Role summary/purpose of job
The IT organisation consists of three main divisions: Technology, Data, and Product.
The Technology division includes Technology Services, responsible for systems support and system maintenance; Technology Delivery, which implements technology changes within the Business; and Architecture, which supports IT architectural design functions to align with the Business strategy and expectations.
The Technology Portfolio Planning Manager is responsibile for the planning, forecasting, and resourcing of the Technology change portfolio, as well as ovesight of the coordination of change and communication activities that support successful delivery. This leadership role combines oversight of portfolio governance and resource management with accountability for stakeholder engagement and change enablement. The role ensures that delivery capacity is aligned with business priorities, governance frameworks are consistently applied, and communication strategies effectively support adoption and transparency. The manager will also line manage the Technology Resource Planning Analyst, Technology Portfolio Analyst and the Technology Change & Communications Lead, providing direction, coaching, and performance oversight to drive a high-performing and collaborative team culture.
Key responsibilities and deliverables
Portfolio Planning & Governance
- Lead the planning of the technology change portfolio roadmap, ensuring alignment with strategic objectives.
- Oversee Technology portfolio governance processes including reporting to ensure transparency and accountability.
- Ensure consistent application of project lifecycle methodologies and governance standards across all Technology portfolio initiatives.
- Champion the journey towards organisational agility by introducing efficient and effective Technology portfolio management practices.
Resource Management
- Establish resource management as a core service offering within IT & Technology Delivery, embedding it into delivery and planning processes.
- Develop and implement resource planning strategies that align resource allocation with portfolio demands and organisational goals.
- Lead IT-wide resource capacity planning to ensure optimal utilisation across programmes, projects, and BAU activities.
- Analyse resource demand, availability, and constraints to create effective allocation plans and identify optimisation opportunities.
- Forecast resource supply and demand in collaboration with Delivery Managers and Technical Lead
- Resolve resource conflicts and escalations, and support contingency planning for high-risk scenarios.
- Oversee the introduction, configuration, and continuous improvement of resource planning and time tracking tools.
- Maintain accurate resource records and documentation to support planning and reporting.
- Provide guidance to portfolio areas on skill requirements and resource acquisition strategies.
Change & Communication Leadership
- Hold overall accountability for the planning, execution, and effectiveness of change and communication activities across the Technology Delivery portfolio.
- Oversee the development and delivery of communication strategies that support stakeholder engagement, transparency, and adoption of technology-driven change.
- Ensure the Technology Change and Communication Manager has clear objectives and support to deliver impactful communication plans for IT initiatives, including go-live messaging, stakeholder updates, and change impact communications.
- Provide strategic direction for change enablement activities, including stakeholder impact assessments, readiness evaluations, and training coordination.
- Monitor the effectiveness of communication channels (e.g. newsletters, dashboards, Teams updates) and ensure they are aligned with portfolio priorities and audience needs.
- Review and approve change management strategies that support the adoption of new systems, tools, and processes.
- Ensure feedback loops are in place and used to refine communication and change approaches based on stakeholder input and project dynamics.
- Oversee the creation and use of templates for standardised communications and post-implementation feedback processes.
- Ensure dashboards and visual reporting tools are used to track communication effectiveness and change adoption metrics.
- Identify and manage risks related to change and communication activities, escalating where necessary and ensuring mitigation plans are in place.
Leadership & Line Management
- Provide day-to-day leadership, coaching, and development support to the Technology Resource Planning Analyst and Technology Portfolio Analyst and the Technology Change and Communications Manager.
- Set clear objectives, conduct regular performance reviews, and support career development and progression.
- Foster a collaborative, inclusive, and high-performing team culture aligned with the values of the Technology Delivery function.
Stakeholder Engagement
- Act as a key liaison between Technology Delivery, Architecture, Product, and Business stakeholders for all matters related to portfolio and resource management.
- Deliver clear, data-driven insights to support decision-making at IT Leadership and Executive levels.
- Represent the Technology Delivery function in cross-functional planning forums and governance bodies.
Key requirements (Communication/skills/experience)
Essential
Experience & Background
- Proven experience in IT resource planning, capacity management or project coordination within an IT and/or agile delivery environment.
- Strong project financial acumen and ability to analyse resource-related costs and budgets.
- Experience working in a matrixed organisation with multiple concurrent projects.
Analytical & Technical Skills
- Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret complex data sets and translate them into actionable insights.
- Proficiency in resource planning tools (e.g. Asana, Monday.com, Planview or similar) and Excel-based modelling.
- Proficiency in time recording tools and analysing and reporting on forecast vs actuals data
Communication & Collaboration
- Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to influence across technical and non-technical teams.
Delivery Methodologies
- Familiarity with Agile and Waterfall delivery methodologies.
Desirable
- Exposure to enterprise-level IT transformation programmes.
- Professional certification in resource management or project management.
- Experience of using tools such as Azure Devops, MS Office Suite, and PowerBI
- Experience supporting or leading tool evaluations for portfolio or resource management platforms.
Inclusion
Freshfields is an equal opportunities employer and all applications received by the firm will be considered by the firm on the basis of their merit alone and we welcome applications from all suitably qualified individuals regardless of background. All offers of employment will be conditional on the candidate having/securing the right to work in the UK and providing the firm with evidence of that right (as required by the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006) prior to employment commencing.
Freshfields is a Ban the Box employer. We ask applicants to disclose criminal convictions only when a conditional job offer is made. A conviction does not automatically lead to withdrawal of the offer: we make decisions on a case-by-case basis and take a number of factors into account (e.g. the role you are applying for and the circumstances of the offence). You would have the opportunity to discuss the matter with us before we make a decision.
