Head of IT Portfolio

High Speed Two (HS2) is one of the most demanding and exciting transport projects in Europe. They are seeking an outstanding Head of IT Portfolio to join on a permanent basis as a member of their Senior Leadership Team.

This role is accountable for the governance and effective delivery of an IT portfolio of programmes, projects and small change items delivering change across HS2, IT platforms, products and services using multiple delivery disciplines and methodologies.

As Head of IT Portfolio, you will ensure HS2’s DDaT operating model is based on industry best practice, with an insight-led approach which will provide HS2 with the latest Digital, Data and Technology services, delivering ‘‘value for money’ to enable business capabilities.

The successful candidate will have overall responsibility for providing leadership and direction for the IT Portfolio team, across various capabilities, to ensure successful delivery of IT Programmes across HS2.

You will be accountable for developing, implementing and governing the IT Portfolio governance methodology and framework and associated tooling.  As well as responsible for forecasting and managing demand for IT portfolio, operational services and change items, ensuring they are appropriately tracked and managed, and that the supply of IT resources (core or non-core) is matched.

You will also be accountable for leading the development and adoption of the IT Portfolio Governance Framework (e.g. IT Steering Group,) ensuring decisions on scope, risk, time and cost are appropriately discharged.

Required criteria of the Head of IT Portfolio will include:

• Ability to coach and lead teams in Agile and Lean practices
• Ability to successfully lead teams through the full product life cycle, with the ability to identify and deal with potential risks across or between all stages of the product life cycle
• Ability to optimise the delivery flow of teams, to actively and innovatively address the most complicated risks, issues and dependencies including where ownership exists outside the team or no clear ownership exists
• Ability to identify and challenge complex or ineffective organisational processes, adding value and coaching the organisation to inspect and adapt processes, guiding teams through the implementation of a new process
• Ability to lead a continual planning process in a very complex environment. Ability to plan beyond project delivery and identify dependencies in plans across services and coordinate delivery
• Knowledge of change governance and methodologies associated with ‘Portfolio’, ‘Programme’, ‘Project’ and ‘Risk’, their implications and how they can be integrated in an IT portfolio of change.  Examples of preferred knowledge include: Portfolio (Method of Procedure (MoP), Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe), Managing Successful Programmes’ (MSP), Project (PRINCE2, Association for Project Management Body of Knowledge (APMBoK), Agile, Scrum, Kanban), Risk (Management of Risk (MoR)
• Knowledge of delivery governance and methodologies (But not limited to, Software Delivery Lifecycle (SDLC), Waterfall, Agile, Prototype) their implications and how they can be integrated in an IT portfolio of change
• Knowledge of digital information technology, trends and the opportunities they present
• Knowledge of IT Operating Model best practice development and implementation methods
• Knowledge of capability maturity models integration, process and behavioural models in the context of IT change and configuration
• Experience of developing, mobilising and maturing an IT Portfolio, Service Delivery or Change function end to end, within a complex or highly regulated environment with multiple stakeholders
• Experience of mobilising and delivering enterprise portfolio optimisation to manage the balance between capacity and demand aligned to the strategy and needs of the business
• Experience of designing, producing and articulating Management and Business Information reports, for the purpose of governance, executive decision making, performance visibility and audit requirements
• Experience of collaborating with or managing suppliers and vendors
• Experience of successful engagement with businesses and IT around the introduction of new technologies and services

Person Specification:

HS2 are looking for an inspirational leader who can communicate effectively and operate flexibly while inspiring a diverse workforce. You will have excellent influencing skills and the ability to collaborate across boundaries. You will be able to create a clear business direction which is aligned to the HS2 goals, while using sound business judgement to ensure value for money and innovation. You will be able to grow talent, taking risks with growth opportunities for high potential performers.

HS2 is an inclusive employer and offers equal opportunities to all regardless of an individual’s age, disability, gender identity, marriage or civil partnership status, pregnancy or maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation.

Please send your CV to edstroud@allenlane.co.uk to register your interest in the role. Applicants will be required to provide a covering letter with details of how your experience and skills meet our essential criteria. The closing date for applications will be Monday 23^rd November, so early applications are encouraged.