Director, Project Management Office

Summary

The Director, Project Management Office (PMO) provides strategic leadership for Athens Services'' enterprise Project Management Office, overseeing the governance, execution, and continuous improvement of a diverse portfolio of capital, operational excellence, technology, and strategic initiatives.

This role is responsible for advancing the maturity of the PMO by strengthening portfolio governance, developing project management talent, improving organizational prioritization, and ensuring projects deliver measurable business value. The Director partners closely with executive leadership and cross-functional stakeholders to align project investments with organizational strategy while fostering a culture of accountability, collaboration, operational excellence, and continuous improvement.

Job Description

Portfolio Leadership & Governance

• Lead and continuously improve the enterprise Project Management Office.
• Establish and maintain portfolio governance processes, including project intake, prioritization, stage-gate reviews, capacity planning, and portfolio reporting.
• Develop a comprehensive enterprise view of project priorities, resources, risks, and investment decisions.
• Chair portfolio governance meetings and present recommendations to executive leadership.
• Ensure project selection and prioritization align with strategic business objectives.

Strategic Planning

• Align project portfolios with corporate strategy and organizational priorities.
• Partner with executive leadership to evaluate and prioritize strategic investments.
• Develop portfolio roadmaps that maximize organizational value and resource utilization.
• Support long-range planning and capital investment decisions.

Project Delivery

• Oversee successful delivery of enterprise-wide initiatives involving:
• Capital projects
• Technology implementations
• Operational excellence initiatives
• Infrastructure improvements
• Strategic business initiatives
• Monitor project health, schedules, budgets, risks, dependencies, and resource allocation.
• Ensure standardized project management methodologies are consistently applied.

Benefits Realization

• Establish processes to define, baseline, measure, and report project benefits.
• Track realization of:
• Cost savings
• Cost avoidance
• Productivity improvements
• Capacity gains
• Revenue improvements
• Operational performance metrics
• Partner with Finance to validate business cases and realized financial benefits.

Team Leadership

• Lead, coach, mentor, and develop an established team of Project Managers.
• Build career paths, competency models, and professional development plans.
• Foster a high-performance culture focused on accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
• Support succession planning and leadership development within the PMO.

Cross-Functional Leadership

• Partner with Operations, Information Technology, Customer Experience, Human Resources, Procurement, Maintenance, Safety, Sales, Finance, and other business functions.
• Facilitate organizational change management and adoption planning.
• Build alignment among stakeholders to successfully implement enterprise initiatives.

Executive Communication

• Prepare executive-level dashboards, portfolio reports, presentations, and recommendations.
• Communicate portfolio status, risks, resource constraints, and investment recommendations to senior leadership.
• Serve as a trusted advisor regarding project prioritization and enterprise investment decisions.

Continuous Improvement

• Advance PMO maturity through standardized processes, governance, reporting, and performance measurement.
• Implement best practices for project and portfolio management.
• Evaluate and improve project management tools, reporting capabilities, and operational effectiveness.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's degree in Business Administration (MBA), Engineering, Operations Management, or a related discipline.
• Professional certifications such as:
• Project Management Professional (PMP)
• Program Management Professional (PgMP)
• Portfolio Management Professional (PfMP)
• Lean Six Sigma Green Belt or Black Belt
• Agile certifications (PMI-ACP, Scrum, SAFe, or equivalent)
• Experience using enterprise Project Portfolio Management (PPM) software such as Monday.com or similar platforms.
• Experience developing executive dashboards using Power BI or similar business intelligence tools.
• Experience integrating project portfolio systems with ERP or financial systems.
• Experience implementing recognized PMO maturity models.
• Experience in one or more of the following industries:
• Environmental Services
• Waste & Recycling
• Utilities
• Transportation
• Logistics
• Manufacturing
• Construction
• Industrial Operations
• Infrastructure
• Asset-intensive or multi-site operational organizations.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Advanced knowledge of project, program, and portfolio management principles.
• Strong strategic planning and organizational leadership capabilities.
• Excellent financial and business acumen.
• Ability to evaluate competing priorities and recommend investment decisions.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent organizational and planning abilities.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to lead organizational change and influence stakeholders at all organizational levels.
• Ability to build collaborative relationships across departments.
• High emotional intelligence, sound judgment, and professional integrity.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a dynamic environment.
• Commitment to safety, operational excellence, environmental stewardship, and customer service.

Leadership Competencies

• Strategic Thinking
• Enterprise Leadership
• People Development
• Cross-Functional Collaboration
• Executive Presence
• Change Leadership
• Decision Making
• Accountability
• Continuous Improvement
• Operational Excellence

Working Conditions

• Primarily office-based with regular travel to Athens operating locations throughout California.
• Occasional visits to operational facilities, maintenance shops, transfer stations, recycling facilities, and construction sites.
• Ability to travel between multiple company locations as business needs require.
• May occasionally work evenings or weekends to support major project implementations or business initiatives.

Salary $175,000 - $225,000

Benefits:

• Competitive wages
• Comprehensive benefit package Medical, Dental, Vision
• 401K
• Life Insurance
• Paid Vacation and Sick Time
• Career plan
• Recognition programs
• Professional development learning
• An exceptional work environment

Athens will consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with the requirements of the Los Angeles Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance and any other applicable state, federal or local laws. EEO/M/F/disability/veteran