Director Lean Portfolio & Agile Transformation

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Seeking a Director Lean Portfolio & Agile Transformation to lead enterprise wide Agile and Lean change for a large telecom IT environment in the United Arab Emirates. This role requires 15+ years in IT, delivery or transformation, with proven leadership of complex multi-vendor programs and a track record of moving from project centric to value stream delivery. You will own Lean Portfolio Management, establish a Lean Centre of Excellence, design operating models and lead change management with executive visibility on flow, predictability and value realization. To apply, tailor your resume to show governance, funding, capacity-based planning, portfolio KPIs, outcomes like faster time to market, and the ability to build internal coaching capacity.

Key Accountabilities:

• Enterprise Agile & Lean Transformation
  • Define and drive the Agile and Lean transformation roadmap aligned to IT and business strategy.
  • Champion Agile values, principles, and behaviors across leadership, product, and delivery teams.
  • Enable the shift from project-centric to value-stream and product-oriented delivery models.
• Agile Coaching & Leadership Enablement
  • Act as a senior Agile coach to IT and Business leadership, Product Owners, and Delivery heads.
  • Coach leaders on Agile decision-making, empowerment, outcome-based funding, and prioritization.
  • Build internal coaching capability and reduce dependency on external consultants over time.
• Lean Portfolio Management (LPM) Ownership
  • Own and operationalize Lean Portfolio Management practices across IT.
  • Define and run portfolio governance covering:
    • Demand intake and prioritization
    • Capacity-based planning and funding
    • Portfolio Kanban and flow metrics
    • Value realization and outcome tracking
    • Ensure alignment between strategy, funding, capacity, and execution.
• Lean Centre of Excellence (LCoE)
  • Establish and lead the Lean Centre of Excellence as the custodian of Agile and Lean standards.
  • Define frameworks, playbooks, templates, and metrics for consistent adoption.
  • Drive continuous improvement through maturity assessments, inspections, and learning cycles.
• Operating Model & Ways of Working
  • Design and evolve Agile–Hybrid operating models suitable for large-scale telecom IT environments.
  • Define clear roles, responsibilities, and governance across Demand, Product, Delivery, and Vendors.
  • Enable effective collaboration across Agile squads, Waterfall streams, and external partners.
• Change Management & Culture
  • Lead the change and adoption strategy to embed Agile mindset and behaviors.
  • Address resistance, legacy behaviors, and structural impediments to agility.
  • Foster psychological safety, transparency, and accountability across teams.
• Metrics, Insights & Value Realization
  • Define and track Agile and Lean performance metrics (flow, predictability, throughput, quality).
  • Measure transformation progress and business outcomes, not just process adoption.
  • Provide executive-level insights to CIO, ExCo, and portfolio forums.
• Vendor & Partner Alignment
  • Align strategic vendors and system integrators to the target Agile and Lean ways of working.
  • Ensure vendor delivery models support portfolio flow, quality, and value outcomes.
  • Reduce friction between internal teams and partners through clear operating expectations.

Qualifications, Experience And Skills:

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, IT, or Business (MBA preferred)

Experience

• 15+ years of experience in IT, delivery, or transformation roles
• Proven leadership of large-scale Agile / Lean transformations
• Experience in complex, multi-vendor, telecom or large enterprise environments
• Relevant certifications (SAFe SPC, Agile Coaching, Lean, or equivalent preferred)

Skills

• Strong transformation leadership and influencing skills
• Deep coaching mindset with executive presence
• Ability to operate at strategy, portfolio, and execution levels
• Systems thinking and value-stream orientation
• Deep knowledge of Agile, Lean, and SAFe / scaled Agile frameworks
• Strong experience with Lean Portfolio Management
• Experience running Agile maturity assessments and transformation programs
• Familiarity with Agile tooling (Jira, Confluence, portfolio dashboards)

Success Measures

• Increased Agile adoption and maturity across IT and Business
• Improved portfolio flow, predictability, and time-to-market
• Strong alignment between strategy, funding, and execution
• Sustainable internal Agile capability with reduced external dependency