VP, IT Enablement

Key Responsibilities and Essential Job Functions 

Strategic Program & Portfolio Management:

• Mature and scale a world-class PMO function, moving beyond tactical project tracking to strategic portfolio management.

• Implement robust program and portfolio management capabilities, aligning technology investments with Flexential's overall business objectives and value streams.

• Spearhead strategic alignment and issue resolution by partnering with Business Relationship Management to overcome complex roadblocks and drive initiatives that directly support Flexential's business objectives.  

Agile and Product-Centric Delivery:

• Champion the shift from project-based to product-centric delivery, building and scaling agile and hybrid-agile methodologies throughout the IT organization.

• Enable IT delivery teams (Product, Network & Backbone; Infrastructure; Applications; SW Engineering & Development) with the processes and tools to accelerate time-to-value for new products and services. 

• Define and track key metrics, such as cycle time, product adoption, and business impact, to demonstrate the value of the product model. 

Enterprise Architecture & Planning:

• Influence the development of the long-term technical roadmap by providing a strategic portfolio perspective to Enterprise Architecture, ensuring architectural decisions support overall business objectives, scalability, and future-readiness.

• Collaborate with the EA team to ensure new initiatives align with the architectural runway, avoid technical debt, and leverage emerging technologies like AI.

• Integrate EA principles into the PMO's governance structure to ensure a cohesive and resilient technology landscape. 

Talent and Culture Development:

• Foster a high-performance culture within the enablement function and across IT, emphasizing accountability, innovation, and continuous learning.

• Establish clear career paths and development opportunities within the PMO and delivery roles, attracting and retaining top talent. 

• Drive organizational change management efforts to embed new processes and mindsets as the IT organization matures.

Operational Excellence and Enablement:

• Partner with internal and cross functional "Run" teams (Service Desk; Security; Data Intelligence; Infrastructure; Product, Network & Backbone) to standardize operational playbooks and drive continuous process improvement across operations and support. 

• Oversee a robust vendor and ecosystem management function, ensuring effective governance of strategic partnerships and third-party risk management. 

• Implement Technology Business Management (TBM) frameworks to provide cost transparency and align financial management with business value. 

Leadership & Organizational Development:

• Shape the Future: Align all IT initiatives with enterprise strategy, industry trends, and emerging best practices.  Lead weekly staff calls to ensure consistent communication and alignment across teams, and serve as the primary conduit for team enablement through town halls, staff cadence, and offsite planning.  

• Inspire Teams: Articulate a compelling vision and energize employees around innovation, collaboration, and performance excellence.  Foster engagement through regular staff interaction and strategic communications that reinforce how IT is accelerating company priorities.

• Optimize Talent: Scale the organization by implementing structured succession planning, a defined skills matrix, and targeted development programs for IT and other leaders throughout the business.

• Foster Innovation: Create a culture where experimentation is encouraged, calculated risks are supported, and continuous improvement is celebrated.

• Drive Accountability: Establish clear success metrics, maintain rigorous performance standards, and ensure results through data-driven decision-making.  Take ownership of compiling and driving executive and company updates to ensure high visibility and alignment to key objectives and Flexential’s enterprise priorities. 

Required Qualifications  

Experience:

• Progressive Leadership Experience: Minimum of 10 years in IT leadership roles, with at least 5 years specifically managing strategic functions such as a PMO, Enterprise Architecture, or IT Enablement. 

• Delivery Framework Expertise: Demonstrated experience designing, implementing, and scaling IT delivery models, including a shift from traditional project-based approaches to product-centric and Agile methodologies. 

• Strategic Planning & Execution: Proven track record of translating high-level business objectives and strategic imperatives into actionable, well-governed, and measurable technology initiatives and programs. 

• Business Alignment: Direct experience in embedding IT leaders or Business Relationship Managers (BRMs) within business units to ensure technology investments are aligned with strategic goals. 

• Vendor and Third-Party Management: Hands-on experience in overseeing vendor management, including strategic partnerships, contract negotiations, and third-party risk management. 

• Financial Management: Experience implementing Technology Business Management (TBM) or similar frameworks for cost transparency and managing significant technology budgets to maximize ROI. 

• Team Leadership: At least 5 years of experience leading, mentoring, and developing high-performing, multi-disciplinary IT teams. 

Technical Expertise: 

• Enterprise Architecture: Deep understanding of enterprise architecture principles and how they influence the design of scalable, resilient, and secure technology solutions. 

• Modern Technology Landscape: Solid grasp of modern technologies relevant to a data center environment, including cloud platforms (e.g., AWS, Azure), AI/data analytics tools, and enterprise application ecosystems.

• Cybersecurity and Risk Management: Knowledge of cybersecurity best practices and experience in embedding security and compliance controls within IT governance and initiatives. 

• Data and Analytics Governance: Understanding of data governance principles and experience in enabling data-driven decision-making across an organization. 

• Operational Excellence: Familiarity with IT Service Management (ITSM) principles and proven ability to balance operational stability ("Run") with transformational initiatives ("Change").

Business & Leadership Skills:

• Strategic Vision: Ability to define and articulate a clear, compelling technology vision that aligns with long-term business strategy and fosters buy-in from executive peers and stakeholders. 

• Executive Presence and Influence: Exceptional communication, presentation, and negotiation skills with the ability to influence senior leaders across the organization and translate complex technical topics into business-friendly language. 

• Change Management: Demonstrated ability to lead and navigate organizational change effectively, particularly during the transition to new delivery models and operational structures. 

• Problem-Solving & Decision-Making: Strong analytical and critical-thinking skills, with a track record of making data-informed decisions to resolve complex business and technical challenges. 

• Collaboration & Partnership: Proven ability to build strong, collaborative relationships with executive peers, business unit leaders, and technical teams to drive cohesive outcomes. 

• Accountability & Ownership: Ability to instill a culture of ownership and accountability within teams, driving a relentless focus on delivering business value.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Advanced Degree: An MBA or other relevant advanced degree is highly preferred 

• Industry Experience: Previous experience in the data center, telecommunications, or a closely related technology-intensive industry 

• Certifications: Professional certifications in areas such as program management (e.g., PgMP), scaled agile frameworks (e.g., SAFe), or cloud platform governance 

• Experience with Emerging Tech: Experience in evaluating, piloting, and scaling emerging technologies, such as advanced AI/ML capabilities