Project Planning Manager - Portfolio Governance

About Us The Financial Times is one of the world’s leading news organisations, globally recognised for its authority, integrity and accuracy, with a mission to deliver quality information and services worldwide. At the FT, curiosity thrives and ambitious thinking is rewarded. Here, you’re given the chance to reach millions, create work that matters and deliver impartial journalism in a polarised world. In our warm, collaborative culture, you’ll connect with a diverse community of experts who support your growth, career aspirations and wellbeing. Your future at the FT will be filled with opportunities that challenge and inspire you. With no fixed path, you’ll discover new skills and forge a career that can take you anywhere. Build a newsworthy career at the FT. Our Commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion We believe in the power of unique perspectives and want all voices in our organisation to be heard, respected and valued. A supportive workplace is one where employees feel they can be themselves and operate to their full potential. We are committed to removing barriers for everyone, with a focus on addressing those faced by underrepresented groups. The Role As Portfolio Governance and Planning Manager, you will play a pivotal role in ensuring the FT's portfolio of change initiatives is governed, prioritised and planned effectively. Working within Portfolio and Programmes, you will lead the governance processes that assess proposed initiatives for strategic alignment, value creation, cost, risk and feasibility before investment decisions are made. Acting as the gateway between idea generation and execution, you will enable informed, data-driven decision-making, balancing organisational priorities, capacity and investment to maximise business value. You will work closely with senior stakeholders across Product, Technology, Editorial, Data, Commercial and Corporate functions to drive transparent governance and effective portfolio planning. Key Responsibilities Lead portfolio intake and demand management processes, facilitating reviews of new initiatives and identifying duplication, consolidation opportunities and appropriate delivery pathways. Partner with stakeholders to shape and refine proposals, ensuring sufficient information is available for evaluation and prioritisation. Ensure initiatives are consistently assessed against governance standards, impact criteria and investment requirements. Challenge business cases, assumptions and benefit forecasts to support evidence-based investment decisions. Highlight risks, dependencies, opportunity costs, trade-offs and capacity impacts to enable transparent prioritisation. Manage the quality and completeness of submissions to governance forums for senior leadership review. Lead portfolio capacity planning, maintaining visibility of demand, resource utilisation and delivery constraints. Support quarterly and annual planning cycles with robust analysis and prioritisation recommendations. Produce governance reporting, monitor delivery against approved business cases and provide actionable portfolio insights. Build trusted relationships with senior stakeholders, promoting collaboration, accountability and effective portfolio governance. Drive continuous improvement by embedding best practice portfolio management, lean governance and outcome-based investment approaches. Support the automation and enhancement of portfolio management tools, reporting and governance frameworks. Required Skills and Experience Essential Proven experience leading enterprise portfolio management, PMO/VMO leadership or strategic programme governance. Strong understanding of technology change and the ability to bring together expertise from multiple technical teams to assess investment opportunities. Excellent financial acumen with experience evaluating investment value, benefits and return on investment. Experience working within complex, matrixed organisations. Outstanding facilitation, communication and stakeholder management skills, including engagement with senior leaders. Ability to translate strategic objectives into practical prioritisation frameworks and governance processes. Strong analytical skills with a data-driven approach to decision-making. Desirable Experience within media, publishing, digital subscription or technology-led organisations. Experience supporting investment identification, prioritisation and portfolio oversight. Familiarity with Agile delivery environments and product operating models. Experience with portfolio management frameworks such as Lean Portfolio Management, MoP, SAFe LPM or enterprise PPM platforms. What's in it for You? Our benefits vary by location but we are committed to providing best-in-class perks across all our offices. These include generous annual leave, medical cover, inclusive parental leave packages, subsidised gym memberships and opportunities to give back to the community. Full details of our benefits are available here: https://aboutus.ft.com/careers/benefits. We’ve embraced a 50% hybrid working model (averaging two to three days onsite) that fosters trust and remote adaptability while encouraging in-person camaraderie and peer learning. Additionally, we are open to accommodating specific flexible working pattern requests for all roles where feasible. Accessibility We are a Disability Confident employer and a Valuable 500 signatory. Please let us know if you require any reasonable adjustments or personalised support during the application process or interview. If you have any questions, please contact talent@ft.com. Further Information At the FT, we embrace innovation and the use of technology and appreciate that individuals may leverage AI tools as part of their job application process. Whilst we are happy for you to use AI to assist with your application, it is essential that all information provided is authentic and accurately represents your skills, experience, and qualifications. Candidates should be aware that the use of AI throughout the application process may be monitored to ensure a fair and transparent hiring process for all. Please beware of fraudulent job postings and offers claiming to be from the Financial Times. 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