This is your opportunity to join AXIS Capital – a trusted global provider of specialty lines insurance and reinsurance. We stand apart for our outstanding client service, intelligent risk taking and superior risk adjusted returns for our shareholders. We also proudly maintain an entrepreneurial, disciplined and ethical corporate culture. As a member of AXIS, you join a team that is among the best in the industry.
At AXIS, we believe that we are only as strong as our people. We strive to create an inclusive and welcoming culture where employees of all backgrounds and from all walks of life feel comfortable and empowered to be themselves. This means that we bring our whole selves to work.
All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to any protected characteristic, including age, color, disability, ethnicity, gender identity, marital status, national origin, pregnancy, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, veteran status, or any basis prohibited by the laws that govern its operations.
How does this role contribute to our collective success?
The Portfolio Lead serves as the operating partner to the Business Lead and Value Stream Lead for the Claims and Corporate strategic investment portfolios. The role translates business strategy into investment decisions, execution priorities, measurable outcomes, executive reporting, and course corrections across the full portfolio lifecycle—from strategy and prioritization through execution, value realization, and communication.
This role goes beyond portfolio reporting and delivery tracking; it actively questions, shapes, and influences portfolio direction in partnership with business sponsors, Value Stream Leads, Product Owners, Application Delivery, Data & Analytics, AI and COE teams. Key responsibilities include investment planning and prioritization, maintaining delivery roadmaps, managing budgets and risks, defining and tracking business value metrics, and ensuring leadership has the insight needed to make informed decisions and adjust course when outcomes are not on track.
What will you do in this role?
Drive and guide portfolio strategy in collaboration with Business Leaders, Business Sponsors, Product Owners, Value Stream Leads, Release Train Engineers, and delivery partners to ensure investment decisions, execution priorities, outcomes, and reporting remain aligned with business objectives. Specifically, they will execute:
Strategy Translation and Portfolio Leadership: Serve as an operating partner to the Business Lead and Value Stream Lead, translating strategy into portfolio priorities, investment choices, delivery roadmaps, and measurable outcomes.
Investment Planning, Prioritization, and Governance: Lead portfolio planning and prioritization activities, including quarterly business reviews and planning cadences, to ensure funding, sequencing, capacity, and trade-off decisions are aligned to strategic business priorities.
Outcomes and Value Ownership: Establish, track, and communicate business value metrics, benefits realization, Objectives & Key Results (OKRs), and investment outcomes to ensure portfolio investments deliver expected business results; shape course corrections when value delivery is not on track.
Proactive Risk, Issue, and Root Cause Management: Identify delivery, funding, dependency, capacity, and value realization challenges early; perform root cause analysis and partner with business and technology leaders to define mitigation plans and course corrections.
Executive Reporting and Stakeholder Communication: Create clear, insight-driven executive reporting and communications that inform senior leaders on portfolio health, investment outcomes, risks, decisions required, and recommended actions.
Financial and Resource Stewardship: Manage portfolio financials, including budgets, forecasts, actuals, investment trade-offs, and resource allocation decisions, ensuring transparency and alignment between spend, capacity, and expected business value.
PI Planning and Quarterly Business Review Cadence: Actively participate in Program Increment (PI) Planning and quarterly business review cadences, identifying cross-Value Stream dependencies, helping set execution priorities, validating progress against business outcomes, and escalating impediments or decisions required.
You may also be required to take on additional duties, responsibilities and activities appropriate to the nature of this role.
About You:
We encourage you to bring your own experience and expertise to the table, so while there are some qualifications and experiences, we need you to have, we are open to discussing how your individual knowledge might lend itself to fulfilling this role and help us achieve our goals.
What you need to have:
Bachelor’s degree in business administration or a related field.
Project Management Professional (PMP), Lean Six Sigma certifications, Agile delivery certifications (e.g. SAFe SPC, SAFe Lean Portfolio Management, PMI-ACP) , or other relevant certifications are advantageous.
Proven experience in portfolio leadership, strategic planning, investment prioritization, or project/program management, with a track record of shaping and delivering large-scale initiatives in a matrixed business and technology environment.
Experience partnering with senior business sponsors, Value Stream Leads, and technology leaders to translate strategy into investment plans, execution priorities, business outcomes, and executive decision-making materials.
Proven experience in the insurance industry preferred.
Demonstrated financial acumen, including experience with portfolio budgets, forecasts, investment trade-offs, benefits realization, and value-based decision support.
Critical competencies:
Ability to think strategically and translate business strategy into portfolio priorities, investment decisions, delivery outcomes, and measurable business value for the Claims and Corporate Divisions.
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to synthesize complex delivery, financial, risk, and value information and identify root causes of portfolio challenges.
Exceptional executive communication and stakeholder management skills, including the ability to create clear, concise, decision-oriented materials for senior business and technology leaders.
Ability to adapt to changing project requirements and manage ambiguity.
Keen attention to detail to ensure project plans and deliverables are accurately developed and maintained.
Strong collaborative skills to work effectively with various teams and stakeholders.
Ability to balance structure and flexibility, with a focus on results and accountability.
Strong executive presence and credibility, with experience influencing senior stakeholders, business sponsors, and cross-functional leaders through ambiguity and investment trade-offs.
Strong financial acumen, including the ability to connect budget, forecast, capacity, benefits realization, and investment outcome data to portfolio decisions.
Effective influencing, negotiating, and decision-making skills.
Strong organizational skills, with the ability to coordinate and manage multiple priorities.
Proficiency in using AI-enabled tools to enhance productivity, improve analysis, streamline communication, and support effective portfolio management.
Proficiency in project management tools and software platforms.
Role Factors:
In this role, you will typically be required to:
Much of the work involves using computers for data entry, analysis, and communication. Comfort with prolonged screen time is necessary.
While much of the work may be desk-bound, there might be occasions requiring mobility within the office environment, such as attending meetings or accessing filing systems.
What we offer:
For this position, we currently expect to offer a base salary in the range of $137,500 - $229,000. Your salary offer will be based on an assessment of a variety of factors including your specific experience and work location.
In addition, you will be offered competitive target incentive compensation, with awards based on overall corporate and individual performance. On top of this, you will be eligible for a comprehensive and competitive benefits package which includes medical plans for you and your family, health and wellness programs, retirement plans, tuition reimbursement, paid vacation, and much more.
Where this role is based in the United States of America, this role is Exempt for FLSA purposes.
This posting is for an existing vacancy.
