The Director, Project Management Office manages a project governance process for Business and Information Technology, including submitting new projects/enhancements, sizing effort and impact, managing enterprise priorities and resource needs, addressing risks, driving to delivery dates and status reporting.

In addition, this position is responsible for execution of several larger scale initiatives, ensuring alignment with business objectives.

The ideal candidate will have a strong background in financial services, information technology, project management, and enterprise-wide change initiatives. This position requires exceptional leadership skills and the ability to collaborate across departments, including Sales, Operations, Risk, Information Technology, Finance/Accounting and Compliance, to deliver results efficiently.

PMO Leadership & Strategy:

• Develop and execute a comprehensive project management strategy that supports company-wide initiatives, ensuring alignment with organizational goals.
• Establish and refine project governance, methodologies, tools, and standards to enhance project execution and delivery.
• Champion a culture of project management excellence and continuous improvement.
• Effective change management to minimize any business disruptions

Project Portfolio Management:

• Oversee the intake, prioritization, and execution of business, IT, and enterprise-wide projects.
• Ensure projects are delivered on time, within scope, and on budget while meeting business objectives.
• Identify dependencies, risks, and resource constraints across projects and drive mitigation strategies.

Cross-Functional Collaboration:

• Partner with executives and key stakeholders across departments to drive strategic initiatives.
• Act as a bridge between business and IT teams to ensure technical solutions align with business needs.
• Provide visibility into project performance through dashboards, reports, and executive briefings.

Team Leadership & Development:

• Build, mentor, and manage a high-performing team of project managers and business analysts.
• Foster professional growth and develop best practices in project management, agile methodologies, and change management.
• Advocate for proper resource allocation and ensure the PMO team has the necessary tools and training.

Risk & Change Management:

• Identify and mitigate risks that may impact project outcomes, timelines and implementation.
• Implement effective change management strategies to support adoption and sustainability of initiatives.
• Drive organizational readiness and ensure effective communication across stakeholders.

• Bachelor’s degree in business, information technology, project management, or a related field (Master’s degree preferred).
• 10+ years of experience in project management, with at least 5 years in a leadership role within financial services and IT project management.
• Proven ability to lead company-wide initiatives with executive-level visibility.
• Strong understanding of financial services industry and regulations, Information Technology, and best practices.
• Expertise in project management methodologies (Waterfall, Agile and Hybrid) and tools (e.g., MS Project, Jira, Smartsheet)
• PMP or Certified Scrum Master (CSM) certification preferred.
• Excellent leadership, communication, and stakeholder management skills.
• Ability to drive technology-driven changes in a fast-paced, result-oriented environment.
• Familiarity with Financial Technology (FinTech), digital banking, and automation solutions
• Experience in managing IT projects, data governance, and cloud-based financial systems.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to balance competing priorities and manage multiple initiatives simultaneously.
• Experience in organizational transformation, digital initiatives, or large-scale business process improvements.