PMO Manager (Engineering)
Role:
Lead and oversee the strategic and day-to-day operations of the Project Management Office (PMO) at Empower Federal Credit Union. Provide vision, guidance, and direct support to a team of Project Managers driving a diverse portfolio of projects that span systems architecture, integrations, capability development, program enhancements, and process automation to strengthen organizational effectiveness.
Own and manage PMO Governance Committee activities, ensuring consistent application of standard, robust decision-making frameworks, and alignment with organization priorities. Conduct in-depth portfolio reviews to assess and mitigate risks, manage cross-project dependencies, and enable optimized resource allocation across the project landscape.
Location: Our headquarters are based in Syracuse, NY. We work in a Hybrid Model requiring a minimum of 5 days in office per month.
Essential Functions & Responsibilities:
30% Project Portfolio & Resource Management:
- Lead strategic alignment, prioritization, and execution of the organization's project portfolio.
- Manage resource allocation, capacity planning, and professional development to ensure optimal team performance.
- Monitor and report on portfolio performance, risks, and benefits realization to drive business goals.
- Establish and maintain project management methodologies, processes and best practices.
- Oversee multiple projects to ensure delivery within scope, schedule, budget, and quality standards.
- Facilitate cross-functional coordination and communication among teams and stakeholders.
- Lead project governance committees and deliver consistent, transparent reporting to senior leadership.
20% Leadership Excellence:
- Lead and develop a high-performing PMO team by aligning efforts with strategic priorities and ensuring consistent planning and execution.
- Mentor and coach project managers to apply methodologies and delivery tools effectively across the portfolio.
- Foster a culture rooted in accountability, innovation, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
- Act as a strategic liaison between the PMO, business units, IT, and executive leadership to ensure organizational alignment.
- Champion transparency, resource awareness, and clear communication of strategic initiatives to stakeholders and governance committees.
- Facilitate stakeholder engagement, manage expectations, resolve conflicts, and support informed decision-making.
- Promote the visibility and value of the PMO throughout the organization.
20% Direct Project Management:
- Act as the lead project manager for complex, high-impact initiatives critical to the organization's strategic goals.
- Lead cross-functional teams through all phases of the project lifecycle, from initiation to closure, with clarity and accountability.
- Manage scope, schedule, budget, risk, and communication, ensuring alignment with stakeholder expectations and business objectives.
- Drive delivery excellence by removing obstacles, facilitating decision-making, and promoting proactive risk mitigation.
- Develop and maintain detailed project documentation, including initiation documents, workplans, issue logs, and stakeholder updates.
- Maintain a strong member-centric focus, adapting project execution to meet evolving member and business needs.
- Support change adoption and sustainability through post-project transition planning and benefits realization.
15% Governance, Compliance & Quality Assurance:
- Establish and uphold project governance structures and methodologies across the PMO.
- Ensure consistent application of standards, frameworks, and delivery processes.
- Monitor compliance with internal policies, financial regulations, and external requirements.
- Conduct regular quality assurance audits, project health checks, and post-implementation reviews.
- Validate deliverables and outcomes through structured QA procedures.
- Promote continuous improvement through research, education, and institutional learning
15% Reporting & Performance Analytics:
- Develop and deliver status reports and updates to stakeholders and senior leadership.
- Build and maintain performance dashboards for projects, portfolios, and resource utilization.
- Track KPIs, milestones, budgets, risks, and benefits realization.
- Provide actionable insights and data-driven recommendations to guide strategic decisions.
- Ensure transparency and traceability in project execution and reporting practices.
- Perform all other duties as assigned.
Performance Measurements:
See Dayforce (HRIS) Performance Management for Goals upon start in role, and annually.
Knowledge and Skills:
Experience: 8+ years of experience in project portfolio management is required.
- 5+ years of financial services industry experience.
- 5+ years of supervisory management.
Education: A Bachelor's Degree or commensurate experience is required.
- PMP Certification is required.
Interpersonal Skills: A significant level of trust and diplomacy is required, in addition to normal courtesy and tact. Work involves extensive personal contact with others and is usually of a personal or sensitive nature. Work may involve motivating, influencing, or training others. Outside contacts become important and fostering sound relationships with other entities (companies and/or individuals) becomes necessary and often requires the ability to influence and/or sell ideas or services to others.
Other Skills:
- Proven expertise in planning, executing, and overseeing large-scale, enterprise-level initiatives.
- Deep understanding and practical experience in waterfall, agile, and hybrid project management methodologies.
- Strong capabilities in resource management, capacity planning, and complex scheduling.
- Demonstrates a strong executive presence with excellent influence, negotiation, and communication skills across diverse audiences.
- Navigates organizational dynamics with confidence, balancing policy, process, and people with strategic foresight.
- Maintains a strategic and solutions-oriented mindset under pressure, guiding cross-functional teams through complexity.
- Effectively manages ambiguity, adapts seamlessly to evolving circumstances, unclear paths, or shifting priorities with resilience and clarity.
Physical Requirements: The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of the job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is required to sit for long periods at a time, use hands to finger, handle, or feel, and talk or hear. The employee is occasionally required to walk; reach with hands and arms; and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 35 pounds.
Work Environment: The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.
This Job Description is not a complete statement of all duties and responsibilities comprising the position.
