Sr. Dir., Portfolio Management (Connected Customer Experience/PMO)

ServiceNow•Santa Clara, CA

3d•Remote

About The Position

The Portfolio Leader is a senior leadership role within the newly elevated, value-oriented PMO. This individual oversees a portfolio of strategic programs and projects aligned to the Digital Technology (DT) leader for Connected Customer Experience (CCx). This individual leads a team of Program and Project Managers, engages directly with senior leaders in the portfolio as well as their stakeholders, and ensures delivery efforts are tightly aligned to organizational value, business outcomes, and executive priorities. This role goes beyond traditional project oversight. The Portfolio Leader is a strategic advisor and partner to business and technology stakeholders, a coach and mentor to the delivery team, and a champion for portfolio-level thinking that connects day-to-day execution to long-term organizational goals. The PMO is evolving from a coordination and reporting function into a high-impact, value-delivery engine. The Portfolio Leader is central to this transformation as it owns portfolio health, driving delivery excellence, and ensuring that every program and project under their purview earns its place based on strategic value and measurable outcomes.

Requirements

12+ years of progressive experience in enterprise large-scale ($10B+) program/project management, portfolio management, or delivery leadership.
Extensive experience working cross-functionally in a highly complex enterprise customer experience/success product portfolio.
5+ years of experience leading and developing teams of project or program professionals.
Demonstrated track record of managing complex, multi-workstream portfolios with competing priorities.
Strong command of portfolio governance, risk management, and value delivery frameworks.
Exceptional communication and stakeholder management skills, including executive-level presentations.
Experience in PMO transformation, operating model design, or delivery excellence initiatives.
PMP, PgMP, or equivalent certification.

Nice To Haves

Experience in a value-oriented or product-led PMO environment.
Familiarity with OKR frameworks, benefits realization management, or strategic portfolio management tools.
Agile / SAFe certification or demonstrated experience in hybrid delivery environments.
MBA or advanced degree in Business, Technology, or a related field.

Responsibilities

Act as a strategic advisor to executives, providing guidance on investments and reporting on portfolio status, risks, and issues.
Ensure all projects and programs align with and support the company's overall mission and long-term business goals as well as that of Digital Technology (DT) and the portfolio.
Own the end-to-end health and performance of a defined portfolio of programs and projects.
Maintain a clear line of sight between portfolio activity and organizational strategy, OKRs, and value targets.
Establish and enforce portfolio governance standards, prioritization frameworks, and stage-gate processes.
Guide the process for evaluating, prioritizing, and approving new initiatives, and support maintenance of the overall portfolio roadmap.
Lead portfolio-level risk identification, interdependency mapping, and escalation pathways.
Track and report on portfolio performance, key performance indicators (KPIs), and other metrics to guide data-enabled outcomes for the executive team.
Present portfolio status, health, and value realization to senior leadership and executive stakeholders.
Partner with the portfolio leadership team on capital planning, budget allocation, and resource management to ensure investments deliver maximum business value and ROI.
Lead, coach, and develop a team of Program Managers and Project Managers (both ServiceNow FTEs and contingent workers).
Set clear performance expectations and provide ongoing feedback, mentorship, and career development support.
Foster a high-trust, outcome-focused team culture that values accountability, learning, and continuous improvement.
Manage team capacity and allocation across the portfolio, balancing workload with delivery quality.
Identify capability gaps and partner with the PMO leadership to build team competency over time.
Ensure programs and projects are delivered on time, within budget, and with measurable impact on business outcomes.
Drive adoption of value-focused delivery practices, including benefits tracking, value KPIs, and outcome-based reporting.
Champion a shift from activity-based reporting (status/milestones) to value-based reporting (outcomes/impact).
Continuously evaluate portfolio ROI and recommend rebalancing, acceleration, or decommissioning of initiatives.
Serve as the primary escalation point for portfolio-level and any relevant cross-functional program/project issues and stakeholder conflicts.
Build and sustain strong relationships with business owners, technology partners, and executive sponsors.
Enhance portfolio storytelling by translating complex portfolio dynamics into clear, executive-ready narratives and recommendations.
Facilitate and support portfolio reviews, steering committees, and investment decision forums that support continuous planning.
Contribute to the strategic evolution of the PMO, shaping maturity and delivery.
Identify and drive process improvements that increase delivery velocity, reduce friction, and improve team effectiveness.
Act as a role model for the elevated PMO operating model, demonstrating value-first delivery thinking.
Bring external best practices, emerging methodologies, and innovation to the PMO's approach.