Director of Program Management
The Group: Morningstar Indexes provides indexing solutions that measure and benchmark markets and asset classes around the world. We transform Morningstar’s high-quality data, independent research, and technological expertise into index products designed to help empower investors to achieve their goals. We leverage Morningstar’s intellectual property to create innovative investment solutions for every stage of the investment process—market monitoring, benchmarking, and asset allocation. Morningstar Indexes offers a broad suite of global equity, bond, commodity, and asset allocation indexes.
The Role: The Morningstar Index team is looking for a senior leader to drive the transformation of the systems that power Morningstar’s Index business. You will partner with the Director of Index Transformation and the Director of Index Technology to deliver upon the roadmap. You will lead a team of three scrum masters in Chicago and Mumbai to drive forward our technology transformation. We are seeking a results-orientated leader who can inspire or technology team, manage complex interdependencies and effectively in a highly collaborative Agile environment across five squads in Mumbai and Chicago.
An ideal candidate has a strong background in both software delivery and process improvement and is experienced in delivering highly complex strategic projects across cross-functional teams using hybrid project management practices. Experience planning and leading complex projects across multiple teams, including the oversight of multiple project plans and key metrics, as well as the ability to work in a fast-paced technical environment is critical. The person in this role must be able to identify, navigate and ultimately reduce risk throughout the program in order to deliver high value programs on time with high impact. The ability to communicate clearly at all levels, form strong relationships with stakeholders and proactively identify and manage risks is essential in this role.
This position is based in Chicago.
Responsibilities:
• Deliver the multi-year Index technology program, meeting the business requirements, on time and on budget.
• Lead overall program, including executive reviews, capacity forecasting, risk/obstacle resolution, product roadmap reviews and strategies, and dashboarding/metrics
• Manage the three scrum masters for five squads dedicated to Indexes to ensure we are optimally allocating resources, executing on the roadmap. Coach scrum masters, tech leads, product owners/managers/leaders to evolve the Agile practices and culture
• Nurture the creation and growth of high-performance agile teams; influencing key leaders and advocating for an Agile/lean culture
• Lead executive discussions on portfolio/program health, impediment resolution, stakeholder management and resolution of impediments/risks
• Ensure that the program embraces Agile methodology and other relevant project/program management best practices and toolkits (SAFe, Lean, etc).
• Coach teams to identify and solve project issues effectively. Lead efforts to manage and support conflict resolution across priorities and squads.
Requirements:
• Proven track-record as a program manager delivering complex technology projects
• A minimum 10 years of professional experience, including 5 years of program or project management experience
• Bachelor’s degree required; Project/Program Management Professional certification, CFA, MBA or graduate degree in a quantitative or financial discipline is preferred
• Ability to lead and motivate cross-functional teams
• Strong understanding of financial concepts and data models
• Well-versed in Agile methodology
• Strong analytical, trouble-shooting, and problem-solving skills and the ability to work within a rapidly evolving solutions-oriented development group
• Ability to manage multiple, concurrent projects