Sr. Director, Project Services

Hitachi Solutions•Irvine, CA

5h•Remote

About The Position

The Senior Director, Project Services is a leadership role responsible for the strategic and operational oversight of Project Services organization. This role owns the Project Management discipline end-to-end, including people leadership, delivery standards, performance management, and capability development for all Project Managers. Reporting into the VP, Delivery Excellence & Operations, the Senior Director leads multiple Directors of Project Services, each responsible for a defined team of Project Managers. Through these leaders, the Senior Director ensures consistent, high-quality project delivery outcomes, strong customer satisfaction, and a scalable, sustainable Project Management practice. This role plays a critical part in advancing delivery excellence by driving consistency in methodology and execution, developing Project Management talent, and fostering a culture of accountability, continuous improvement, and client-centric delivery.

Requirements

Proven experience building, scaling, and leading a Project Management function within a professional services or technology delivery environment.
10+ years of experience in project delivery and people leadership, with demonstrated success leading large teams and multiple people managers.
PMP certification required
Strong leadership capability with a focus on coaching, mentoring, and developing high-performing teams.
Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to influence at senior and executive levels.
Deep understanding of project delivery governance, performance management, and portfolio-level oversight.
Strong analytical and organizational skills, with experience defining, tracking, and acting on delivery and utilization metrics.
Customer-centric mindset with a track record of driving consistent, high-quality delivery outcomes.
Strong technical skills with Project Management Tooling (Microsoft Project, Azure DevOps, or equivalent tools)

Nice To Haves

Candidates with PROSCI certification (or equivalent) preferred

Responsibilities

Provide strategic leadership for the Project Management team, with accountability for performance, engagement, development, and retention.
Lead, coach, and empower the Directors of Project Services, ensuring strong people leadership, clear accountability, and consistent management practices across all Project Managers.
Ensure effective career development planning, performance management, succession planning, and role clarity for Project Managers at all levels.
Partner with Human Resources to support effective hiring, onboarding, performance feedback, recognition, and corrective action where required.
Champion Hitachi Core Values to build a high-performing Project Services organization.
Own and oversee the mid-year and annual performance management process for Project Services.
Establish and maintain project management standards and best practices to ensure predictable, high-quality delivery outcomes.
Ensure consistent application of delivery methodologies, controls, and reporting across the project portfolio.
Drive a strong customer-first mindset across the PM community through coaching, mentoring, and feedback via the Directors.
Provide senior oversight and escalation support for at-risk or complex projects, ensuring timely intervention and recovery.
Work closely with the Governance team to ensure compliance within the defined parameters and drive timely execution for action required by the Project Services team.
Partner closely with Delivery Go-to-Market, the Domain, and Sales to align Project Services with broader delivery and business objectives.
Partner with the Americas Resourcing Group to support centralized staffing, utilization management, and capacity planning for Project Managers.
Collaborate with GDC Global Development Centre and regional leaders to optimize staffing models and ensure the right PM capabilities are aligned to project demand.
Ensure appropriate workforce planning to balance utilization, employee well-being, and delivery quality.
Track key metrics for Project Services, including utilization, project health and delivery performance.
Hold Team accountable for driving action on key metrics, PM performance, upskilling, certifications, and development goals.
Own Project Services performance reporting, including regular Rhythm of the Business (ROB) reporting.
Use data-driven insights to identify trends, risks, and improvement opportunities across the project portfolio.
Lead and contribute to initiatives that advance delivery excellence, operational maturity, and scalability of the Project Services function.
Act as a thought leader for Project Management within the organization, continuously improving tools, processes, and ways of working.
Support organizational change initiatives related to delivery transformation, growth, and innovation.