IT Portfolio Manager

Serving the needs of all families with young children, Carter's Inc. is the largest North American apparel retailer exclusively for babies and young children, encompassing Carter's, OshKosh B'gosh, Skip*Hop and Little Planet brands. Meaningful work, constant learning, genuine people, and a community guided by core values that promote inclusion and innovation is in everything we do. There are many reasons to build your career at Carter's.

HOW YOU'LL MAKE AN IMPACT:

We're looking for a results-driven IT Portfolio Manager to lead critical initiatives within Information Security, Infrastructure, and Network Services. This role focuses on delivering measurable project outcomes through expert portfolio management, leadership, and process execution. With 7+ years of IT experience (including 4+ years managing projects), the ideal candidate will demonstrate mastery in methodologies like Agile Scrum, Kanban, and Waterfall, as well as a proven ability to motivate teams, resolve conflicts, and drive projects to successful completion. Agile Scrum and PMP certifications are preferred. If you're ready to inspire teams and turn strategies into results, we want to hear from you!
This role typical reports to Director, Project Management Office, has 1 direct report and is based in our Buckhead (Phipps) office as part of our hybrid work environment. The expectation is in the office as needed, estimated to be once per week.

40%: Portfolio Management

• Lead the strategy, planning, execution, and evaluation of IT projects to deliver impactful results.
• Manage project budgets, allocate resources effectively, and ensure successful delivery within financial limits.
• Establish best practices, benchmarks, and key performance metrics to drive operational excellence and project success.
• Oversee organizational change management, including identifying key roles, communication, solutions adoption, training, and compliance.
• Support executive decision-making by providing project updates, addressing skill gaps, and organizing project teams to meet strategic objectives.

40%: Project Management

• Apply expert knowledge of project and program management best practices to effectively manage projects and programs.
• Oversee complex initiatives spanning across the business, ensuring alignment with strategic objectives and stakeholder goals.
• Coordinate across technology, operations, and business teams to manage interdependencies and develop comprehensive project plans.
• Lead the delivery of high-quality projects using both waterfall and agile methodologies to achieve successful outcomes.
• Manage large-scale IT projects, driving execution and ensuring projects are completed on time, within scope, and to stakeholder satisfaction.

20%: Leadership & Management

• Build strong professional relationships with peers, leadership, and business partners at all levels to foster collaboration and ensure project and organizational success.
• Collaborate with leadership to develop and execute growth strategies, while mentoring and coaching project managers to align with project or program objectives.
• Lead, manage, and evaluate direct reports and project teams to ensure high performance and continuous development.
• Present effectively to senior leaders, using a consultative and action-oriented approach to influence decisions and drive strategic initiatives.
• Foster innovation by promoting new ideas, embracing calculated risks, and championing change to achieve transformative goals.

WE'D LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU IF:
Must have:

• Project & Portfolio Management Skills
• Communication Skills
• Leadership Skills

Preferred skills and experience:

• Demonstrated expertise in project delivery: Proven ability to develop accurate project plans, meet milestone deadlines, effectively allocate and manage resources, clearly communicate project status with stakeholders, proactively manage risks, and efficiently handle multiple concurrent activities to achieve project goals.
• Proven success in managing diverse project methodologies: Experience successfully delivering projects of varying size and complexity using methodologies such as Waterfall, Agile Scrum, and/or Kanban. Experience coaching others to improve Agile delivery and foster growth is plus.
• Strong leadership and communication skills: Proven ability to effectively communicate complex technical concepts and portfolio updates to executive leadership, ensuring alignment with business objectives. Demonstrated success in resolving conflicts diplomatically and facilitating consensus among stakeholders with competing priorities. Skilled in leading and managing organizational changes, including implementing new processes, technologies, or systems, while minimizing disruption and securing stakeholder buy-in.
• Strong collaboration and relationship-building skills: Ability to work effectively and build strong relationships with employees at all levels of the organization. Proven ability to create and implement new processes and systems. Skilled at coordinating and motivating cross-functional team members, including those who do not report directly.
• Supervisory and team leadership experience: Proven ability to manage direct reports, including monitoring work quality, establishing measurable development objectives, and delivering meaningful, constructive feedback to drive team performance and growth.
• Proficiency in Portfolio and Project Management Tools: Knowledge of tools like Jira, Confluence, ServiceNow for ITSM and ITBM, or Smartsheet systems for portfolio and resource management.
• Knowledge or aptitude in IT domains: Hands-on experience or strong interest in learning Information Security, Infrastructure, and Network technologies to effectively support related projects and initiatives.
• Education and Certification: Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Business Administration, or a related field required. Possess a minimum of 2 years of demonstrated program management experience and 7+ years of overall IT work experience, including at least 4 years of successfully managing IT projects. Agile Scrum certification (e.g., CSM, SAFe, or equivalent) and PMP (Project Management Professional) certification are strongly preferred.

OUR TEAM MEMBERS:

• Lead Courageously: Have a strong sense of personal values that align with our Company values
• Collaborates Broadly: Build cooperation, trust, and thrive in a consensus driven environment
• Customer Focus: Proactively seek opportunities to leverage data and fact-based insights to serve customers and/or internal clients
• Drive Growth: Set aggressive goals and implement plans precisely
• Cultivates Innovation: Respectfully challenge the "we've always done it this way" mentality and explore new ways to achieve desired outcomes

MAKE A CAREER AT CARTER'S:
Career Development: Success starts from within, and we have several paths from which you can choose to enhance your career evolution. From Carter's University to Toastmasters to mentorship programs and more, we encourage you to utilize these tools to elevate your professional prowess.
NOTE: This job description is not intended to be all-inclusive. The duties described may be changed or reassigned at the discretion of management, and the employee may be required to perform duties that are not listed in the job description.

Carters is committed to creating a diverse environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, veteran status, or any other status protected by federal, state, or local law.