Head of Data Transformation & Portfolio Operations

Vanguard•Malvern, PA

2d•Hybrid

About The Position

This role leads the end-to-end enterprise portfolio operations function, ensuring visibility, prioritization, and alignment across programs, data initiatives, and transformation efforts. It involves establishing and maintaining portfolio governance frameworks, scorecards, and KPIs to support strategic decision-making. The position drives the cadence for portfolio planning, quarterly business reviews, dependency management, and delivery health, while also identifying and escalating delivery risks, resource gaps, and critical interdependencies across teams. Additionally, the role champions the enterprise data transformation strategy, connecting data initiatives to business value and partnering with Data, Technology, and Business leaders to ensure effective prioritization, sequencing, and execution of data programs. It supports the alignment of architecture, analytics, engineering, and governance initiatives within the broader transformation portfolio and drives communication and change adoption for data transformation across the organization. The role also analyzes and optimizes cross-functional processes, workflows, and operating models for speed, quality, and scalability, leading reengineering efforts to reduce operational friction and increase efficiency. It develops standardized playbooks, operating rhythms, and frameworks to drive consistency and implements metrics, automation opportunities, and insights to continuously improve operational performance. Furthermore, the Head of Data Transformation & Portfolio Operations serves as a trusted advisor to senior leadership, leading strategic planning cycles, preparing executive-level materials, and coordinating cross-functional alignment. The role also assesses organizational structure, roles, and capabilities, recommending improvements and driving initiatives that support culture-building, leadership alignment, workforce planning, and talent development.

Requirements

Minimum of eight years related work experience.
Undergraduate degree or equivalent combination of training and experience.
Strategic thinker who can balance long-term vision with operational execution.
Highly collaborative with strong relationship-building skills.
Comfortable serving as a connector across business, data, and technology domains.
Proactive, resourceful, and able to bring clarity to ambiguous situations.
Passionate about operational excellence, continuous improvement, and driving measurable impact.

Nice To Haves

Graduate degree preferred.

Responsibilities

Lead the end‑to‑end enterprise portfolio operations function, ensuring visibility, prioritization, and alignment across programs, data initiatives, and transformation efforts.
Establish and maintain portfolio governance frameworks, scorecards, and KPIs to support strategic decision‑making.
Drive cadence for portfolio planning, quarterly business reviews, dependency management, and delivery health.
Identify and escalate delivery risks, resource gaps, and critical interdependencies across teams.
Champion enterprise data transformation strategy and connect data initiatives to business value.
Partner with Data, Technology, and Business leaders to ensure data programs are prioritized, sequenced, and executed effectively.
Support alignment of architecture, analytics, engineering, and governance initiatives within the broader transformation portfolio.
Drive communication and change adoption for data transformation across the organization.
Analyze and optimize cross‑functional processes, workflows, and operating models for speed, quality, and scalability.
Lead process reengineering efforts to reduce operational friction and increase efficiency.
Develop standardized playbooks, operating rhythms, and frameworks to drive consistency across teams.
Implement metrics, automation opportunities, and insights to continuously improve operational performance.
Serve as a trusted advisor to senior leadership, ensuring organizational focus, alignment, and execution discipline.
Lead strategic planning cycles, including annual planning, KPI development, and leadership offsites.
Prepare executive‑level materials including board updates, strategy reviews, and leadership communications.
Coordinate cross‑functional alignment and ensure accountability across senior stakeholders.
Assess organizational structure, roles, and capabilities; recommend improvements to enhance effectiveness and efficiency.
Drive initiatives that support culture-building, leadership alignment, workforce planning, and talent development.
Facilitate clear communication channels, decision-making structures, and cross-functional collaboration.