SSM Portfolio Manager

Purpose of the Job

• Lead and deliver a portfolio of complex projects, ensuring achievement of Quality, Cost, Delivery, and Performance (QCDP) objectives, while managing and developing a team of Sub-System Managers.
• Be responsible for the management and successful completion of a component within a complex scope, meeting both customer expectations and committed QCDP objectives in medium or high criticality projects.
• Manage stakeholders, activities, and deliverables at component level, and perform necessary arbitrations (engineering, make or buy, costs, milestones, interfaces, etc.) to meet QCDP commitments.
• Coordinate component activities with sub-system stakeholders.

Main Responsibilities

1. Team Management & Portfolio Governance

• Lead, coach, and develop a team of Sub-System Managers
• Ensure successful delivery of all portfolio projects in line with QCDP commitments
• Drive performance management, skills development, and resource allocation
• Define portfolio priorities and optimize resource allocation across the team
• Monitor portfolio performance and ensure alignment with business objectives
• Foster a culture of accountability, ownership, continuous improvement, and compliance with project management standards

2. Portfolio Strategy & Alignment

• Define and align portfolio strategy with project department objectives and organizational priorities
• Maintain a consolidated view of risks, opportunities, milestones, and dependencies
• Drive portfolio-level decision-making and arbitrations
• Represent the portfolio in governance forums and contribute to strategic decisions

3. Contribution to Project Execution

• Apply project strategy at component level in line with contractual commitments
• Anticipate and escalate deviations impacting project or sub-system objectives
• Manage risks, opportunities, and savings proactively
• Ensure compliance with applicable standards and processes (EHS, Quality, Railway Safety, Ethics, etc.)
• Ensure cross-functional alignment within the component scope

4. Component Leadership & End-to-End Delivery

• Lead component activities from requirement definition to final delivery
• Ensure achievement of QCDP commitments for the component scope
• Cascade objectives and requirements to team members
• Plan, monitor, and control scope, schedule, cost, resources, risks, and opportunities
• Drive collaboration across functions (Engineering, R&D, Procurement, Supply Chain, Industrial, etc.)
• Take ownership of key decisions and trade-offs to secure performance
• Manage scope changes in line with Change & Configuration Management (CCM) processes

5. Cross-Component & Sub-System Coordination

• Ensure synchronization with other components and sub-system teams
• Contribute to the resolution of transversal issues and optimization initiatives
• Manage interfaces with cross-functional stakeholders
• Escalate to SSM level when arbitration is required

Performance Measurement

• Deliver portfolio and component performance in line with QCD targets (including PPI and OTD)
• Ensure Gate Reviews are achieved on time (GO on time)
• Monitor KPIs with transparent reporting
• Identify deviations, perform root cause analysis, and implement corrective actions

Required Qualifications & Skills

Education

Mandatory:

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree

Desirable:

• IPMA Level C certification (or equivalent)

Experience

Mandatory:

• Minimum 8 years of experience in project/program management in an industrial environment
• Proven experience managing complex, multi-stakeholder projects with QCDP accountability
• Experience in team management (hierarchical and/or functional) in a matrix organization
• Strong cross-functional coordination and stakeholder management
• Experience in risk, performance, and KPI management
• Exposure to international and/or multi-site environments

Desirable:

• Knowledge of internal processes, tools, and ways of working
• Familiarity with railway systems and industrial project environments
• Understanding of traction and auxiliary components

Competencies

• Strong project management capabilities
• Proven coordination skills across multiple stakeholders and projects
• Excellent communication and transversal leadership skills
• Strong results-oriented mindset
• Ability to collaborate effectively with multi-functional and multi-site teams