VP, Portfolio and Program Delivery
About The Position
Happen Bank is seeking a Vice President to lead the Portfolio and Technical Program Management team responsible for turning Product and Engineering strategy into delivered outcomes. The role is accountable for improving reliability, predictability, and transparency across delivery practices and supports strategic initiatives across the company. It requires both detailed delivery oversight and the ability to explain trade-offs to executives. The VP owns the end-to-end Product and Engineering portfolio view, aligning investment, capacity, and priorities. The role establishes consistent planning, sizing, cost estimation, tracking, reporting, escalation, and operating practices; supports Product and Engineering PI planning; and personally leads selected high-priority, cross-functional projects. It also owns the Internally Developed Software (IDSW) control framework in partnership with Finance. The VP builds and develops a high-performing team of Portfolio Delivery Leads and Technical Program Managers, and serves as a trusted partner to senior leaders across Product, Engineering, and the broader business. The role is based in San Francisco under a hybrid model, with in-office attendance Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. Remote placement will not be considered. The position primarily follows Pacific Time local hours, with flexibility across time zones when needed, and travel to company offices or other locations as needed.
Requirements
- 13+ years of experience in program, portfolio, or delivery management, including leadership of large-scale, multi-team software delivery.
- 8+ years of proven experience managing and developing managers and large teams of program or project managers.
- Bachelor's degree or higher, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
- Hands-on fluency with the Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) and Program Increment (PI) planning, including experience running planning at scale.
- Experience in a regulated industry, ideally financial services, with working knowledge of software development lifecycle processes, controls, audit, and compliance expectations.
- Track record of delivering Product and Engineering-led initiatives and products.
- Strong command of project sizing and cost estimation, scope management, risk management, and executive-level reporting.
- Exceptional communication and stakeholder-management skills, with credibility to influence senior leaders and Engineering teams.
- Ability to identify ways AI can improve planning, prioritization, delivery, decision-making, efficiency, and visibility while maintaining sound judgment and accountability.
Nice To Haves
- Relevant certifications such as SAFe, Project Management Professional (PMP), or similar credentials.
Responsibilities
- Own the end-to-end Product and Engineering portfolio view, aligning investment, capacity, and priorities and making them visible to leadership.
- Set standards for planning and tracking delivery timelines, ensuring realistic commitments and clear communication when dates change.
- Partner with Business, Product, Engineering, Compliance, and Risk Management teams to align scope, manage changes, and maintain focus on agreed outcomes.
- Establish consistent project sizing and cost-estimation approaches to support investment and trade-off decisions.
- Report portfolio health, risks, and dependencies clearly and promptly, and maintain a disciplined escalation process that surfaces issues early.
- Support Product and Engineering in preparing for and running Program Increment (PI) planning, including capacity, dependency, and risk insights.
- Personally drive delivery of selected high-priority, cross-functional projects requiring coordination across multiple teams.
- Own the Internally Developed Software (IDSW) control framework and manage software capitalization processes in partnership with Finance.
- Build, coach, and develop a high-performing team of Portfolio Delivery Leads and Technical Program Managers.
- Create common operating rhythms, tools, and templates to make delivery practices consistent across product areas.
- Act as a trusted partner to senior leaders, translating complexity into clear decisions.
- Foster transparency, ownership, and continuous improvement in planning and delivery.
Benefits
- Medical, dental, and vision plans for employees and their families.
- 401(k) match.
- Health and wellness programs.
- Flexible time-off policies for salaried employees.
- Up to 16 weeks of paid parental leave.
- Relocation assistance based on actual job level.
- Potential eligibility for long-term equity awards and an annual bonus based on company performance, employee performance, and eligible earnings.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Executive
