Director, IT Portfolio Strategy & Execution - Global Technology & Business Services

What Strategic Planning/Execution contributes to Cardinal Health

Strategy is responsible for leadership, direction and expertise in the development of business strategy, strategic management disciplines and business analytics that support the company's mission vision and valuation objectives, in close collaboration with business leaders.

Strategic Planning/Execution is responsible for developing and supporting the realization of strategic plans and management agendas.

Job Summary

The Director, IT Portfolio Strategy & Execution is a key leadership role within Global Technology & Business Services (GTBS), accountable for enterprise IT portfolio strategy, governance, financial management, and execution transparency across Cardinal Health's segments. This leader owns the portfolio lifecycle and operating rhythm, enabling timely investment decisions and consistent delivery discipline. A critical dimension of this role is serving as the connective layer between the Finance organization and the IT portfolio team — fluent enough in financial concepts to understand the intent behind Finance data requests and capable of translating those requirements into clear direction for portfolio staff. 

The Director is also accountable for portfolio financial forecasting outputs — including year-end close support and forecast cycles — and for ensuring visibility to P&L and GAAP impacts in partnership with Finance and Accounting. This leader builds and sustains a responsive, trust-based partnership with Finance to strengthen alignment and ensure both organizations operate from a shared understanding of portfolio performance.  This role drives data standards, reporting quality, and continuous improvement across portfolio processes and tools.

Responsibilities

• Manage the IT portfolio lifecycle end-to-end: planning, evaluation, funding, execution, optimization, and refresh

• Establish and enforce a portfolio operating rhythm that ensures investment decisions are auditable and consistently executed across segments

• Define and maintain portfolio operating standards that create a single way of working across lines of business

• Own portfolio financial forecast outputs across budget, actuals, and forecast cycles; partner with Finance and Accounting to align to P&L and GAAP impacts and controls

• Lead portfolio variance analysis and action planning; coordinate year-end close readiness activities

• Enforce financial hygiene: timely updates to estimates and assumptions, triggers for business case refresh, funding changes, and governance review

• Act as the primary translator between Finance and the portfolio team — interpret financial terminology (e.g., rolling forecasts, capital/expense classification, GAAP treatment), understand the underlying business intent, and ensure the portfolio team delivers accurate, timely, and properly structured information back to Finance

• Proactively communicate financial signals — including over/under spend and re-forecast needs — so Finance can plan and deploy capital accordingly

• Lead the demand intake process to ensure complete input, clear sponsorship, and structured evaluation prior to governance decisions

• Define and operate prioritization standards and supporting governance to ensure enterprise-wide consistency in portfolio decisions

• Own portfolio capacity planning, risk management, and dependency tracking — including cross-program constraints and sequencing

• Publish executive-level portfolio health reporting with clear variance drivers, delivery confidence, and decision options

• Drive portfolio optimization across active investments to ensure delivery outcomes and financial performance

• Provide leadership oversight of the IT software renewal and asset management function, ensuring renewal cycles, licensing decisions, and cost optimization are aligned to portfolio and financial plans

• Define portfolio data standards, metrics, and quality controls across segments

• Leverage enterprise tools and data sources (e.g., Planview/PPM, SAP financial reporting, and related platforms) to provide dashboards and enterprise reporting

• Evolve portfolio practices in step with the market landscape, including emerging capabilities in AI, analytics, and automation

• Lead and develop a portfolio organization of direct and indirect resources; set goals, coach capabilities, and build a culture of accountability and continuous improvement

• Serve as a teacher and mentor to staff — proactively explain the "why" behind new ways of working, build financial literacy within the team, and develop internal capabilities as the organization evolves its portfolio and finance operating model

• Build strong partnerships across IT leadership, Finance, Accounting, and business stakeholders; facilitate alignment, resolve conflicts, and communicate with executive presence

• Work closely and collaboratively with the IT PMO, recognizing that the two organizations are tightly interconnected, while maintaining distinct accountability for portfolio-level strategy and investment governance

Qualifications

• 8+ years of experience in IT portfolio/investment governance, program management, and/or IT financial management in a complex enterprise environment preferred

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Finance, Accounting, Management, Information Systems, or related field preferred; Master's degree a plus

• Portfolio, program, or project management certification (PfMP, PgMP, PMP, or equivalent)

• Demonstrated fluency in financial concepts — including rolling forecasts, capital/expense treatment, P&L/GAAP implications, and FP&A processes — sufficient to engage credibly with Finance partners and translate their requirements to the portfolio team

• Demonstrated accountability for forecasting outputs and executive reporting across budget, actuals, and forecast cycles, working knowledge of capital/expense concepts and P&L/GAAP implications

• Experience leveraging PPM and financial/reporting tools (e.g., Planview, SAP, or similar) to drive reporting and process discipline

• Strong analytical, facilitation, and change leadership skills; ability to translate complex delivery and financial information into clear options and recommendations

• Proven leadership capabilities, including ability to manage diverse teams in a matrixed environment

• Exceptional emotional intelligence, collaboration, and interpersonal skills — proven ability to rebuild trust between organizations, navigate ambiguity, and foster partnership in environments where roles and responsibilities are being clarified

• Strong coaching and team development orientation; track record of growing team capabilities and leading through organizational change

• Strong communication skills and executive presence; demonstrated experience as a trusted partner to senior leadership

• Experience working within a highly matrixed environment or public company

What is expected of you and others at this level

• Provides leadership to managers and experienced professional staff; may also manage front line supervisors

• Manages an organizational budget

• Develops and implements policies and procedures to achieve organizational goals

• Assists in the development of functional strategy

• Decisions have an extended impact on work processes, outcomes, and customers

• Interacts with internal and/or external leaders, including senior management

• Persuades others into agreement in sensitive situations while maintaining positive relationships

Anticipated salary range: $152,100 - $234,000

Bonus eligible: Yes

Benefits: Cardinal Health offers a wide variety of benefits and programs to support health and well-being.

• Medical, dental and vision coverage

• Paid time off plan

• Health savings account (HSA)

• 401k savings plan

• Access to wages before pay day with myFlexPay

• Flexible spending accounts (FSAs)

• Short- and long-term disability coverage

• Work-Life resources

• Paid parental leave

• Healthy lifestyle programs

Application window anticipated to close: 4/24/26 *if interested in opportunity, please submit application as soon as possible.

The salary range listed is an estimate. Pay at Cardinal Health is determined by multiple factors including, but not limited to, a candidate’s geographical location, relevant education, experience and skills and an evaluation of internal pay equity.

Candidates who are back-to-work, people with disabilities, without a college degree, and Veterans are encouraged to apply.

Cardinal Health supports an inclusive workplace that values diversity of thought, experience and background. We celebrate the power of our differences to create better solutions for our customers by ensuring employees can be their authentic selves each day. Cardinal Health is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, age, physical or mental disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, pregnancy, veteran status, marital status, creed, status with regard to public assistance, genetic status or any other status protected by federal, state or local law.

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