Director, Project Portfolio Services

At Apeel Sciences, we look to nature to help the global food system improve quality, reduce waste, and ensure an abundant future for our planet.  

We believe that our most essential ingredient in our recipe for success is our people. We strive to cultivate an environment where everyone is welcomed, and can bring their full, authentic selves into everything they do at Apeel. Humility, Ingenuity, Leadership and Teamwork are the values that define us and how we work with each other, customers, and communities across the globe.

About This Role

We are seeking an enthusiastic Director, Project Portfolio Services to hold this position for the first time.  In this role you will provide informal leadership and management in direct support of critical process and system improvement initiatives, and serve as a collaborative influencer to improve Apeel’s approach to project and portfolio services functions. This is a critical role for our organization, in which our portfolios encompass numerous complex, resource intensive projects to be completed with a high degree of quality on accelerated timelines. 

This role is part of Apeel’s Project Leadership Organization (PLO), and reports to the Senior Director, PLO. We are looking for someone to join us immediately in Santa Barbara, CA.

What You’ll Do

• Architect, develop, roll out, and manage the Apeel’s project portfolio services accountabilities including (but not limited to) enterprise portfolio management, project controls and analytics, project estimation and risk management, and systems and process improvement, and project scheduling best practices
• Establish and lead Apeel’s project portfolio planning and prioritization to ensure it connects to key stakeholder planning functions (Finance, Product, Operations, Sales, Capital equipment, Talent Acquisition, etc) based on value, risk, and strategic alignment
• Develop and maintain governance tools, templates, guidelines, procedures and processes to support Apeel’s project portfolios and project execution
• Manage the continuous improvement of PLO’s standard project and portfolio management processes
• Directly Manage Apeel portfolios in the early planning and approval stages, across multiple divisions (Capital Integrations, technology, product development) to ensure optimal selection, prioritization and utilization of capital and people resources
• Establish and report on project, program, and portfolio performance metrics, that connect project and portfolio performance to organizational goals and influence organizational decision making at Sr Leadership levels, as well as continuous improvement within the PLO
• Work with project managers to assess and track cost and schedule progression of all project work and consolidate reporting at the enterprise level
• Manage resource leveling across Capital, Product, and Technology project portfolios
• Coordinate project intake, prioritization, and evaluation framework that is informed by organizational data.
• Collaborate with internal stakeholders and executives in order to understand capacity and optimize planning and resource leveling cross functionally to deliver strategic vision
• Lead the selection, implementation, and management of Apeel Enterprise Portfolio and Project management platform

What You Bring

• Bachelor's degree in a technical discipline 
• 10-12 years of progressively responsible experience in project and / or portfolio management
• 3 or more years of specific Portfolio Management experience, including the development & launch of portfolio management processes
• Experience in the establishment, development, leadership and / or expansion of an enterprise PMO or PfMO is considered an asset
• Experience with projects that involve introducing new technology as well as upgrading existing technology is an asset
• Significant experience with Project and Enterprise Portfolio Management Software (i.e. Clarizen, Planview, Primavera, WorkFront, etc.)
• PMP certification, certification in Agile Methodologies (PMI-ACP or other industry standard certification) is an asset
• Strong organization leadership skills; with the ability to influence without authority
• Ability to work in a start-up environment where projects can change rapidly, and make decisions independently sometimes with limited information

Apeel believes that the scale of our impact is determined by the teams that work with us. As such, we seek to build high-performing teams of people from various experiences and backgrounds who can collectively push our company into new realms. We seek a diverse pool of applicants and consider all qualified candidates regardless of race, ancestry, color, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, religion, national origin, citizenship, disability, Veteran status, marital status, or any other protected status. If you have a special need or disability that requires accommodation, please let us know.