Director, Strategic Initiatives

Chicago, IL, US; Downers Grove, IL, US; St. Louis, MO, US

About You:

We are seeking a strategic and results-driven Director, Strategic Initiatives to lead enterprise portfolio execution and drive strategic initiatives that deliver measurable business outcomes. This leader will establish and advance PMO governance, portfolio management, and execution standards while partnering with senior leadership to translate strategy into actionable priorities.

As a key member of the leadership team, this role will oversee Project and Program Managers, prioritize enterprise initiatives, optimize resources, and serve as a strategic partner to leaders across the organization. The ideal candidate brings strong business and financial acumen, executive presence, and a demonstrated ability to lead complex transformation and change in a fast-paced environment.

A Day in the Life:

• Lead, mentor, and develop Project and Program Managers, fostering accountability, strategic thinking, and continuous improvement.
• Establish and mature PMO governance, standards, tools, methodologies, and operating rhythms that drive execution excellence.
• Own the demand‑to‑project lifecycle, including intake, qualification, prioritization, capacity planning, and resource allocation.
• Partner with executive leadership to translate strategic priorities into a focused portfolio of initiatives with clear owners, milestones, KPIs, and expected outcomes.
• Oversee complex, cross‑functional programs from ideation through implementation, adoption, and value realization.
• Develop portfolio reporting, KPIs, financial tracking, and health metrics to provide leadership with visibility into progress, risks, resources, and outcomes.
• Lead strategic transformation initiatives focused on growth, productivity, operational efficiency, organizational effectiveness, and other enterprise priorities.
• Develop business cases and investment recommendations and partner with Finance to establish benefit targets and track realized impact.
• Identify and mitigate portfolio risks, remove barriers to execution, and establish accountability for milestones and outcomes.
• Partner with business and technology leaders to evaluate AI, automation, data, and emerging technology opportunities.
• Champion change management and adoption strategies to ensure new systems, processes, and operating models deliver sustainable results.
• Continuously improve PMO and transformation practices using data, performance insights, and industry best practices.

Necessary Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Information Technology, Engineering, Finance, or a related field required; MBA preferred. PMP, PgMP, or equivalent certification preferred.
• 10+ years of progressive experience in program management, PMO leadership, strategy, business transformation, operations, or related disciplines, including significant leadership experience.
• Proven experience building, transforming, or leading an enterprise PMO or strategic portfolio function.
• Demonstrated ability to translate strategy into executable priorities, measurable outcomes, and sustainable business results.
• Experience leading complex, cross‑functional transformation and change initiatives.
• Strong business and financial acumen, including experience with business cases, budgets, investment prioritization, and measuring financial or operational impact.
• Exceptional analytical, strategic thinking, problem‑solving, and decision‑making skills.
• Strong executive presence and ability to influence and align senior leaders and cross‑functional stakeholders.
• Demonstrated experience managing complex portfolios, resources, budgets, and external partners.
• Excellent communication, facilitation, presentation, and stakeholder engagement skills.
• Experience with project and portfolio management tools and reporting platforms.
• Experience with organizational change management and adoption strategies.
• Experience evaluating or implementing AI, automation, data, or emerging technology solutions preferred.
• Familiarity with Agile, Waterfall, or hybrid project methodologies preferred.

What We Can Offer You:

We are dedicated to the well‑being of our associates and are proud to be consistently recognized as a Best Place to Work. Our compensation and benefits package not only supports our associates and their families but benefits local communities and communities around the world.

• Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP)
• Traditional and Roth 401k
• Tuition reimbursement for associates
• Scholarship for associates’ children up to $28,000 per child
• 1-month paid sabbatical after every five years of employment, plus $5,000 for travel
• 1-week paid volunteer leave each year
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance coverage
• 100% paid 12-week maternity leave

At ARCO, our first core value is to treat people fairly and do the right thing. We are proud to be a drug‑free workplace and an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment.

From recruiting, training, and hiring practices to selecting our subcontractors, we understand that the diversity of all those involved in the construction process enhances our ability to deliver the best solutions to our customers. We hire the best and the brightest from across the country – constructing a team of experts in architecture, design, engineering, project management, and business services.

MAKE YOUR MOVE

We are proud to be one of the fastest-growing, privately‑owned companies in America, celebrating over 30 years of experience as design‑build experts. We have completed over 7,500 design‑build projects nationwide. We ranked #9 on ENR’s Design‑Build Firms list and #34 on ENR's Top 400 Contractors list of 2026. Most importantly, our clients like us, trust us, and want to do business with us. We are looking for people with the same enthusiasm, passion, and respect for the hard work that brought us to where we are today. Are you a person who can make a difference at ARCO? If the answer is “Yes!” we look forward to meeting you.

ARCO does not accept unsolicited resumes from individual recruiters or third‑party recruiting agencies without pre‑approval from ARCO’s Human Resources team. Pre‑approval is required before any external candidate can be submitted. ARCO will not be responsible for fees related to unsolicited resumes and for candidates who are sent directly to our hiring managers. Agencies must have a fully executed vendor agreement in place as well as written approval to submit candidates from an ARCO TA Manager for a specific position before submitting candidates.

LEGAL DISCLAIMER

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