Head of Portfolio Management (all genders)

The Global Project Management Organization (PMO) helps Zalando achieve its strategy by driving the intake and successful delivery of Zalando’s most impactful, collaborative, and technically complex initiatives. In order to deliver against the organizational ambitions and goals, we steer the complexity and challenges around prioritization, ranking and transparency while owning the process. Our organization with its Leadership, Portfolio Managers, Program Managers, and Project Managers ensure these initiatives are driven to successful delivery across services, products, business units and teams in the organization.

At Zalando, our long-term goal is to build deep customer relationships. As Zalando’s largest proposition, Core Fashion aims to pay into Zalando’s goal by helping our customers feel confident, safe and happy with their fashion choices, serving them across different styles, for different purposes and during different stages in life.

THE ROLE

To manage the accountability and the ambitious goals of the Core Fashion Customer Proposition, we are seeking to hire an experienced and visionary portfolio leader to build a portfolio management team and lead the adaptation and implementation of Zalando portfolio management standards in an effective manner. In this role, the candidate will be one of the most visible portfolio leaders at an organizational level enabling the execution of the Customer Proposition strategy and ensuring alignment of all investments with overarching business goals.

As the Head of Portfolio Management you define the portfolio scope, implement target portfolio metrics, and implement key ceremonies and standard processes for portfolio management in all customer propositions together with the respective executive leaders.

WHAT WE’D LOVE YOU TO DO (AND LOVE DOING)

Strategic Planning and Execution:

Develop and implement a comprehensive strategic portfolio management framework aligned with organizational goals and objectives. Collaborate with executive leadership to define and refine the company’s strategic priorities. Drive annual operational planning in the customer propositions and collaborate with other heads of portfolio management to drive feasibility and sequencing of strategic initiatives across the company.

Have an expert understanding of portfolio processes, and enable decision making in your portfolio. Quickly zoom in on details as required while maintaining a robust helicopter view of your portfolio. Structure and adapt your portfolio to develop a clear granular view of work based upon the organization’s needs, and enable your business leader to secure support, budget and resources to achieve the expected impact. Oversee the management and optimization of the project portfolio to ensure it aligns with the company’s strategic objectives. Evaluate and prioritize projects based on their strategic fit, resource requirements, and potential impact. Manage your portfolio to the highest standard with a continuous improvement mindset, and continuously guide your organization in identifying the right projects to pursue at the right time, ensuring strategic investment in alignment with the company strategy. Make complexity manageable and bring structure to the organization by driving an increase in transparency on the organization’s strategy and resource investment.

Identify and assess potential risks associated with the project portfolio and develop mitigation strategies. Implement risk management processes to proactively address challenges and uncertainties. Drive discussions around the identification and management of trade-offs in your portfolio, including escalation to higher level portfolios, and work with little to no guidance. Forecast upcoming changes and/or incoming projects due to a strong understanding of both your organization’s and the overall company’s strategy.

Resource Allocation:

Work closely with department heads to allocate resources efficiently across strategic initiatives. Monitor resource utilization and recommend adjustments to optimize portfolio performance.

Performance Monitoring and Reporting:

Responsible for the management of an organizational portfolio including steering, intake, prioritization, implementation, reviews, and reporting. Provide regular, transparent reporting on key portfolio updates to executive leadership. Manage work in progress through regular prioritization and ranking exercises, and resource availability and allocation insights. The insights derived from your work with your portfolio is leveraged to improve the design of your organization, and increase transparency of your organization’s strategic investments, resourcing, budget tracking, planning, and investment forecasting.

Stakeholder Engagement:

Collaborate with internal and external stakeholders to ensure alignment of project outcomes with stakeholder expectations. Foster strong relationships with key partners and vendors to enhance collaboration and project success. Work as a member of the customer proposition senior leadership team while nurturing and maintaining a relevant network. This includes identifying the right senior stakeholders when working on tasks, understanding their needs, and actively asking for their feedback to uncover blind spots.

Innovation and Continuous Improvement:

Drive a culture of innovation within the organization, encouraging the exploration of new ideas and technologies. Continuously evaluate and improve portfolio management processes to enhance efficiency and effectiveness.

Set clear goals for your portfolio team that are aligned with higher-level objectives of both your organization and GPMO, align with each of your directs on their priorities and contributions, and ensure the execution and positive business impact by setting your team up for success. Make yourself accountable for strengthening the talent across the company, actively contribute to hiring, developing and retaining talent that will make us better, and support building succession plans for your team. Adapt your leadership style to support your team and build trust, delegate to empower your team giving them freedom while being available for guidance and advice, and help your team navigate through uncertainty and change.

You are a strategic thinker with a proven ability to drive business outcomes through effective portfolio management.

Have experience working in dynamic and fast-paced environments.

Have extensive years of experience in the tech, e-commerce and online industry and a strong experience as a leader.

Can navigate in the tech as well as business related context and is experienced in acting as the link between strategy and execution for all hierarchy levels.

Possess great interpersonal, communication, and influencing skills with all forms stakeholders up to the C-suite that allow you to speak with precision, clarity, and empathy.

Developed and/or managed a matrix organization portfolio.

Be comfortable with ambiguity and change while bringing solutions to help move decisions and the organization forward.

Mastered project management methodology and frameworks, especially in an agile environment.

Have an ability to articulate a vision and enable your team to execute on goals, measure success, and iterate as needed.

Have a record of attracting, developing, and retaining exceptional talent.

Have empathy, awareness, and understanding related to working in a mission driven and highly diverse and inclusive environment like Zalando.

Have near-native language English writing and speaking skills.

OUR OFFER

Zalando provides a range of benefits, here’s an overview of what you can expect. Ask your Talent Acquisition Partner to learn more about what we offer. Learn all about Zalando and our values here:

Employee shares program

40% off fashion and beauty products sold and shipped by Zalando, 30% off Zalando Lounge, discounts from external partners

2 paid volunteering days a year

Hybrid working model with 60% (or more) remote per week, actual practice is up to each team to best support their collaboration

Work from abroad for up to 30 working days a year

27 days of vacation a year to start

Relocation assistance available (subject to prior agreement)

Family services, including counseling and support

Health and wellbeing options (including Gympass)

Mental health support and coaching available

INCLUSIVE BY DESIGN

At Zalando, our vision is to be inclusive by design. This vision starts with our hiring – we do not discriminate on the basis of gender identity, sexual orientation, personal expression, ethnicity, religious belief, or disability status. You are welcome to leave out your picture, age, or marital status from your application. We only assess candidates on their qualifications and merit.

We want to provide you with a great candidate experience. Feel free to inform us of any accommodations you may need, so we can best support you throughout the hiring process.

Please note that all applications from this job page must be completed using the online form – we do not accept applications via e-mail. Once reviewed, our recruiters will contact applicants via an official Zalando email address (@zalando.de).

In some cases we also work with a selection of headhunters and agencies to fill specific roles. Please note that neither Zalando nor our recruiting partners will ask for any kind of payment to apply for a job or attend an interview.

If you have any questions about our recruitment process, please take a look at our FAQ page.

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