PMO Director, Data Center

AFL provides industry-leading fiber optic products and services across the globe. Our company was founded in 1984 with a single fiber optic cable and now we manufacture over two thousand products, employ over 5,000 associates and consistently generate annual sales in excess of a billion-dollars in revenue. With our commitment to professional growth and employee development, let AFL “Connect” you to your next career opportunity!

 

Job Summary

We’re looking for a Director of PMO to lead complex, multi‑site delivery programs across our hyperscale data center portfolio. This role provides strategic oversight for all project planning, governance, and execution related to structured cabling and fiber splice testing workstreams. You will build and run the PMO operating rhythm, drive schedule and budget accountability, lead cross‑functional coordination, and ensure program risks, dependencies, and vendor performance are tightly managed.

The ideal candidate excels at portfolio‑level project management, integrating master schedules, reporting progress to senior leadership, managing change control, and enforcing consistent project standards across regions. This role partners closely with engineering, construction, and operations teams, but remains focused on program leadership, not day‑to‑day field management.

 

Responsibilities

PMO & Portfolio Leadership

• Establish and lead the PMO operating model, including governance cadence, stage gates, reporting standards, issue tracking, and change control.
• Manage a multi‑project portfolio covering structured cabling, fiber splice testing, and related infrastructure buildouts.
• Drive portfolio planning and prioritization, ensuring resources, budgets, and timelines align with organizational objectives.
• Develop and maintain Integrated Master Schedules (IMS) that reflect dependencies across construction, networking, design, supply chain, and commissioning.

Project Governance & Controls

• Oversee project baselines for scope, schedule, cost, risk, and quality, ensuring consistent standards across regions.
• Own financial tracking for the portfolio, including budgeting, forecasting, earned value analysis, contingency management, and variance reporting.
• Lead risk management processes—identifying, quantifying, mitigating, and escalating risks at the program and portfolio level.
• Create executive‑level dashboards and reports, providing clear, data‑driven insights to senior leadership.

Cross‑Functional Program Coordination

• Partner with engineering, design, construction management, and operations to drive alignment and ensure seamless project handoffs.
• Coordinate dependencies and milestones across technical teams, vendors, integrators, and internal stakeholders.
• Support planning for cutovers, site readiness milestones, major delivery events, and regional build schedules.
• Ensure all projects adhere to established PMO processes, documentation standards, and governance expectations.

Vendor & Stakeholder Management

• Support creation and management of Statements of Work (SOWs), service levels, performance metrics, and delivery expectations.
• Facilitate alignment across regional teams, ensuring transparency and accountability around scope, progress, and issues.
• Drive productive communication between leadership, technical owners, and field delivery teams.

Leadership & Team Development

• Build, mentor, and lead a high‑performing PMO team of Program and Project Managers.
• Establish a culture of structured planning, disciplined execution, and transparent communication.
• Lead continuous improvement efforts to strengthen project methodology, reporting, and stakeholder engagement.

 

 Key Competencies

• Strategic Program Leadership
• Portfolio Prioritization & Resource Planning
• Governance & Accountability
• Schedule & Budget Management
• Risk & Issue Management
• Vendor & Stakeholder Coordination
• Executive Communication
• Team Leadership & Development

 

 Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience leading large‑scale program or portfolio management in data center, telecom, networking, or related technical environments.
• Strong background managing infrastructure‑related projects, including structured cabling and/or fiber splice testing.
• Proven experience establishing or running PMO frameworks, governance models, and project controls.
• Demo