Director, Individual Portfolio Management

At Equitable, we realize that your work life is not just about performing a job; it's about being part of a workplace that helps you grow and reach your full potential. Within our friendly and collaborative work environment, we recognize that the key to our growth and success is a dedicated, motivated and client-responsive staff. Join Equitable today.
**Position Title**: Director, Individual Portfolio Management
**Reports To**: AVP, Individual Portfolio and Operational Enablement
**Department**: Individual Project Management
**Term**: Permanent Full Time
**Band**: 4H
**Work Arrangements**: This is a hybrid role. You will work in our office in Waterloo, ON a minimum of two (2) assigned, consecutive days every other week, plus a fifth (5th) assigned day per month. You are welcome to work from the office more than the minimum requirement and there may be some roles that are required to work in our office more than the minimum requirement.
**The Opportunity**: We are looking for a Director of Individual Portfolio Management Office (PMO) who is accountable for leading the planning and delivery of Individual Insurance projects within the portfolio, aligning priorities to the approved division strategic financial plan. This leadership role will ensure our project priorities support delivery enables the achievement of our sales, expense and growth plan for the division. This role will provide leadership to a team of Project Managers and Business Analysts.
Now is an exciting time to join one of the Waterloo Area’s Top Employer for 2025 and Southwestern Ontario’s Top Employers for 2024
**What you will be doing**:Portfolio Planning and Delivery**:

- Participate in the development of the annual portfolio plan
- Support quarterly replanning of portfolio delivery and coordinate review of portfolio outcomes
- Lead the delivery of the Individual business unit portfolio of projects
- Manage delivery of project outcomes in support of business objectives and key results for the division.
- Negotiate with functional areas including product, marketing, finance, administration and IT among others to plan for appropriate resource levels, within budget to meet business goals and objectives
- Lead prioritization discussion on a regular basis to create alignment across all delivery teams and workstreams

**Management of resource allocation during annual cycle**:

- Lead business project management and Business Analyst teams in support of skills/practice development and alignment of accountability within teams and across the organization.
- New initiative intake, alignment with the appropriate strategic theme and prioritization
- Co-ordinate the re-allocation of resources as necessary to ensure business activities continue to align to plan
- Assess business performance against objectives and key results, and co-ordinate re-prioritization of activities to address business needs relative to strategy
- Highlight any possible implications to objectives and key results, and business targets resulting from changes in project portfolio
- Identify and escalate activity or allocation of resource which is not aligned with plan or strategy

Portfolio Oversight
- Regular cadence and review of OKRs
- Re-visit priorities, objectives, and key results quarterly with individual portfolio delivery teams to validate plans or adjust as necessary as PMO Leader
- Direct and communicate any pivots required as delivery changes throughout the year.

**Program Management**:

- Support and enhance the portfolio management framework to manage project portfolio
- Assign project type (agile, waterfall, or hybrid) for prioritized initiatives
- Provide Project Management to large, complex projects where required.

**What you will bring**:

- Require degree in business, economics or equivalent. Project Management Professional designation is an asset.
- Minimum 15 years insurance or financial services experience, including senior project management, program management and portfolio management experience
- Strong understanding on both business and technology program delivery, interactions and planning
- Change agent, with a strong ability to negotiate, to manage and influence resource conflicts and negotiate to optimal outcomes in a finite resource environment.
- Exceptionally strong communication and interpersonal skills - an ability to move seamlessly between different levels withing the organization, working and supporting executive level conversations including strategic and financial planning, as well as working closely with teams and squads to facilitate sprint delivery and success.
- Proven project management and project planning experience with an ability to work in both agile and waterfall delivery models, and co-ordinate resources across models
- Strong organizational skills and requires technical competence in Excel, PowerPoint and Access - along with a willingness to learn new tools
- Strategic growth mindset with understanding of key competitive levers