Director, Managed Project Office (MPO)

As Director of our Managed Project Office, you lead the performance, standards and development of the project-management discipline for Open Systems worldwide. You lead a global team that delivers the implementation of our managed network-security platform for enterprise customers in more than 180 countries. Open Systems configures, ships and installs the required Service Delivery Platform across all customer’s locations and arranges the lines for on-site connectivity; your office governs how that work is planned, run and brought home — in every region we operate in.

This is an opportunity to evolve and strengthen a well-established function, building on an existing foundation while introducing greater consistency, maturity, and impact. We are looking for somebody who will evolve the team into a mature Managed Project Office: a structured delivery function with clear and effective methodologies and standards, repeatable governance and the responsibility to set clear standards for how projects are run. You are responsible for two equally important areas — how project management works as a discipline inside the CCO organization, and the growth of the project managers themselves. When a project escalates, you balance two important priorities: the customer relationship and your own team. You create the conditions for your project managers to succeed while balancing customer needs, team wellbeing, and company priorities. You exercise sound judgment in navigating complex situations and competing considerations.

The mission

In your first 6–12 months we expect you to:

• Define and embed a single, common delivery methodology and project-governance framework across the global team — stage gates, risk and change management, planning and reporting standards that hold up with demanding enterprise customers in any region.
• Move the team from task coordination to accountability for outcomes: predictable time-to-value, clean handovers, and projects that are managed rather than merely tracked.
• Build a coherent global footprint deliberately, with project managers working across multiple regions and time zones, and a single consistent way of working regardless of location.
• Establish the metrics that matter — on-time activation, milestone adherence, escalation volume and time-to-resolve — and guide performance using these measures.
• Raise individual capability through coaching, mentoring and clear accountability, so the team’s reputation with customers and internally rises with it.

What you own

• Leadership responsibility of the global project-management team: performance, priorities, resourcing and development across all regions.
• The project-management discipline itself — methodology, standards, governance and the quality bar for delivery.
• Delivery of enterprise implementation projects to time, scope and customer satisfaction, in close partnership with Customer Success, Service Delivery / Mission Control, and Professional Services.
• Responsibility for escalation management within project governance.
• Capability and succession for the team — hiring, growing and retaining skilled project managers across all regions.

Who you are

• You have the ability to make timely decisions and drive progress, and the energy to lift the team around you.
• Someone who brings order to complexity — structured and analytical, and able to turn a vision into practical, repeatable delivery.
• You operate through credibility and care, not force.
• A leader who develops high-performing teams who establishes clear expectations and supports performance while keeping their trust.
• Comfortable setting the standard and providing expert guidance and quality oversight, because your own deep expertise in project management is solid.

Minimum requirements

• 10+ years in enterprise IT project and/or programme delivery, including complex, multi-site implementations for large organisations.
• 5+ years in a formal people-leadership role directly managing project managers (not matrix or dotted-line only); experience managing other team leads or managers is strongly preferred.
• Must be able to show a demonstrable track record of standing up a Project Management Office, or materially raising the delivery maturity of a project team — methodology, governance and reporting standards you personally introduced and embedded.
• Experience leading geographically distributed teams across multiple regions and time zones.
• PMP certification (PMI) — current and valid — is required.
• A degree (ETH, university or FH) in Computer Science, Engineering or a related field, or equivalent professional experience.
• Fluent in English (our working language); German is an advantage given the Zurich headquarters.
• Willing and able to travel internationally across the regions we operate in.

Bonus points for

• Additional certifications: Prince2 Practitioner, PgMP, P3O, or an Agile credential (SAFe, PMI-ACP, PSM).
• Experience in a managed-services, SaaS or 24/7 operations environment.
• Background in global networks, connectivity or internet service providers.
• Working knowledge of core network-security concepts — SASE, SD-WAN, ZTNA, SWG, CASB or firewall-as-a-service.
• Commercial and negotiation experience with ISP or technology partners.

Location & setup

The role is home-based in Germany and carries a worldwide remit, with regular travel to our Zurich headquarters expected to maintain a close connection with the team. You will lead a team that works closely with customers across multiple regions and time zones, while applying one consistent standard wherever projects are delivered.

Originally posted on Himalayas