AI and Data Portfolio Director

Job Title AI and Data Portfolio Director Job Description Summary The TDS Portfolio Director is part of the global TDS PMO organization and reports into the Head of the TDS PMO. The Portfolio Director is responsible for strategic planning, portfolio health, execution, and governance of all projects and initiatives within an assigned area. This role is also responsible for managing and mentoring a team of project professionals to deliver the technology programs and projects. Job Description Responsibilities will include technology portfolio planning, estimating, and demand management, ensuring all projects within the portfolio are managed effectively through a full project lifecycle. The Portfolio Director will ensure all projects follow the defined governance processes and change management methodologies and will also have a strong focus on Portfolio Reporting and Analytics. Portfolio governance and management: The portfolio director ensures that all projects follow the appropriate governance, methodologies, processes, and standards. They also plan, schedule, and manage the resources and dependencies for the portfolio. Reporting and analytics: The portfolio director provides regular reports on the portfolio, program, and project status, resource demand, and financials. They use the standards set by the EPMO. Collaboration and partnership: Act as the primary point of engagement for TDS executive sponsors (SMG leaders), ensuring they have clear, consistent visibility into portfolio health, risks, and tradeoffs.Manage executive feedback and escalations with sound judgment, assessing signal vs. noise and driving appropriate action without over-rotation or delay.Coach and influence executive stakeholders on effective engagement, decision-making, and ownership within their portfolios. Risk and issue management: The portfolio director is responsible for ensuring that operational risks and issues are considered and reported during the design, development, and implementation of projects. They also identify and mitigate common or significant risks impacting the portfolio. Identify systemic risks and patterns across projects, not just isolated issues, and proactively surface implications and recommended actions. Anticipate cross-project dependencies, conflicts, and opportunities for alignment or consolidation. Mentoring and coaching:Lead, coach, and develop a team of Project Managers to operate as accountable owners, not coordinators. Provide real-time coaching on stakeholder management, risk handling, and decision-making under pressure. Foster a team environment focused on continuous improvement, ownership, and delivery confidence. Governance and decision making: The portfolio director participates in governance boards, steering committees and roadmap discussions to guide decision making on project sequencing, dependencies, and conflicts. They also provide oversight on feasibility studies, systems roadmaps, and business cases. Portfolio-level insight and optimization: Look across the full portfolio to identify themes, trends, and opportunities to improve delivery outcomes, including resource alignment, sequencing, and cross-project collaboration. Partner with other Portfolio Directors to ensure consistency and visibility across the broader TDS portfolio, not just within an individual area. Responsibilities: Portfolio Management: • Collaborate with leadership to define and prioritize projects in the portfolio. • Manage and execute planning, scheduling, resource requirements and dependencies for the portfolio • Manage and report risks and issues to projects in the portfolio. • Provide decision-ready portfolio reporting, including status, risks, resource demand, and financials. • Manage interdependencies with other projects or programs both within and outside the portfolio. • Manage relationships with key owners across TDS and within individual functions, business units. • Manage relationships with a variety of stakeholders to influence and negotiate where applicable. • Manage relationships with strategic vendor partners. • Manage and Chair Portfolio meetings as required. • Remove or mitigate barriers to success. • Contribute to defining PMO governance and methodology and ensure adherence with project teams. • Participate in COE and roadmap discussions, suggest improvements. Project Management (as applicable): • May directly lead critical initiatives as needed, operating as a senior project leader when appropriate Additional Responsibilities & Soft Skills: • Strong executive presence with the ability to engage, challenge, and influence senior stakeholders with clarity and confidence. • Excellent written and verbal communication • Financial acumen • Highly adept at project and change management • Solution oriented problem solver • Strong prioritization skills • Analytical and data-driven • Management and leadership skills • Self-starter • Ability to articulate ideas to both technical and...