M5M5 — Senior Director
Senior Director / Head of Program Management
Sets the vision and strategic direction for project and program management across the enterprise. Owns global project portfolio performance and alignment with corporate strategy.
What this level means
Leads multiple functions or a large department; drives multi-year strategy.
- Scope
- Multiple functions or a large department
- Autonomy
- Owns multi-year strategy for the area
- Complexity
- Org-level trade-offs and investment
- Impact
- Multi-function results
- Decision rights
- Owns investment and org design across functions
- Leadership
- Leads directors and managers
- Typical experience
- 12–18 yrs
What you'd do
- Align project portfolios with corporate business strategy and mission.
- Lead Directors and PMO heads.
- Chair or direct portfolio review boards.
- Represent project outcomes to investors, board of directors, and external stakeholders.
- Define the organization’s portfolio risk profile.
- Align portfolios with strategy
- Lead PMO heads
- Chair review boards
- Represent outcomes to stakeholders
- Define risk profile
Skills, knowledge & tools
- Vision setting
- Stakeholder representation
- Portfolio risk management
- Leadership
- Strategic alignment
- Corporate strategy alignment
- Portfolio management
- Stakeholder engagement
- Risk management
- Organizational development
- Visionary leadership
- Influence
- Risk-Taking & Judgment
- Organizational Development
What good looks like
- Advanced executive-level education (PhD, MBA, or equivalent)
- 15+ years, including multiple leadership roles
- Executive leadership credentials preferred
Common titles
Senior Director, Project and Program ManagementProject and Program Management Senior DirectorSenior Director, Project and Program ManagerProject and Program Manager Senior DirectorSenior Director / Head of Program Management
Where it sits & what it pays
O*NET / SOC: 13-0000 — Business & Financial Operations Occupations(inferred · under review)
Market-pay benchmarks for this family × level are coming — JobFrame anchors pay to the family/level structure rather than the raw title.