IT Director - Strategy & Portfolio Management

Abbott Laboratories•Alameda, CA

About The Position

Abbott is a global healthcare leader that helps people live more fully at all stages of life. Our portfolio of life-changing technologies spans the spectrum of healthcare, with leading businesses and products in diagnostics, medical devices, nutritionals and branded generic medicines. Our 114,000 colleagues serve people in more than 160 countries. According to the World Health Organization, approximately 422 million people have diabetes today, and by 2045, the number is projected to rise to 700 million people. The Abbott Diabetes Care FreeStyle Libre continuous glucose monitor (CGM) sensor and customer experience deliver patient-centered solutions and empathetic experiences critical to helping people with diabetes understand how to manage their disease-state and live life to the fullest. The IT Director of Strategy, Portfolio Management & Governance will play a critical leadership role in shaping and executing the strategic direction of Abbott Diabetes Care (ADC) IT. This role partners closely with the ADC IT leadership team to : Provide thought leadership in developing and evolving a strategic IT framework aligned with ADC's business strategy, including business capability mapping and long-range planning (LRP). Oversee the ADC IT portfolio—ensuring delivery performance, value realization, and capacity alignment—in collaboration with IT Business Relationship Managers. Lead and refine governance processes that provide senior business leaders with visibility into application health and portfolio performance, enabling informed investment decisions. Drive enterprise-wide training, collaboration, and continuous improvement initiatives to enhance IT effectiveness and engagement. Identify and apply external benchmarking and competitive insights to fuel innovation and deliver differentiated value to both internal and external stakeholders.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in computer science, business administration, or a related field relevant to healthcare, or equivalent experience.
10-12 years of IT experience in large or mid-sized multinational organizations.
Deep expertise in IT strategy, portfolio management, and governance.
Proven leadership of direct and indirect teams, with a track record of delivering clear, actionable feedback.
Strong organizational and program governance skills; experienced in managing portfolios ranging from $5M-$20M.
Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including executive-level presentations.
Solid understanding of IT, financial planning, and business operations.
Skilled at navigating organizational structures and influencing through formal and informal channels.
Effective collaborator across all management levels, including DVPs and Division Presidents.
Business-savvy with the ability to align IT initiatives with strategic goals and drive innovation for internal and external stakeholders.

Nice To Haves

Track record and business knowledge in diagnostics, pharmaceutical or medical device industry
7+ years or more of project/program management
Business Relationship Management experience
Certifications in PMP, Lean Six Sigma, BRM

Responsibilities

Strategic Planning & Leadership Lead the development and annual refresh of the ADC IT strategic framework and long-range planning (LRP) roadmaps, ensuring alignment with business goals and anticipation of risks and trends.
Define adaptive, outcome-oriented portfolio strategies that balance control and autonomy to drive measurable business outcomes.
Effectively communicate and embed strategic direction across IT Business Relationship Managers and leadership.
Portfolio Governance & Value Delivery Drive monthly governance processes and metrics to assess portfolio and application health, enabling data-driven investment prioritization.
Prioritize portfolio demand based on business value and strategic alignment.
Track and communicate portfolio value, risk, and cost to ensure transparency and accountability in execution.
Prepare executive-level portfolio and application health reports for senior management.
Program Execution & Resource Optimization Execute strategic programs using both traditional and adaptive methodologies to deliver cross-functional business outcomes.
Forecast, allocate, and adjust finite resources to meet evolving portfolio demands through effective capacity planning.
Leverage technology to optimize portfolio management and enable continuous, autonomous delivery.
Communication & Stakeholder Engagement Establish a consistent communication framework to inform stakeholders of enterprise-wide IT initiatives (e.g., tech debt, infrastructure upgrades, SaaS policies, audits).
Provide portfolio insights in business updates and ensure alignment across business units.
Innovation, Benchmarking & Capability Building Identify and evaluate external benchmarking and competitive analysis opportunities to drive innovation, cost optimization, and revenue growth.
Lead technology-enabled process improvement initiatives to enhance efficiency and data visualization.
Partner with IT leadership to deploy new capabilities that standardize communication and improve adoption (e.g., financial planning, ROI training).
Organizational Development & Leadership Lead and develop a high-performing team through clear expectations, coaching, feedback, and performance management.
Foster a collaborative, high-morale environment and champion change and innovation with a global perspective.
Develop staffing and sourcing strategies to meet long-term business needs and ensure organizational effectiveness.
Operational Excellence & Compliance Coordinate the annual IT training, collaboration, and communication plan in partnership with the leadership team.
Oversee business continuity planning, including Business Continuity Plans, Business Impact Assessments, and Disaster Recovery Plans.
Collaborate with Divisional IT, Corporate IT, external partners, and customers to ensure timely and effective service delivery.
Act as Business Relationship Manager on cross-divisional initiatives to identify synergies and efficiencies.
Proactively manage issues, risks, and decisions to ensure timely resolution and compliance with corporate and divisional policies.