Overview
Founded in 1898, Mutual of Enumclaw is a people-first insurer rooted in community, recognized as Washington’s Best Company to Work For for the 14th consecutive year, and proudly serving individuals, families, farms, and businesses through local independent agents across the West.
The Director of Strategic Initiatives reports to the Chief Information Officer, and is a senior leadership position responsible for driving the successful execution of the company's strategic initiatives across all business functions. This role serves as the connective tissue between executive leadership and operational teams, ensuring that strategic priorities are translated into well-governed, efficiently executed programs that deliver measurable business value. This role will work internally and externally (cross-functionally and with clients/partners) to lead the execution of high-priority strategic initiatives. The position will work closely with sales, underwriting, products, and claims. The position will also develop relationships with Third Party Vendors that will provide services to MOE and our clients. Interface with the business to provide strategic consulting and guidance with key strategic initiatives.
Location: This hybrid position is based in the Seattle metro area and requires proximity within driving distance of our Home Office. Team members are expected to be in the office at least three days per week to support collaboration and connection. Relocation assistance is available for qualified candidates.
Hiring Range: $178,300 - $192,100
Salary Range: $178,300 - $219,600
*The hiring range represents Mutual of Enumclaw’s current hiring pay scale for this role. Mutual of Enumclaw reserves the right to modify or update this range any time. Exact compensation may vary based on skills and experience. Compensation is only one part of our entire total rewards package. To see some of the benefits and perks we offer, please click here.
Responsibilities
Supervisory Responsibilities:
- Lead a team of program managers supporting cross functional initiatives ties to key strategic imperatives for MoE.
Responsibilities:
Strategic Leadership
- Partner with the C-suite and senior leadership to identify, prioritize, and mobilize strategic initiatives aligned with organizational goals.
- Serve as a trusted advisor to executive stakeholders on program risk, resource allocation, and portfolio health.
- Develop and maintain the enterprise-wide strategic initiative roadmap, ensuring visibility and alignment across all business functions.
- Drive a culture of accountability, transparency, and continuous improvement across the PMO and beyond.
PMO Governance & Methodology
- Own and evolve the enterprise project management methodology, frameworks, and standards (e.g., stage-gate, agile, hybrid) to ensure consistent and repeatable delivery.
- Establish and enforce project intake, prioritization, and governance processes across the organization.
- Define and maintain PMO policies, templates, tools, and best practices, ensuring adoption across all program teams.
- Lead portfolio-level reporting and executive dashboards that provide real-time visibility into project status, risks, financials, and milestones.
Program & Portfolio Oversight
- Oversee the full lifecycle of strategic programs from initiation through closure, ensuring all projects are delivered on scope, on time, and on budget.
- Monitor cross-functional dependencies and proactively identify and resolve blockers, conflicts, and escalations.
- Ensure rigorous change management, risk management, and issue resolution processes are applied consistently across the portfolio.
- Drive benefits realization (CBA) tracking to connect project outcomes to intended business value. Ensure projects stay aligned to the approved business case, CBA, and the committed timeline.
- Manage and resolve prioritization conflicts, resource issues, scheduling issues, and exceptions.
- Adhere to SCOR Information Security policies and best practices, including security awareness training and other information protection initiatives.
Team Leadership & Development
- Lead, mentor, and develop a high-performing team of Program Managers, fostering professional growth and career development.
- Set clear performance expectations and conduct regular coaching, feedback, and performance reviews.
- Recruit and retain top program management talent to build organizational capability.
- Build a collaborative team culture that partners effectively with business functions, IT, finance, and HR.
Stakeholder Engagement
- Act as the primary point of contact for executive stakeholders regarding portfolio status, priorities, and decisions.
- Facilitate steering committee meetings, executive briefings, and program reviews with clarity and confidence.
- Build strong relationships with functional leaders to champion project discipline and ensure business readiness.
- Communicate program health, risks, and recommendations in a concise, executive-ready manner.
Qualifications
Required Skills/Abilities:
- Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Management, or a related field.
- 12+ years of progressive experience in program or project management, with at least 5 years in a senior leadership role.
- Demonstrated experience managing a PMO or enterprise-level portfolio of strategic initiatives.
- Deep expertise in project management methodologies (PMP, PMI, Agile, Scrum, or equivalent).
- Proven ability to lead, coach, and develop teams of program managers.
- Strong financial acumen with experience managing program budgets and tracking ROI.
- Exceptional executive presence, communication, and stakeholder management skills.
- Ability to operate at both a strategic and tactical level in a fast-paced environment.
Education and Experience:
- Master's degree (MBA or related field).
- PMP, PgMP, or PMI-ACP or Agile (CSPO) certification.
- Process Six Sigma Certificate Preferred.
- Experience in insurance, financial services, or similarly regulated industry.
- Familiarity with PPM tools such as Smartsheet, MS Project, Planview, or Jira.
- Change management certification (Prosci or equivalent).
- Process Six Sigma Certificate Preferred.
Physical Requirements:
- Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer, including video conferencing.
