As the Strategy Portfolio Manager, you will be responsible for generating clear corporate priorities, determining divisional actions to achieve corporate goals and ensuring cross-functional alignment by coordinating the working relationship between the business and the Project Management Office (PMO), as well as other business units, executive sponsors, internal stakeholders and external vendors. You will work closely with members of the PMO, product management, and other delivery teams on transforming business operations through successful execution of strategic corporate initiatives and projects.

The Strategy Portfolio Manager leverages a collaborative approach to connect the dots between individual business unit goals and corporate strategic and value assurance goals. You will act as a strategic advisor to the business and actively participates with leaders in strategic planning activities. The position enables the end-to-end strategy to execution cycle by approaching this internal service with a customer-centric and collaborative mindset. The position emphasizes using industry insights and performance metric to determine actions that generate value for Manitoba Public Insurance (MPI) while actively seeking to understand corporate priorities and cross-functional dependencies. You will also facilitates long-term vision and roadmap exercises and turns plans into outcomes by shepherding initiatives through corporate planning processes in collaboration with the PMO and Enterprise Value Assurance. A key responsibility of this role is in coordinating action-oriented quarterly planning working sessions at the corporate and divisional levels that highlight progress against plans for the purpose of responding to actual performance.

• Implements, maintains and controls utilization of the formal corporate Strategic Framework.
• Ensures Scaled Agile governance processes and decisions are applied consistently.
• Facilitates ongoing engagement with directors and business owners to plan across corporate level.
• Collaborates with leadership about business cases, determines timelines for strategic cycle and pipeline, as well as approval process through Lean Portfolio Management and benefit realization management via Enterprise Value Assurance.
• Takes ownership and drives strategy forward.
• Engages, defines, and produces MPI’s strategic transformation roadmap, immediate and longer-term view.
• Identifies strategic initiatives, assists in corporate prioritization processes, drives visibility of strategic goal achievement and supports staff at all levels to grow their strategic mindset.
• Facilitates the creation of divisional roadmaps for upcoming years.
• Determine annual corporate OKRs and cascaded divisional and directorate OKRs that highlight transformational priorities.
• Aligns decision making for multi-year technology and business needs.
• Participates in annual business planning, quarterly planning and reviews.
• Engages in in-depth strategy topics within the organization.
• Aligns strategic conversations with responsible leaders, and coordinates and/or supports the business.
• Coordinates and aligns intent and outcomes of planning sessions with the business owners to ensure desired intent/outcome is achieved.
• Facilitates strategy sessions with divisions (facilitation), supports building strategic plans, collect plans and synthesizes into the overall corporate plan.
• Supports the translation of planning activities for action (OKRs, departmental, LPM initiatives, Lean, etc.).
• Works with aPMO, product management and other delivery engines to translate business plans into corporate planning processes..
• Gathers and analyzes relevant data, provides strategic information to leadership to enable action, adjust plans, and make fact-based decisions.
• Supports, prepares and organizes information for Board planning sessions.
• Supports the Board of Director strategic discussions, and provides information that directly impacts long-term strategies and goals.
• Collaborates with Finance to develop annual business planning outputs and subsequently work with the business to define annual Capital funding requirements to support initiatives which supports MPI’s strategic outlook.
• Helps divisions understand market trends, changes, influence, vendor road maps, and new technologies.
• Plans session for divisional leaders to learn and explore industry best practices and ideas.
• Scans external environment factors, new emerging technologies, impacts, etc.
• Provides input into corporate KPI’s – supports and coordinates key inputs for balanced scorecard metrics and OKRs.
• Oversees the creation and review of key metrics, outcomes, and reporting related to key milestones and objectives.
• Provides quarterly updates to the Executive Committee.
• Builds and maintains strong relationships with executive sponsors, business units, external vendors, and Information & Technology (IT) staff.
• Works in partnership with business units on strategic planning, including identifying opportunities for operational efficiency.
• Participates in selection and provides input on performance of project resources.
• Fosters a high performance team culture that is consistent with corporate vision and values, and leading practices.

Education:

• Degree in Commerce, Business, Information Technology or related discipline.

Experience:

• Seven years of related experience, including;

  • Three years in a leadership capacity in project or strategy delivery. 

  • Five years at a senior business analyst level

• Experience in product strategy/vision/roadmaps in a Lean-Agile environment is an asset.
• Experience collaborating with or managing complex cross-departmental teams in a Lean-Agile environment is an asset.

Technical Knowledge and Skills 

• Skilled in strategic thinking and planning.
• Solves problems and finds creative solutions that meet the needs of the business.
• Bridges the gap between business and technology.
• Works independently and as a member of a team.
• Advanced knowledge of IT technologies specific to MPI.
• Advanced relationship management, leadership and influencing skills to guide leadership and all stakeholders to understand vision, resources, priorities and definition of completion/release.
• Manages multiple tasks and a wide variety of priorities.
• Projects and processes management and facilitation skills.
• Apply Business Process Management skills and techniques to business solutions to maximize business value management and operational effectiveness.
• Advanced communication skills to engage and inspire partners and stakeholders to drive collaboration and alignment.
• Advanced attention to detail and analytical skills.

Health benefits

We offer a comprehensive health benefits program that includes:

• flexible health, dental and vision plans
• health spending account
• travel health coverage
• other extended health benefits such as ambulance, massage and physiotherapy

Financial security

In an effort to support financial security, we offer:

• registered pension plan
• group, dependent, and optional life insurance coverage
• critical illness insurance
• sick leave to cover short-term disability
• long-term disability

Wellness

We offer programs that focus on how to better achieve a balance between work and personal commitments, as well as maintain a healthy workplace culture. This includes:

• vacation entitlement
• flexible work arrangement for eligible positions
• maternity, parental and adoptive leaves
• bereavement and family responsibility leaves
• employee and family assistance program
• mental-health programming
• lunch-and-learn offerings
• discounted gym memberships and wellness account

Diversity and inclusion

Manitoba Public Insurance believes that diversity and inclusion strengthens us. We consider ourselves to be a barrier-free organization where individual values, beliefs and practices are respected and appreciated for the diversity they bring to our work life.

Employee recognition

It’s important to recognize our employees for their contributions. Not only do we recognize employees as they achieve milestone years in their careers, we also have several outlets for leaders and peers to reward each other for work well done.

Professional development

We want our employees to grow, which is why we offer support in keeping their skills up-to-date. We offer in-house training, professional development and an educational assistance program.

Safety and health

In an effort to encourage a safe and healthy work environment, we offer various safety, health and workplace policies and programs along with technical expertise and assistance to support employee activities in safety and health.