Director - Project Management Office (PMO)

The Director – Project Management Office (PMO) is responsible for the strategic and functional leadership of the PMO experience.  This position will be a key contributor to the alignment of projects to organizational strategies and priorities.  This position will have an advanced understanding of project management principles, methodologies, and tools used to manage the project portfolio from ideation to close.  This role identifies project portfolio dependencies, anticipates risks, provides guidance to develop contingencies and mitigation strategies and effectively communicates deviations to project portfolio plans.  The Director develops strategies to ensure department and organization continuous improvement.  This role is responsible for leading, mentoring, coaching, and advising other members of the PMO team.  The Director will help prioritize tasks within the PMO, assign deadlines, oversee deliverables, and maximize productivity, as well as manage a portfolio of projects, when needed.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Responsible for the strategic and functional leadership of the PMO experience.
• Key contributor of inputs to facilitate the alignment of projects to organizational strategies and priorities. 
• Identifies project portfolio dependencies, anticipates risks, provides guidance to develop contingencies and mitigation strategies and effectively communicates deviations to project portfolio plans.
• Lead the strategy, planning, monitoring and governance of enterprise projects through appropriate balance of industry best practices and organizational capabilities.
• Work with senior leadership to set and align project priorities.
• Work with IT leadership to improve processes and mitigate risks.
• Work with resource managers in IT and the business to ensure capacity exists to achieve organizational objectives.
• Maintain relevance and ensure adherence to established PMO processes.
• Direct efforts to define, build and maintain application toolset and capabilities to support PMO objectives.
• Communicate process changes, enhancements, project status and modifications, both verbally and through written documentation, to management, peers, staff, vendors, and other Associates so issues and solutions are clear and understood.
• Coach, mentor, and lead members of the PMO team and others involved in project delivery.
• Oversees and manages programs and projects on behalf of the PMO to include, but not limited to:
• Coordinating with resource managers to identify and create project estimates for review and prioritization.
• Creating and reviewing project work plans
• Identifying resources and making assignments along with reporting progress against those assignments.
• Applying methodology and enforcing project standards to deliver quality projects.
• Minimizing exposure and risk
• Ensuring project documentation is thorough and complete for all phases of all projects.
• Reporting accurate project progress

REQUIRED SKILLS:

• 10+ years of successful IT and/or Enterprise project delivery and minimum 7 years in a leadership role with both strategic and tactical responsibilities. Insurance industry experience, specifically life insurance,  an added bonus.
• Ability to plan strategically, foresee issues and risks, and anticipate situations that frequently occur within the organization to develop proactive, risk mitigation strategies to the PMO programs and projects. 
• Exceptional communication skills, both written and verbal. 
• Strong leadership, including the ability to mentor/coach.  Must be able to handle high stress situations, conflicts within the PMO, the company, and with our vendors.  Must be able to provide discipline as necessary.
• Actively monitor program costs, identify, and implement appropriate cost containment measures when required.
• Negotiation skills for use with other members of the PMO, members of the business community, others in IT, and outside agencies such as vendors and business partners.
• Maintain awareness of industry standards for the technical platforms and tools used to achieve PMO objectives.
• Must be able to manage department budget.
• PowerPoint, Word, Excel, Smartsheet, PPMpro or MS Project or equivalent, MS Teams, WebEx, ADO

EDUCATION QUALIFICATIONS:

• College Graduate
  
  

Americo: We’re in this for life!

The roots of the Americo family of companies date back more than 100 years. Americo is a life insurance and annuity company providing innovative products to our customers. At Americo, it’s the people who make things work, so we hope you join us!

What you’ll love about working at Americo:

• Compensation: You’ll feel valued with our competitive pay and robust bonus program that’s offered to all associates.

• Learning and development: We prepare you with a comprehensive, paid training program that will get you ready for success. Additionally, our Talent Development team creates a variety of development opportunities for associates at every stage of their careers.

• Work-life balance: We place true value on work-life balance with our generous paid time off; you begin accruing hours right off the bat every month and it increases with tenure. All new hires earn over 4 weeks of paid time off annually, plus 11 paid company holidays! We also support new parents with a generous new child leave program, along with paid STD and LTD.

• Health and well-being: We commit to your health and well-being and are proud to offer comprehensive health and life insurance options including FSA or HSA accounts and subsidies to support your health and fitness goals through vendor partnerships at The Y, Orange Theory, WW, and more.

• Future planning: Americo offers a 401(k) with a company match, and we provide child care and education tax credits or savings options.

• Giving back: We support several local organizations like Ronald McDonald House, Hope Lodge, the American Red Cross, Harvesters, and many more. Our associates volunteer their time and donate money alongside the company to make a difference in our community.

• The fun stuff: Americo participates in the Kansas City Corporate Challenge, and it’s a great way to connect with coworkers. Additionally, we host events like a Royals Party at the K, a legendary Holiday Party, and in-office events with local vendors as a way for associates to step away from work and enjoy each other’s company.

• Bustling environment: Our newly renovated offices are conveniently located in downtown Kansas City, within walking distance to your favorite restaurants and attractions. Plus, you’ll receive complimentary paid parking near our Americo offices – downtown parking is a premium, but we’ve got you covered.