FLEX Director IT Agile Program Management

Job Description

This is a temporary position.

In this pivotal role, you will leverage your transformational leadership to drive business agility within the Technology Experience Center with focus on a key initiative to modernize the operating model and organizational structure of the service desk teams. This role will lead the design, planning, and delivery for this complex transformational initiative. Responsibilities include significant stakeholder management, requirements gathering, process engineering, and communication (written and verbal presentations). To be effective in this role, an individual should have a combination of expertise in project management, change management, analysis, strong interpersonal skills and experience in navigating complex organizational dynamics.

CANDIDATE PROFILE

Education and Experience

Required:

• Undergraduate degree or equivalent experience/certification
• Ability to effectively communicate with stakeholders in all mainstream mediums
• Ability to create and deliver executive-level presentations from one-pagers to slide presentations
• Strong process management, negotiating, influencing, and problem resolution skills
• 8 years relevant work experience in complex programs demonstrating:
  • Project/program management expertise including schedule, dependency, risk, stakeholder and communication management.
• Demonstrated ability to translate stakeholder needs into requirements, creatively approach solutions, and influence appropriate courses of action.
• Proven experience in strategic initiatives, especially in complex or large-scale organizational initiatives.
• Ability to craft clear, effective communication strategies to communicate the rationale for change, the benefits and how it will impact stakeholder groups to varying audiences.
• Ability to manage resistance, resolve conflicts that arise, and drive focus during the change process. Expertise in identifying and analyzing key stakeholders and developing engagement strategies.
• Ability to evaluate training effectiveness and provide guidance to instructional designers.
• Experience in transformational operating model initiatives.
• Ability to assess impacts of and readiness to implement the operating model to tailor strategies.
• Experience in using survey tools or other mechanisms to gather insights on sentiment surrounding transformation.

Preferred:

• Graduate degree
• Project management certification
• Experience with the application of change management methodologies, such as the ADKAR Model or McKinsey 7-S Framework.
• Certifications in Agile, Product, Lean methodologies
• Proficient in Agile SAFe or comparable similar framework
• Experience in ITSM and/or customer support or service desk environments
• 2-3 years of experience leading agile/product/lean transformation within a large complex organization
• Experience with agile tools such as Jira, Rally, or Azure DevOps for managing backlogs and workflows - Jira preferred
• Knowledge of digital transformation trends and technologies in IT service management
• Excellent analytical skills where problems are very unusual and extremely difficult
• Ability to facilitate workshops, utilizing design thinking principles to generate actionable solutions and outcomes
• Ability to understand and communicate the lifecycle of technologies and applications and to translate into business strategies for the client organizations
• Ability to accomplish results through others, particularly by establishing relationships, effective controls and partnering

Soft Skills

• Servant leadership that highly values feedback
• Demonstrated ability to work autonomously as well as part of a team.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, impeccable organization, and attention to detail
• Ability to influence stakeholders at all levels, from front-line employees to executives.
• High level of empathy and the ability to connect with employees at all levels of the organization.
• Skilled in negotiation and finding win-win solutions during challenging situations or when resistance to change arises.
• Ability to see the "big picture" and align change efforts with the organization's long-term vision and goals.

CORE WORK ACTIVITIES

Program Management

• Manage program/project schedule within Jira, identifying dependencies and blockers.
• Create high quality/polished artifacts like presentations, one-pagers, and read outs that will be shared at the executive level
• Develop program-level governance, managing status, risks, issues, dependencies, and reporting across teams
• Escalate and monitor program risk management, creating and implementing mitigation plans
• Works with Initiative Owner, Release Train Engineer and project leadership/stakeholders to support Agile and initiative management activities as directed.

Initiative Change Management

• Lead change impact assessment for assigned transformational initiatives
• Build and manage a detailed communication plan, customized by stakeholder group, to include communications for various phases of change through multiple channels in partnership with Communications Center of Excellence.
• Communicate outcomes of change to appropriate stakeholder groups.
• Manage delivery of communications by leaders, change champions, and others identified in the communication plan to ensure timely delivery of final communications.
• Acts as change champion, reinforcing the vision and expected outcomes to obtain buy-in.
• Communicate effectively with stakeholders across business disciplines
• Contribute to functional design including demonstrations to stakeholders to assist with validating approach.
• Encourage collaboration between teams (e.g. business groups, solution architects, and product owners)
• Generate enthusiasm and understanding of the department's vision and individual contributions
• Manage the flow of questions surrounding change and directs questions to appropriate groups.

Stakeholder Engagement and Collaboration

• Lead stakeholder analysis, documenting stakeholder group impact, interest level, and communication preferences.
• Participate in and facilitates business requirements analysis and design work sessions including creating business presentations, communications, and documentation.
• Work with team to put sustainable work processes and systems in place that support the execution of the initiative.
• Help identify creative solutions to business requirements, analyzes alternatives, and provides recommendations.
• Work with internal and external stakeholders to obtain additional insights, approaches, and demonstrations of solutions.

Additional Responsibilities

• Informs, updates, and provides information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person in a timely manner
• Attends and participates in all relevant meetings
• Presents ideas, expectations, and information in a concise, organized manner
• Uses problem solving methodology for decision making and follow up
• Maintains positive working relations with internal customers and department managers
• Manages time effectively and conducts activities in an organized manner
• Performs other reasonable duties as assigned by manager

The pay range for this position is $56.58 to $91.73 per hour.

Washington Applicants Only: Employees will accrue 0.0334 PTO balance for every hour worked and eligible to receive minimum of 9 holidays annually.

FLEX opportunities offer coverage for medical, dental, vision, health care flexible spending account, dependent care flexible spending account, life insurance, disability insurance, accident insurance, adoption expense reimbursements, paid parental leave, 401(k) plan, stock purchase plan, discounts at Marriott properties, commuter benefits, employee assistance plan, and childcare discounts. Benefits are subject to terms and conditions, which may include rules regarding eligibility, enrollment, waiting period, contribution, benefit limits, election changes, benefit exclusions, and others.

Marriott HQ is committed to a hybrid work environment that enables associates to Be connected. Headquarters-based positions are considered hybrid, for candidates within a commuting distance to Bethesda, MD; candidates outside of commuting distance to Bethesda, MD will be considered for Remote positions.

The application deadline for this position is 14 days after the date of this posting, January 16, 2025.

Marriott International is an equal opportunity employer. We believe in hiring a diverse workforce and sustaining an inclusive, people-first culture. We are committed to non-discrimination on any protected basis, such as disability and veteran status, or any other basis covered under applicable law.

About the Team

Marriott International is the world's largest hotel company, with more brands, more hotels and more opportunities for associates to grow and succeed. Be where you can do your best work, begin your purpose, belong to an amazing global team, and become the best version of you.

Employers have access to artificial intelligence language tools (“AI”) that help generate and enhance job descriptions and AI may have been used to create this description. The position description has been reviewed for accuracy and Dice believes it to correctly reflect the job opportunity.