First Abu Dhabi Bank
Program Manager, Portfolio Governance
- Permanent
- Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
- Experience 15 - 20 yrs
Job expiry date: 30/11/2026
Job overview
Date posted
16/10/2026
Location
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Salary
AED 40,000 - 50,000 per month
Compensation
Comprehensive package + relocation
Experience
15 - 20 yrs
Seniority
Manager
Qualification
Bachelors degree
Expiration date
30/11/2026
Job description
Choosing the right projects, funding them sensibly and making sure they deliver real strategic value is the work of this Program Manager within FAB's CPMO in Abu Dhabi. The portfolio covers CB, PB and Marketing, and the Business and Function CPMO Project Portfolio Managers report to you. Monthly Portfolio Governance Committees are yours to prepare and run, with reporting on portfolio health, issues needing management attention and recommendations for executives up to Executive Committee level. Behind those meetings sits a steady cycle of demand intake, prioritisation with the Value & Reporting team, financial reviews with the 360 Value team and a master resource plan agreed with the Change Team. Risks, dependencies and timelines need tracking across the whole change agenda, and benefits must be defined in business cases up front and followed through after go-live. Portfolio dashboards, KPIs and governance frameworks are also part of the build, as is coaching executives and delivery teams on portfolio thinking. Candidates need 15+ years of experience, including at least 10 in portfolio management, project governance and delivery and 5 overseeing large programs, ideally within Banking IT or a PMO. PMP or PRINCE2 certification and S@Fe or another agile certification are required, and an MBA is preferred.
Required skills
Key responsibilities
- Provide governance oversight of the CB, PB and Marketing project portfolio
- Align the project portfolio to corporate strategy so every project delivers quantifiable business value
- Ensure the portfolio adheres to the bank's governance processes, reporting and committees
- Run the monthly Portfolio Governance Committee, reporting portfolio health, key highlights and recommendations to executive level
- Monitor risks and issues at portfolio level and give Senior Management and Executive Committees timely visibility where support is needed
- Advise senior management up to Executive Committee level with ongoing portfolio insights and recommendations
- Track system adoption and benefits realisation after projects go live
- Optimise investment and resource allocation across the portfolio
- Establish governance frameworks for disciplined execution and controlled change
- Define portfolio dashboards, KPIs and reporting structures
- Embed clearly defined benefits in business cases from the outset
- Initiate the annual demand process with Business, Technology and Enablement & Control teams
- Prioritise demand with the Value & Reporting team and consolidate portfolio requirements
- Review portfolio financials with the 360 Value team
- Build a master resource plan covering required skills and headcount and agree it with the Change Team
- Develop the portfolio master plan with the Integration & Governance team
- Identify interdependencies and drive swift alignment and action with teams outside the office
- Manage the Business and Function CPMO Project Portfolio Managers
- Coach executives and delivery teams on portfolio thinking and outcome-focused delivery
- Educate Business, Technology and Enablement & Control teams on PMO processes and templates
- Secure staffing for current and future projects with the Change team and track team productivity
- Transition closed projects to the Value & Reporting team for value tracking
Experience & skills
- Hold a university degree in Technology, Management or an equivalent field
- Bring 15+ years of total experience
- Offer at least 10 years of experience managing portfolios, project governance and delivery
- Demonstrate at least 5 years overseeing or running large programs of work
- Show experience working with Banking IT or a PMO
- Lead a team of 5 to 10 people
- Present clear, concise reports with recommendations and insights to executive level, verbally and in writing
- Engage directly with SVP level in reviews of challenges, guiding and challenging as required
- Oversee more than 5 interdependent projects or programs concurrently
- Apply Agile, Waterfall and Hybrid delivery methodologies
- Possess PMP or PRINCE2 (or equivalent) and S@Fe (or other agile) certification
- Have an MBA or equivalent master's degree (preferred)