JOB SUMMARY
The Director of IT Planning Services is a strategic leadership role responsible for overseeing the planning and governance activities across the Technology & Digital discipline in driving alignment between Tech&Digital initiatives and enterprise objectives. This role will lead our Tech&Digital strategy development, portfolio and program management (PMO), financial management, and vendor/contract management. This role will also lead the Agile Practice. The ideal candidate will act as a trusted advisor to the Managing Vice President of Tech&Digital, ensuring Tech&Digital investments deliver measurable value, optimize costs, and mitigate risks while fostering innovation and operational efficiency.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
- Tech & Digital Strategy Development & Alignment
- Partner with the Managing Vice President of Tech & Digital and senior leadership to define, refine, and communicate the enterprise Tech&Digital strategy, ensuring alignment with business goals
- Translate strategic objectives into actionable roadmaps, prioritizing initiatives that drive digital transformation and competitive advantage
- Monitor industry trends and emerging technologies to recommend innovative solutions for future readiness.
- Tech & Digital Portfolio & Program Management (PMO)
- Oversee the Tech & Digital portfolio management process, including prioritization, resource allocation, and governance of Tech & Digital projects and programs
- Lead the PMO to establish standardized project management methodologies, tools, and KPIs for tracking delivery, risks, and benefits realization
- Ensure seamless cross-functional collaboration between Tech & Digital, business disciplines, and external partners to execute high-impact initiatives
- Tech & Digital Financial Management
- Develop and manage the annual discipline budget, ensuring alignment with strategic priorities and cost optimization
- Track spending, ROI, and TCO (Total Cost of Ownership) for projects, infrastructure, and vendor partnerships
- Provide financial transparency through regular reporting to the GC Tech & Digital leadership team
- Agile Practice Leadership
- Champion Agile adoption across IT and business teams, driving cultural transformation to embed Agile principles (e.g., Scrum, Kanban, SAFe) into workflows
- Define and standardize Agile frameworks, tools, and metrics (e.g., sprint velocity, cycle time, team health) to improve delivery predictability and quality based on the global practices
- Partner with Product Owners (with Scrum Masters) to optimize backlog prioritization, sprint planning, and cross-functional collaboration
- Partner with global team to establish Agile coaching programs to upskill teams and leaders in iterative development, continuous improvement, and value-driven outcomes
- Monitor Agile maturity across projects, addressing bottlenecks (e.g., dependencies, resource constraints) and fostering a mindset of experimentation and learning
- Integrate Agile practices with PMO governance to balance flexibility with strategic alignment and compliance (e.g., hybrid Agile-Waterfall approaches)
- Promote DevOps and CI/CD practices** to accelerate time-to-market for IT solutions.
- Vendor & Contract Management
- Lead GC Tech & Digital vendor strategy, including sourcing, negotiation, and management of contracts (e.g., SaaS, cloud providers, outsourcing
- Establish vendor performance metrics and governance frameworks to ensure service quality and compliance
- Mitigate risks through proactive vendor risk assessments and contingency planning.
- Tech & Digital Leadership
- Act as the operational leader of the CIDO Office, streamlining processes for decision-making, communication, and stakeholder engagement
- Prepare executive-level presentations, reports, and dashboards for board meetings, budget reviews, and strategy sessions.
- Build and mentor a high-performing team supporting strategy, PMO, finance, and vendor management functions.
TEAM STRUCTURE
EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE
- Required:
- Bachelor’s or master’s degree in information technology, Business Administration, or related field. MBA or relevant advanced degree preferred
- 10+ years in IT leadership roles, with 3+ years in IT strategy, portfolio management, or enterprise PMO functions.
- Proven track record in managing multi-million-dollar IT budgets and vendor ecosystems
- Experience in IT governance frameworks (e.g., COBIT, ITIL) and regulatory compliance (e.g., SOX, GDPR).
- Proficiency in project management tools (e.g., Jira, MS Project)
- Familiarity with cloud economics, SaaS lifecycle management, and contract negotiation.
- Exceptional stakeholder management and ability to influence C-suite executives.
- Strong analytical, problem-solving, and communication skills (written and verbal).
- Preferred Qualifications
- Certifications such as PMP, ITIL, Six Sigma, or Certified Technology Business Manager (CTBM).
- Knowledge of agile methodologies and change management best practices.
Marriott International is an equal opportunity employer. We believe in hiring a diverse workforce and sustaining an inclusive, people-first culture. We are committed to non-discrimination on any protected basis, such as disability and veteran status, or any other basis covered under applicable law.
Marriott International is the world’s largest hotel company, with more brands, more hotels and more opportunities for associates to grow and succeed. Be where you can do your best work, begin your purpose, belong to an amazing global team, and become the best version of you.
