Head of Portfolio Management Zalando eCommerce Platform (all genders)

Job content

About The Team

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 organisational ambitions and goals, we steer the complexity and challenges around prioritisation, ranking and transparency while owning the process. Our organisation 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 organisation.

The Zalando eCommerce Platform (ZCP) organisation shapes the world’s best digital fashion e-commerce experience by making customers feel engaged and understood in order to emotionally connect with - and ultimately fall in love with - the Zalando experience. We create a world class, highly enjoyable and personal digital experience built around truly relevant search, discovery, advice, inspiration and shopping. Our customer centricity and ambition to create this truly relevant customer experience will continue to drive all the work we do and remains our focus for all teams working on digital experiences.
THE ROLE
To manage the accountability and the ambitious goals of the Zalando eCommerce Platform (ZCP), 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 organisational level enabling the execution of the Zalando eCommerce Platform (ZCP) 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 organisational goals and objectives. Collaborate with executive leadership to define and refine the company’s strategic priorities. Driver of annual operational planning in the customer propositions and collaborating with other heads of portfolio management to drive feasibility and sequencing of strategic initiatives across the company.

• Portfolio Optimization
  

Have an expert understanding of portfolio processes, and are able to enable decision making in your portfolio. You are able to quickly zoom in on details as required while at the same time maintaining a robust helicopter view of your portfolio. Structure and adapt your portfolio to develop a clear granular view of work based upon the organisation’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 prioritise 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 organisation 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 organisation by driving an increase in transparency on the organisation’s strategy and resource investment.

• Risk Management
  

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 the 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 organisation’s and the overall company’s strategy.

• Resource Allocation
  

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

• Performance Monitoring and Reporting
  

Responsible for the management of an organisational portfolio including steering, intake, prioritisation, implementation, reviews, and reporting. Provide regular, transparent reporting on key portfolio updates to executive leadership. Manage work in progress through regular prioritisation 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 organisation, and increase transparency of your organisation’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 organisation, encouraging the exploration of new ideas and technologies. Continuously evaluate and improve portfolio management processes to enhance efficiency and effectiveness.

• Team Management & Leadership
  

Set clear goals for your portfolio team that are aligned with higher-level objectives of both your organisation 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 you 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.
WE’D LOVE TO MEET YOU IF YOU

• 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 organisation portfolio.
• Be comfortable with ambiguity and change while bringing solutions to help move decisions and the organisation 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 a 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 https //jobs.zalando.com/en/?gh_src=22377bdd1us

• 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 counselling 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.

• do.BETTER - Our Diversity & Inclusion strategy https //corporate.zalando.com/en/our-impact/dobetter-our-diversity-and-inclusion-strategy
• Our Employee Resource Groups https //corporate.zalando.com/en/our-impact/our-employee-resource-groups