Duties & Responsibilities

C004381 Principal Portfolio Manager

Under the direction of the Principal Administrator (Internal IT), the incumbent will be responsible for the following:

• Develop, implement, and maintain a comprehensive ICT portfolio and programme management framework aligned with organizational strategic objectives.

• Lead innovation within portfolio and programme management processes, including process improvement, automation, and adoption of emerging technologies.

• Champion change management initiatives, fostering a culture of adaptability and continuous improvement within the ICT Systems Department.

• Implement and execute Change Advisory Board (CAB) processes as required.

• Define, prioritize, and balance projects within the portfolio, considering business priorities, dependencies, and resource availability.

• Lead the planning, execution, monitoring, and delivery of ICT programmes and projects, ensuring compliance with budget, schedule, and quality standards.

• Monitor and report on key performance indicators (KPIs), providing actionable insights and recommendations to improve delivery performance.

• Lead the Portfolio Management function, with particular focus on technical aspects and coherence across programmes.

• Align portfolio projects and programmes across the NCI Agency by identifying touchpoints between technical and programmatic elements.

• Establish portfolio governance structures, convene governance boards, and maintain governance documentation and minutes.

• Produce and maintain dashboards reporting portfolio outputs, outcomes, status, risks, and dependencies.

• Collaborate closely with other NCI Agency organizational elements in portfolio management activities.

• Link portfolio projects to technology and capability roadmaps, NATO initiatives, and NCI Agency strategies.

• Organize and participate in technical discussions with sponsors, project managers, and technical leads; conduct assessments and prepare briefs.

• Coordinate cross-functional and multinational teams, ensuring effective collaboration across projects and programmes.

• Track project performance using agreed methodologies, assess project health, and provide accurate cost and schedule forecasts.

• Identify, manage, and mitigate risks and issues, proactively engaging stakeholders to resolve challenges.

• Stay current with industry trends, ICT technologies, and project management methodologies, integrating relevant best practices.

• Contribute to the NCI Agency Technology Strategy and Implementation Plan.

• Prepare and deliver briefings and presentations to Senior Boards and Steering Committees.

• Establish and maintain effective stakeholder communication, managing expectations and providing regular updates.

• Contribute to the NCI Agency business continuity strategy and align the IIT portfolio accordingly.

• Deputise for higher-grade staff when required and perform other duties as assigned.

Requirements

Essential Experience and Education

• Education:

  • Master’s degree from a nationally recognized university in a related discipline with minimum 5 years post-related experience; or

  • Bachelor’s degree with minimum 8 years post-related experience.

• Senior-level technical management experience in ICT.

• Proven experience managing programmes and portfolios, including development of dashboards and reporting to diverse audiences.

• Experience in planning, coordination, and execution of R&D projects and/or programmes in ICT and C4ISR systems and services.

• Demonstrated experience producing programme and project artefacts (plans, dashboards, briefs, reports, status updates).

• Proven ability to brief senior technical and non-technical stakeholders.

• Strong track record in risk assessment, stakeholder negotiation, and requirements analysis.

• Multi-disciplinary background covering a broad range of ICT capabilities.

• Solid experience planning and actively monitoring IT project and service portfolios.

• Proven experience delivering projects in complex, multinational environments.

• Excellent English communication skills, written and oral, including high-quality reporting and senior-level briefings.

• Project management certification required (e.g. PMP, PRINCE2 Practitioner).

Desirable Experience and Education

• Practitioner-level risk management certification.

• Experience managing portfolios and programmes in large organizational environments.

• Portfolio management certification such as MoP (Management of Portfolios) or equivalent.

• Experience defining Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and Key Quality Indicators (KQIs) for IT projects and services.

• Experience in mid- to long-term IT portfolio planning and senior-level reporting.

• Experience supporting or leading cloud transition projects for large IT infrastructures.

• Prior experience working in international, military–civilian environments.

• Knowledge of NATO structures, responsibilities, and organizations, including ACO and ACT.