Director, Project & Portfolio Management Office

Dana-Farber Cancer Institute is a leader in cancer research and patient care. The Director provides strategic and operational leadership for the Project and Portfolio Management Office, overseeing governance, intake, prioritization, portfolio performance, and project management standards. The role leads project management staff, develops organizational capabilities, and partners with stakeholders to align and deliver strategic initiatives.

Responsibilities:

• Provides strategic leadership for the Project and Portfolio Management Office, defining and advancing portfolio governance, project management standards, intake processes, prioritization approaches, and performance expectations that support Dana-Farber’s institutional and departmental goals
• Directs the evaluation, intake, and prioritization of new initiatives in partnership with Information Services and business leaders, ensuring proposed work is supported by clear business cases, defined scope, resource requirements, budget considerations, measurable outcomes, and alignment with strategic priorities
• Oversees the Institute’s project and portfolio management methodology and related tools, establishing consistent practices for project initiation, planning, execution, monitoring, issue escalation, risk management, change control, status reporting, and project closeout, while driving adoption and continuous refinement of these practices
• Leads portfolio oversight activities, including project assignment, capacity planning, workload balancing, dashboard reporting, portfolio reviews, and compliance checks, to promote delivery discipline, transparent decision-making, effective resource utilization, and timely identification of risks, dependencies, and barriers
• Partners with senior leaders, operational stakeholders, and technical teams to ensure projects are sequenced appropriately, interdependencies are understood, governance decisions are documented, and portfolio recommendations reflect organizational strategy, operational realities, and available capabilities
• Builds organizational project and portfolio management capability through coaching, training, mentoring, and communication, including the development of educational resources, lessons learned repositories, and practical guidance that strengthen project management maturity across Information Services and the broader Institute. Training responsibilities include teaching project management core classes as well as related soft skills and tools through DFCI Project University
• Manages relationships with vendors and external partners related to project delivery and project management tools, while also leading staff performance, development, engagement, and accountability to support high-quality service, strong collaboration, and a culture of continuous improvement
• Supervises staff. Hires, develops, and manages staff to achieve organizational goals. Sets clear expectations, delivers feedback, and monitors performance for quality, efficiency, and compliance with policies and procedures. Mentors staff, fosters career growth, and cultivates a positive and productive work environment

Requirements:

• Deep knowledge of project, program, and portfolio management reporting tools/ platforms, principles, methodologies, governance models, and best practices, with the ability to apply them effectively in a complex, matrixed environment
• Strong understanding of the full project lifecycle, including business case development, scope definition, scheduling, budgeting, risk and issue management, dependency tracking, change control, benefits realization, and project closeout
• Demonstrated ability to establish, lead, and continuously improve PMO or PPMO functions, including intake processes, governance forums, prioritization frameworks, portfolio reporting, and methodology adoption
• Ability to align portfolios and projects with strategic objectives, operational priorities, and resource constraints, and to recommend appropriate tradeoffs based on institutional needs, capacity, and available capabilities
• Strong leadership skills with demonstrated success managing, coaching, mentoring, and developing project managers and other professionals with varied levels of experience, while promoting accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement
• Excellent judgment and decision-making skills, including the ability to assess complex situations, identify and mitigate risks, evaluate competing priorities, and escalate issues appropriately
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret project and portfolio data, define performance measures, identify trends, and translate findings into actionable recommendations for leadership
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to present complex information clearly and effectively to executives, managers, technical teams, and cross-functional stakeholders
• Demonstrated ability to influence without direct authority, build consensus, foster collaboration across departments and leadership levels, and facilitate governance and stakeholder discussions to drive clarity and informed decision-making in ambiguous situations
• Bachelor's degree required in Business Administration, Healthcare Administration, Information Systems, Project Management, Public Health, Operations Management, or a related field required
• 8 years of progressively responsible experience in project management, portfolio management, PMO leadership, or related operational leadership in a complex organization required
• 5 years of people management experience required
• Experience leading enterprise or department-level project intake, prioritization, governance, resource planning, and portfolio reporting required
• PMP, PgMP, PfMP, PMI-ACP, Lean, Six Sigma, or comparable project/program/portfolio management certification
• Master's degree preferred
• Experience in healthcare, academic medicine, research, or other highly matrixed and regulated environments preferred
• Experience managing technology-enabled, operational, and cross-functional strategic initiatives preferred