Portfolio Director - COO

Wholesale Risk is split into 4 sub portfolios (Market Risk, Counterparty Credit Risk, Capital Reporting and Wholesale Credit Risk, each split into Agile Release Trains (ARTS) operating on Scaled Agile (SAFE) methodologies, with over 120 teams and

The COO role is reporting to Head of Strategy and Transformation, and is responsible for managing the daily operations of the organization including:

• Organization Performance & Reporting – Facilitating monthly operating reviews and portfolio-level reporting to provide visibility into key KPIs and organizational health
• Preparing townhalls, management meetings and onsite meetings
• Financials – Managing the budget for the organization, including budgeting, forecasting, and associated reporting
• Resourcing and Hiring – Overseeing global hiring and capacity management to ensure resource allocation is prioritized across key locations and initiatives.
• Talent & People – Managing talent development, people recognition and HR related activities in aligned with HR 

Competencies:

• Experience in budget planning, tracking and managing actuals and forecast on managed and provider views. 
• Competent in tooling (excel, powerpoint), strong ability to aggregate and present data 
• Experience in talent management and using HR processes (non specific to Barclays)
• Prior CIO/ Chief of Staff experience at a senior (Director) level

Purpose of the role

To lead the portfolio management team in the delivery of successful projects, while ensuring that portfolio management processes and practices are aligned with controls and governance standards and that projects are aligned with the organisation’s strategic objectives. 

Accountabilities

• Leading of portfolio management team, including setting of portfolio vision, management of portfolio performance, and provision of guidance and support to portfolio analysts.
• Monitoring of portfolio performance, including tracking of project progress, managing budgets, identification of thematic risks and issues, and reporting on portfolio status to senior management.
• Management of portfolio documentation, including aggregation of portfolio book of work, schedules, and budgets, and ensuring that portfolio documentation is up-to-date and accurate.
• Facilitation of portfolio governance, including ensuring that projects are aligned with the organisation’s strategic objectives, aligned with the controls and governance standards and that portfolio thematic risks and issues are managed effectively.
• Managing the portfolio Book of Work outlining the sequence and dependencies of change initiatives, considering factors like resource availability, stakeholder buy-in, and potential risks.
• Facilitation of change management activities, to ensure that change initiatives are successfully implemented and embedded in the organisation.
• Continuous improvement of portfolio management practices, including identification of areas for improvement and implementation of changes to improve portfolio performance.
• Collaboration with stakeholders, including senior management, project teams, and external partners, to ensure that portfolio management practices are aligned with their needs and expectations.
• Development of portfolio management processes that are aligned with controls and governance standards and that support the delivery of successful projects.

Director Expectations

• To manage a business function, providing significant input to function wide strategic initiatives. Contribute to and influence policy and procedures for the function and plan, manage and consult on multiple complex and critical strategic projects, which may be business wide..
• They manage the direction of a large team or sub-function, leading other people managers and embedding a performance culture aligned to the values of the business. Or for an individual contributor, they lead organisation wide projects and act as deep technical expert and thought leader, identifying new ways of working and collaborating cross functionally. They will train, guide and coach less experienced specialists and provide information affecting long term profits, organisational risks and strategic decisions..
• Provide expert advice to senior functional management and committees to influence decisions made outside of own function, offering significant input to function wide strategic initiatives.
• Manage, coordinate and enable resourcing, budgeting and policy creation for a significant sub-function.
• Escalates breaches of policies / procedure appropriately.
• Foster and guide compliance, ensure regulations are observed that relevant processes in place to facilitate adherence.
• Focus on the external environment, regulators, or advocacy groups to both monitor and influence on behalf of Barclays, when appropriate.
• Demonstrate extensive knowledge of how the function integrates with the business division / Group to achieve the overall business objectives.
• Maintain broad and comprehensive knowledge of industry theories and practices within own discipline alongside up-to-date relevant sector / functional knowledge, and insight into external market developments / initiatives.
• Use interpretative thinking and advanced analytical skills to solve problems and design solutions in often complex/ sensitive situations.
• Exercise management authority to make significant decisions and certain strategic decisions or recommendations within own area.
• Negotiate with and influence stakeholders at a senior level both internally and externally.
• Act as principal contact point for key clients and counterparts in other functions/ businesses divisions.
• Mandated as a spokesperson for the function and business division.

All Senior Leaders are expected to demonstrate a clear set of leadership behaviours to create an environment for colleagues to thrive and deliver to a consistently excellent standard. The four LEAD behaviours are: L – Listen and be authentic, E – Energise and inspire, A – Align across the enterprise, D – Develop others.

All colleagues will be expected to demonstrate the Barclays Values of Respect, Integrity, Service, Excellence and Stewardship – our moral compass, helping us do what we believe is right. They will also be expected to demonstrate the Barclays Mindset – to Empower, Challenge and Drive – the operating manual for how we behave.