Data Science Portfolio Manager

Key Skills

Java Programming, Leadership, Python Programming, SQL, Scrum Agile Methodology, AWS, JIRA, Kanban, Confluence

Job Description

The Data Science Portfolio Manager will be an exceptional individual with a project management background and innovation mindset to help guide this dynamic, entrepreneurial team. This leader will partner with a team of data scientists, product managers, project managers and software engineers in the Data Science Organization to develop fair, transparent, and robust data products through science, engineering, research, and partnership, thereby enabling critical decision points to be data-driven across the enterprise.

Our goal is to create a team of innovative, high-performing, curious, and resourceful people who like to think big, start small, scale quickly and are dedicated to their ideas to see programs from conception to delivery. This role will work in cross-functional teams collaborating with subject matter experts across the enterprise.

Responsibilities:

• Responsible for working with the Data Science Leadership Team (DSLT) to set priorities/objectives for the organization along with developing a supporting financial plan to achieve desired results
• Responsible for providing the DSLT ongoing objective analysis and assessment of portfolio health, including budget
• Conduct analysis of portfolio implications due to new/changing work efforts and lead/drive decision making.
• Responsible for looking across the Data Science portfolio to determine project delivery efficiencies and planning considerations including sequencing, bundling, etc. 
• Maintain oversight of project risks and issues and as a strategic member of the leadership team, analyze the project risks in aggregate and drive resolution of project risk trends and lessons learned problem solving to drive continuous improvement.
• Establish an escalation model and use it to resolve contention in priorities. 
• Work with a high degree of autonomy and apply industry leading project and program management knowledge, skills, tools and techniques to project deliverables, processes, communications and presentations in order to meet or exceed stakeholder needs and expectations
• ??Build, deploy, and continuously monitor performance metrics that drive desired behaviors and outcomes. Use existing or develop new dashboards and metrics to effectively lead the data science portfolio.
• Drive problem solving for the organization, especially as it pertains to cross team and cross organization/enterprise problem solving.
• Work with Data Organization leaders to drive operational excellence and ensure adherence to best practices in project delivery.
• Define, lead & facilitate the leadership teams operating agenda – huddles, strategic reviews, etc.
• Drive strategic special projects
• Prepare material (memos, slides, etc.) for executive, team, and/or external consumption
• Identify stakeholder needs, and address problems across the portfolio
• Identify opportunities for scale and efficiencies; drive efforts to reduce or eliminate redundancies.
• As a strategic member of the DSLT, understand the business landscape, emerging technology capabilities and tools, and apply learnings as appropriate to grow and enhance the business. 
• Monitor existing and new enterprise-level technology solutions that may be able to advance team objectives. 
• Oversee the development and execution of key cross-organizational communications and events, focused on connecting and aligning key themes and ensuring clarity of team commitments.
• Adept at problem solving with structured thinking that produces pragmatic, highly organized, scalable and effective action plans.
• Understand, apply, promote and contribute to MassMutual delivery methodologies, standards, and tools
• Administration of staff on/offboarding and support interview process for the organization

Basic Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree, preferably in Computer Science, Data Science or similar disciplines
• Extensive experience and successful track record of establishing, planning and executing complex, strategic, cross-functional enterprise programs with a high degree of change management.
• 8+ years of project management experience preferably within the financial services industry
• Expert with project management tools and techniques such as JIRA, Confluence, Scrum and Kanban, Clarity PPM, and Anaplan financial planning and analysis
• Solid analytical and critical thinking skills
• Experience working in partnership with technical roles involved in delivering data solutions, including data scientists, engineers, developers, etc. 
• Exceptional communication skills, both written and verbal
• Exceptional influencing abilities across all levels of the organization
• Experience implementing SDLC and related controls at scale

Preferred Qualifications:

• Strong understanding of highly regulated environments
• Masters or PhD, preferably in Data Management, Data Analytics, Data Science, Computer Science or similar disciplines
• Financial services knowledge
• PMI Certified Program Management Professional
• AWS Certified Data Analytics – Specialty
• AWS Certified Solutions Architect