Head of Technical Portfolio

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Job Purpose

We're looking for a Technology Portfolio Lead to help shape the next chapter of our evolution into a product-led, technology-first organization. This is a rare opportunity to build a new function from the ground up - creating the first centralized view of our technology portfolio, improving how we plan and prioritize work, and enabling teams to deliver value with greater clarity, flow, and alignment.

You'll be establishing the foundations we've never had before: shared visibility of roadmaps, consistent governance, clear decision pathways, and a unified approach to planning and prioritization. Working closely with Product, Engineering, Finance, and Executive leaders, you'll modernize how we operate at scale and help embed ways of working that support long-lived products, empowered teams, and outcome-driven investment.

About Product & Technology

Product & Technology plays a pivotal role in aligning the organization with its strategic objectives and enhancing shareholder value. Product & Technology is responsible for establishing unified standards and governance practices throughout the company. Additionally, we oversee the development and maintenance of core applications essential for the seamless operation of various functions across the organization. We are committed to driving and executing future roadmaps that are in line with the overall strategic direction of RWS.

With a global reach, Product & Technology provides support services to over 7500 end users worldwide. We take pride in managing the information security operation and safeguarding all our assets. Our core functions encompass Enterprise & Technical Architecture, Network & Voice, Infrastructure, Service Delivery, Service Operations, Data & Analytics, Security & Quality Compliance, Transformation, Application Development, Enterprise Platforms, With a dedicated team of over 500 staff, Product & Technology ensures a strong presence across all regions, enabling efficient and effective support to our global operations.

Job Overview

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership & Vision

• Set and communicate a portfolio vision that unifies teams, clarifies priorities, and drives consistent, value-focused decision-making.

• Translate strategic priorities into actionable portfolio plans that guide decision-making across the organization.

• Lead the shift toward a product-led, tech-first operating model by shaping the structures, processes, and behaviors that support it.

• Assess the current landscape and develop a strategy for maturing portfolio practices, governance, and visibility.

Organizational Leadership

• Build strong cross-functional alignment across RWS business stakeholders, Product, Engineering, Architecture, Finance, and Operations.

• Establish clear communication flows so teams and leaders stay informed, connected, and engaged.

• Bring clarity to decision-making by defining roles, pathways, and escalation mechanisms.

• Influence senior stakeholders to drive alignment, reduce delays, and support strategic prioritization.

Portfolio Planning

• Create and maintain a single, trusted view of the technology portfolio, including priorities, dependencies, risks, and progress.

• Orchestrate intake and prioritization processes to reduce overcrowding, context switching, and unplanned work.

• Standardize planning and tracking practices across teams working in agile, hybrid, and waterfall-influenced environments.

• Provide meaningful insights and analytics that enable timely, data-driven decisions.

Budget Management

• Connect spend to outcomes through transparent ROI tracking and value-based investment decisions.

• Partner with Finance to evolve funding models that support long-lived products and value streams.

• Improve financial stewardship without adding unnecessary governance or slowing teams down.

• Monitor budget utilization and forecast future needs to support strategic planning.

Skills & Experience

Leadership & Strategy

• 10+ years working in modern technology environments and partnering closely with engineering teams.

• Proven experience shaping and executing technology strategy in a complex organization.

• Ability to influence senior leaders and drive organizational change.

• Experience leading transformation toward more product-led, outcome-driven ways of working.

Cross-functional Organization

• Strong track record working across Product, Engineering, Architecture, and Finance.

• Skilled at simplifying complexity and building alignment across diverse teams and stakeholders.

• Comfortable navigating organizations with mixed delivery approaches and varying levels of maturity.

Running & Managing a Portfolio

• Hands-on experience leading technology or product portfolios in multi-team environments.

• Expertise in portfolio planning, prioritization, and dependency management.

• Experience working with agile teams, with an understanding of waterfall or hybrid delivery environments.

• Ability to design and evolve portfolio operating models that balance agility with strategic discipline.

Portfolio Reporting & Analytics

• Strong analytical capability with experience building portfolio dashboards, insights, and reporting for senior leadership.

• Ability to create a unified view of work across multiple tools, teams, and delivery methods.
• Experience using data to drive decisions, highlight risks, and improve predictability.

Life at RWS

Life at RWS - If you like the idea of working with smart people who are passionate about growing the value of ideas, data and content by making sure organizations are understood, then you'll love life at RWS.

Our purpose is to unlock global understanding. This means our work fundamentally recognizes the value of every language and culture. So, we celebrate difference, we are inclusive and believe that diversity makes us strong. We want every employee to grow as an individual and excel in their career.

In return, we expect all our people to live by the values that unite us: to partner, putting clients fist and winning together, to pioneer, innovating fearlessly and leading with vision and courage, to progress, aiming high and growing through actions and to deliver, owning the outcome and building trust with our colleagues and clients.

RWS embraces DEI and promotes equal opportunity, we are an Equal Opportunity Employer and prohibit discrimination and harassment of any kind. RWS is committed to the principle of equal employment opportunity for all employees and to providing employees with a work environment free of discrimination and harassment. All employment decisions at RWS are based on business needs, job requirements and individual qualifications, without regard to race, religion, nationality, ethnicity, sex, age, disability, or sexual orientation. RWS will not tolerate discrimination based on any of these characteristics.

RWS Values

Get the 3Ps right - Partner, Pioneer, Progress - and we'll Deliver together as RWS.

Recruitment Agencies: RWS Holdings PLC does not accept agency resumes. Please do not forward any unsolicited resumes to any RWS employees. Any unsolicited resume received will be treated as the property of RWS and Terms & Conditions associated with the use of such resume will be considered null and void.