOK aligned practices, waterfall, agile, hybrid approaches, and systems such as ServiceNow & other SPM tools.
Establishes and maintains enterprise delivery standards and workflows to ensure consistency and predictability across initiatives.
Leadership, Stakeholder & Change Management: Builds and maintains effective working relationships with agency leadership, business partners, vendors, and external stakeholders.
Communicates complex portfolio and delivery information clearly and persuasively through strong written, verbal, and facilitation skills.
Leads organizational change and transformation by influencing outcomes, resolving conflicts, and removing delivery roadblocks.
Operates effectively under pressure while managing competing priorities and evolving demands.
Researches and evaluates new delivery methods and techniques to improve effectiveness and agency value.

Nice To Haves

Project Management Professional certification (PMP) or PgMP).

Responsibilities

Owns the product vision and outcomes by deeply understanding customer needs, business objectives, and user experience impacts.
Leads the IT Project Portfolio Management Office (PPMO) by providing enterprise oversight of portfolio, program, and project management services, quality assurance, and IT business controls.
Evolve portfolio, program, and project management capabilities by standardizing processes, strengthening controls, and maturing skills to improve delivery outcomes and business value.
Builds and sustains strategic partnerships across the agency to support cross‑department planning, demand alignment, and a customer‑centric, service‑oriented approach.
Aligns IT delivery with the System Expansion Implementation Program (SEIP) by ensuring IT initiatives are planned, resourced, and managed within the agency’s overall delivery framework.
Leads enterprise technology investment governance by aligning intake, demand, prioritization, and resourcing to ensure effective use of agency resources.
Develops and matures portfolio management practices to manage project selection, dependencies, and sequencing across strategic programs.
Establishes a culture of performance management and continuous improvement by defining metrics, monitoring outcomes, and refining portfolio and delivery services.
Defines and enforces project controls and quality assurance standards to ensure consistent management of scope, schedule, cost, risk, and resource utilization.
Provides executive‑level portfolio insight and reporting including backlog, status, risk, timelines, and financial performance to support informed decision‑making.
Leads and develops staff by coaching, training, motivating teams, and managing performance and employee relations.
Champions and models Sound Transit's core values and demonstrates values-based behaviors in everyday interactions across the agency.
Contributes to a culture of diversity, equity and inclusion in alignment with Sound Transit’s Equity & Inclusion Policy.
It is the responsibility of all employees to follow the Agency safety rules, regulations, and procedures pertaining to their assigned duties and responsibilities, which could include systems, operations, and/or other employees.
It is the responsibility of all employees to integrate sustainability into everyday business practices.
Other duties as assigned.

Benefits

Two choices of medical plans
Dental plan
Vision plan
Long-Term Disability and Life Insurance
Employee Assistance Program
401a – 10% of employee contribution with a 12% match by Sound Transit
457b – up to IRS maximum (employee only contribution)
25 days of paid time off annually with increases at four, eight and twelve years of service
Additional paid time off days for director level and up
12 paid holidays
Up to 2 paid floating holidays per year
Up to 2 paid volunteer days per year
12 weeks of parental leave for new parents
Pet Insurance
ORCA card for all full-time employees
Tuition Reimbursement: Sound Transit will pay up to $5,000 annually for approved tuition expenses.
Inclusive Reproductive Health Support Services
Competitive salaries based on market rates and internal equity
Work-life balance
Opportunities for professional development
Recognition from colleagues