Managing Director, Project & Portfolio Management (PPM)
Your Opportunity
At Schwab, we believe that, when done right, investing liberates people to create their own destiny. We are driven by our purpose to champion every client’s goals with passion and integrity.
The Managing Director, Project & Portfolio Management (PPM) is the senior leader responsible for leading Schwab’s enterprise technology project and portfolio management organization within STS. This role will lead all project and portfolio management teams supporting strategic and financial planning, portfolio governance, program delivery, and project execution support across the enterprise.
This leader oversees a broad portfolio of technology investments spanning Retail Investor, Advisor Services, Workplace Services, Wealth & Advice, Schwab Asset Management, Product Enterprises, Service Enterprises, Corporate Functions, and Technology portfolios. The organization supports more than 200 active projects and approximately $600M+ in annual technology investments, including some of Schwab’s largest and most strategic initiatives.
The Managing Director will drive consistency, transparency, and operational excellence across portfolio planning, governance, program execution, financial management, and executive reporting. This leader must be able to influence across organizational boundaries, simplify complex processes, establish a culture of accountability, grow talent and enable business and technology leaders to make informed investment decisions aligned to Schwab's strategic priorities.
Measures of Success
-
Effective stewardship of the enterprise technology investment portfolio, balancing strategic priorities, capacity, cost, and risk.
-
Improved visibility, governance, and reporting across projects, programs, and portfolios.
-
Successful delivery of critical cross-functional initiatives that drive business outcomes.
-
A simplified and scalable operating model that improves execution and decision-making.
-
Strong partnerships with business, product, technology, finance, and executive leadership teams.
-
A culture of accountability, transparency, continuous improvement, and results.
-
Ability to attract, develop, and retain top project, program, and portfolio management talent.
Core Responsibilities
Portfolio Management
-
Lead the governance and management of Schwab's technology investment portfolio across multiple business and technology domains.
-
Partner with senior leaders to align investment decisions, funding priorities, and resource allocation to enterprise goals and strategic outcomes.
-
Support portfolio prioritization, capacity planning, dependency management, and investment tradeoff discussions.
-
Provide visibility into portfolio health, performance, risks, and financial outcomes through executive-level reporting and governance.
-
Balance strategic objectives, operational commitments, financial constraints, and risk considerations to optimize enterprise investments.
Program Management
-
Lead oversight of large, complex, cross-functional programs that span multiple business units and technology organizations.
-
Ensure programs are effectively planned, governed, and executed to achieve intended outcomes.
-
Partner with executives, business leaders, and technology teams to align priorities, resolve dependencies, and drive decision-making.
-
Proactively identify, escalate, and mitigate program risks, issues, and roadblocks.
-
Establish consistent program management practices that improve execution, transparency, and accountability.
Project Management
-
Provide leadership for project management teams responsible for planning, execution, monitoring, and delivery of enterprise initiatives.
-
Oversee project planning, milestone management, status reporting, budget tracking, and stakeholder communication.
-
Ensure teams maintain clear accountability for deliverables, timelines, financial performance, and business outcomes.
-
Drive execution discipline and continuous improvement in project delivery practices.
Governance, Standards, and Operational Excellence
-
Establish and maintain enterprise standards, methodologies, tools, and governance frameworks for project, program, and portfolio management.
-
Drive process simplification and operational efficiency across the PPM organization.
-
Develop consistent reporting, metrics, dashboards, and executive communications that enable informed decision-making.
-
Partner with Finance to ensure effective investment tracking, forecasting, and financial management.
-
Promote adoption of Agile, AI, product-centric, and modern delivery practices across the organization.
Leadership and Organizational Transformation
-
Lead the evolution of multiple PPM teams into a unified, high-performing organization.
-
Build strong relationships across business, technology, product, finance, and risk organizations.
-
Influence outcomes across the enterprise without direct authority.
-
Champion cultural transformation initiatives that improve collaboration, accountability, and execution excellence.
-
Develop future leaders and foster a culture focused on growth, innovation, and continuous improvement.
Required Qualifications
-
15+ years of experience leading project, program, portfolio management, or technology delivery organizations in a complex enterprise environment.
-
Significant experience managing large-scale technology portfolios, investments, and strategic initiatives.
-
Demonstrated success leading enterprise-wide project and portfolio management organizations.
-
Strong financial acumen, including investment planning, budgeting, forecasting, and portfolio analytics.
-
Proven ability to influence executive stakeholders and drive alignment across competing priorities.
-
Exceptional executive communication and presentation skills, with the ability to translate complex information into clear business insights.
-
Experience leading organizational change, transformation initiatives, and operating model evolution.
-
Strong risk management experience, including identification, mitigation, governance, and escalation of material risks.
-
Demonstrated ability to build, lead, and develop high-performing teams.
-
Deep understanding of project management, program management, portfolio management, governance, and delivery methodologies.
Preferred Qualifications
-
Experience supporting large-scale technology organizations and enterprise transformation programs.
-
Expertise in Agile, AI, product-based delivery models, and modern software development practices.
-
Experience leading portfolio management functions supporting multiple business lines and technology domains.
-
Familiarity with technology investment planning, capacity management, and enterprise prioritization frameworks.
-
Experience implementing process simplification and operational efficiency initiatives at scale.
-
Strong understanding of technology delivery, software development lifecycle practices, and enterprise platforms.
-
Advanced knowledge of project and portfolio management tools and reporting platforms.
-
PMP, PgMP, PMI-PfMP, Agile, SAFe, or similar certifications preferred.
At Schwab, you’re empowered to shape your future. We champion your growth through meaningful work, continuous learning, and a culture of trust and collaboration—so you can build the skills to make a lasting impact. Our Hybrid Work and Flexibility approach balances our ongoing commitment to workplace flexibility, serving our clients, and our strong belief in the value of being together in person on a regular basis.
We offer a competitive benefits package that takes care of the whole you – both today and in the future:
-
401(k) with company match and Employee stock purchase plan
-
Paid time for vacation, volunteering, and 28-day sabbatical after every 5 years of service for eligible positions
-
Paid parental leave and family building benefits
-
Tuition reimbursement
-
Health, dental, and vision insurance
