Director, PMO Strategic Initiatives

About the role

Lead the execution of a portfolio of complex, cross‑functional programs across SES Space & Defense, including strategic initiatives, Intelligence Community customers, and LEO services. Accountable for portfolio performance across scope, schedule, financials, technical execution, service quality, risk, and customer commitments while providing executive‑level visibility into program health, issues, and corrective actions. Lead and develop a team of Program Managers, driving consistent execution, financial discipline, and adoption of formal program management controls. Sit at the center of program delivery, connecting customers, engineering, operations, finance, contracts, supply chain, subcontractors, and senior leadership. Lead programs from planning and contract award through design, development, integration, deployment or launch, commissioning, and transition to operations, maintaining accountability for ongoing service delivery and customer commitments. Help strengthen the SES Space & Defense PMO by improving processes, controls, tools, and operating disciplines used to manage complex programs and portfolios.

Responsibilities

• Lead a diverse portfolio of programs spanning strategic initiatives, LEO services, and other mission‑critical programs, with accountability for overall portfolio performance, execution, and customer outcomes.
• Own full program/portfolio execution across scope, schedule, cost, financial performance, technical execution, service quality, risk, and customer commitments.
• Provide executive leadership with clear visibility into portfolio health, financial and schedule performance, risks, issues, customer commitments, corrective actions, and emerging priorities.
• Lead execution of strategic growth initiatives, including MEO‑enabled programs supporting space data relay, hosted payloads, free‑flyer missions, and other emerging space‑enabled services.
• Lead integrated, cross‑functional program teams spanning engineering, operations, supply chain, contracts, finance, product development, and other functional organizations.
• Partner with business development and capture teams to support market development, strategic pursuits, capture activities, and proposal development.
• Direct program execution across the full lifecycle, from contract award and program initiation through development, integration, deployment/launch, commissioning, and transition to operations.
• Lead, mentor, and develop a team of Program Managers, establishing clear accountability for execution, financial discipline, customer commitments, and adherence to PMO standards.
• Oversee the development, maintenance, and control of key program baselines, including Work Breakdown Structures (WBS), Integrated Master Schedules (IMS), program management plans, and technical baselines.
• Drive financial performance across the portfolio through disciplined management of budgets, forecasts, EAC/ETC, revenue, cash flow, margins, and financial recovery plans.
• Establish and enforce rigorous program controls, including EVMS principles, integrated scheduling, risk and opportunity management, change and configuration control, performance reporting, program reviews, and audits.
• Serve as customer/senior stakeholder interface, leading reviews, managing expectations, negotiating changes, resolving escalations, and communicating risks and performance.