Lead Project Controls Manager - Value Management

Amtrak

12d•$103,700 - $134,460•Remote

About The Position

Drive value optimization initiatives across the organization by leading cross-functional teams to analyze, develop, and implement strategies that maximize business value, improve efficiency, and enhance overall performance. The role supports value management across Digital Technology (DT) portfolios through governance, Lean Portfolio Management practices, roadmap and demand management, portfolio-level objectives and key results, and value reporting. The manager partners with delivery and project teams to oversee risks, issues, dependencies, constraints, controls, and governance evidence. The role also supports portfolio-wide value management frameworks and tools, analyzes financial, operational, and risk data, helps prioritize investments, tracks value realization, and communicates insights to leadership. The position leads a team through the hybrid governance and compliance environment while promoting continuous improvement and adoption of lean processes. The position is remote optional, with travel requirements of up to 25%. Relocation is not offered. The listed salary range is $103,700–$134,460, with possible geo-pay differentials and incentive programs. Amtrak describes a range of health, retirement, leave, family-support, education, and other benefits.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree or an equivalent combination of education, training, and/or relevant experience.
At least 6 years of relevant work experience.
SAFe 6.0 Lean Portfolio Management (LPM) certification.
Strong understanding of project controls, financial management, investment oversight, and portfolio governance in a complex enterprise environment.
Experience establishing portfolio governance guardrails and controls that balance financial stewardship and portfolio assurance with lean decision-making and value realization.
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
Excellent communication skills for stakeholder engagement and cross-functional collaboration.
Ability to translate complex data into clear, actionable insights.
Understanding of Lean Portfolio Management principles and value optimization strategies.
Ability to support training and adoption of portfolio management best practices.
Strong accountability for maintaining standards, governance, and deliverable quality.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent combination of education, training, and/or relevant experience, plus 8 years of relevant work experience.
6–9 years of experience implementing lean practices or Lean Portfolio Management.
SAFe 6.0 Program Consultant certification.
EBAS certification.
Agility Health Radar experience.

Responsibilities

Partner with delivery teams to identify, track, and escalate cross-portfolio risks, issues, dependencies, and constraints, ensuring clear ownership and timely resolution.
Monitor minimum governance and control requirements across initiatives, tailoring oversight based on investment size, complexity, risk, and strategic importance.
Maintain governance evidence, decision records, and control documentation to support compliance, audit readiness, and leadership transparency.
Identify key portfolio-level business and engineering Objectives and Key Results (OKRs).
Initiate and advance Lean Portfolio Management practices in the DT portfolio using experience and proven practices.
Support the Director of Lean Portfolio Management in strategic management of Value Management demand and the roadmap.
Partner with the DPM team on Portfolio Roadmap and EPIC OKR adoption and a monthly value dashboard for value streams.
Implement Portfolio Kanban from ideation through implementation for portfolio-level demand.
Help identify the VMO team and train best practices across DT portfolios.
Lead a team through the hybrid governance and compliance environment, maintaining good standing while improving and driving lean processes.
Support development and maintenance of portfolio-wide value management frameworks and tools.
Conduct financial, operational, and risk analyses to assess value across projects and programs.
Collaborate with project teams and stakeholders to identify opportunities for value enhancement.
Assist with prioritizing projects based on strategic value, ROI, and resource constraints.
Track and report key performance indicators related to portfolio value realization.
Prepare analyses, dashboards, and reports to communicate portfolio value insights to leadership.
Contribute to continuous improvement of value management processes and practices.
Stay informed about best practices and industry trends in value management and portfolio optimization.