Manager – Demand & Portfolio Management

Key Accountabilities:

• Demand Intake & Governance
• Own and manage the end-to-end demand lifecycle from intake to closure across BAU, projects, and strategic initiatives.
• Ensure all demands meet entry criteria (business case, scope clarity, dependencies, and priority alignment).
• Enforce standardized demand artefacts (BRDs, epics, CRs) in collaboration with Product, Architecture, and Delivery teams.
• Act as the single point of orchestration for Business demands impacting IT systems.
• Cultivate strong relationships and communication channels with Business [Commercial & Customer and Channels], IT [design, delivery and development. etc], Technology [Architecture, Service Operation, Network, TSRM], and Support Functions [Finance, HR, Procurement, etc].
• Key contributor for Product simplification and rationalization, MVP focus, embedding digital first components as applicable for fastest TTM and highest value.
• Portfolio Prioritization & Planning
• Drive portfolio prioritization aligned to business strategy, regulatory needs, and IT roadmap.
• Balance short-term BAU, revenue-generating initiatives, and long-term strategic investments.
• Facilitate prioritization forums with senior Business and IT stakeholders.
• Maintain a single version of truth for the demand and project portfolio.
• Capacity & Financial Alignment
• Partner with Capacity & Planning teams to align demand forecasts with available capacity (internal teams and strategic vendors).
• Ensure demand plans are feasible within budget, MD capacity, and delivery constraints.
• Highlight capacity bottlenecks, funding gaps, and trade-off options to leadership.
• Support budget planning, forecast accuracy, and portfolio-level financial transparency.
• Agile & Waterfall Portfolio Oversight
• Manage demand flow across Agile squads and Waterfall delivery streams, ensuring clarity on execution model.
• Ensure Agile backlogs are sufficiently refined and aligned with PI/quarterly planning.
• Track execution progress, dependencies, and risks across both models.
• Stakeholder Management & Communication
• Act as a trusted advisor to senior Business stakeholders on demand feasibility and sequencing.
• Provide clear, data-driven portfolio insights to IT leadership (status, risks, trade-offs, value).
• Resolve cross-functional conflicts related to priority, capacity, and delivery ownership.
• Reporting, Metrics & Continuous Improvement
• Define and track portfolio KPIs (e.g., demand throughput, execution predictability, scope stability, time-to-market).
• Provide executive-level dashboards and insights for decision-making.
• Continuously improve demand management processes, tools, and governance frameworks.Qualifications:

• Minimum Bachelor in Information Technology/ Information Services/ Computer Science
• Certifications such as Project Management, Agile Methodologies is a Must
• Master’s degree is a plusExperience:

• 10–15 years of experience in IT demand, portfolio, program, or delivery management
• Experience in telecom IT environments (BSS/OSS preferred)
• Prior experience working with large transformation programs and BAU portfolios
• Exposure to multi-vendor delivery environments
• Must have exposure to the Netcarcker stackSkills:

• Strong portfolio and demand management expertise in large IT environments
• Excellent stakeholder management and executive communication skills
• Ability to make trade-off decisions balancing value, cost, risk, and capacity
• Structured, data-driven, and outcome-oriented mindset
• Strong understanding of Agile, SAFe, and Waterfall delivery models
• Solid grasp of capacity planning, MD-based delivery models, and vendor governance
• Proficiency with Jira, Confluence, and portfolio reporting toolsSuccess Measures:

• Improved demand predictability and on-time delivery
• Reduced unplanned work and scope volatility
• Higher portfolio throughput and business satisfaction
• Clear alignment between strategy, funding, capacity, and execution