AVP, Portfolio & Program Management Office

Pacific Life Insurance Company$230K — $255K *
Finance & Insurance
11 - 15 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree required
  • 12+ years of leadership experience in portfolio management or related fields
  • Proven success leading complex, cross-functional portfolios with significant impact
  • Deep expertise in portfolio governance and benefits realization
  • Executive-level communication and influence skills
  • Experience building and developing high-performing teams
  • Ability to operate effectively in a dynamic environment.

Responsibilities

  • Lead the portfolio management and PPMO function for the Consumer Markets Division
  • Establish and strengthen portfolio planning and resource allocation practices
  • Oversee high-impact programs and multiyear transformation initiatives
  • Provide clear portfolio insights and executive-level reporting
  • Partner with various divisions to align priorities and accelerate outcomes
  • Balance strategic transformation with ongoing business operations
  • Lead governance processes for decision-making and investment oversight
  • Simplify project delivery standards while ensuring adaptability.

Benefits

  • Medical, Dental, Vision coverage
  • Wellbeing Reimbursement Account for health-related expenses
  • Generous paid time off including holidays and financial planning leave
  • Paid Parental Leave and Adoption Assistance Program
  • Competitive 401k plan with company match and contributions.
Full Job Description
We9re actively seeking a talented Assistant Vice President, Portfolio & Program Management Office to join our Strategic Management & Services team in Newport Beach, California. This role follows a hybrid schedule of four days in the office. If you are not currently located near our office, we offer comprehensive relocation assistance. As Assistant Vice President, Portfolio & Program Management Office (PPMO), you will lead the Consumer Markets Division9s (CMD) Portfolio and Program Management Office and play a critical role in translating strategy into disciplined execution and measurable business outcomes. You will oversee a complex portfolio spanning strategic transformation, business-critical initiatives, AI-enabled programs, and ongoing investments that support the strength and evolution of Pacific Life9s life insurance and annuity businesses. This is an opportunity to lead at the center of one of Pacific Life9s most established and consequential businesses. The PPMO is where the division9s strategic priorities become actionable programs, where investments are prioritized and resourced, and where diverse teams come together to deliver meaningful outcomes for customers and distribution partners. As a member of the Strategic Management & Services leadership team, you will serve as a trusted advisor to senior business and technology leaders, bring transparency to complex decisions, and help shape how Pacific Life operates in an increasingly connected enterprise environment. You will lead an established organization of approximately 35 portfolio, program, project, and agile professionals, including five to six direct reports, while building the capabilities required to support the division9s future growth and transformation. How you9ll help move us forward: 3 Lead the Consumer Markets Division9s portfolio management and PPMO function, ensuring strategic investments, transformation initiatives, and business-critical programs align with divisional priorities and measurable business outcomes. 3 Establish and continuously strengthen portfolio planning, prioritization, capacity management, resource allocation, investment governance, and benefits realization practices. 3 Oversee delivery of the division9s most complex, high-impact programs, including multiyear transformation initiatives supporting underwriting and new business, operations, sales, and distribution capabilities. 3 Provide senior leaders with clear portfolio insights, risk transparency, decision support, and executive-level reporting that improve alignment, accountability, and predictability. 3 Partner across the Consumer Markets Division, Pacific Life Technology, People Experience, Finance, Risk, and other enterprise functions to resolve barriers, align priorities, and accelerate business outcomes. 3 Balance strategic transformation with the business-critical work required to support existing customers, distribution partners, products, and operations. 3 Lead governance processes that support executive decision-making, investment oversight, portfolio health, and effective deployment of financial and organizational resources. 3 Simplify and strengthen project and program delivery standards, methodologies, reporting practices, and execution disciplines while preserving the agility needed to respond to changing business priorities. 3 Lead, develop, and inspire a high-performing team of portfolio, program, project, and agile professionals, building leadership depth and future-ready capabilities across the PPMO organization. 3 Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, continuous improvement, and results while helping teams navigate ambiguity and an evolving enterprise operating model. 3 Represent the Consumer Markets Division in enterprise portfolio planning, governance, and prioritization activities, helping build stronger connections and more integrated ways of working across Pacific Life. The experience you bring: 3 Bachelor9s degree required 3 12+ years of leadership experience in portfolio management, PPMO or PMO leadership, strategic planning, program delivery, or large-scale business transformation. 3 Demonstrated success leading complex, cross-functional portfolios and transformation initiatives with significant organizational, financial, or customer impact. 3 Deep expertise in portfolio planning, prioritization, investment governance, capacity and resource management, risk management, and benefits realization. 3 Experience overseeing a portfolio that includes both strategic transformation initiatives and essential business operations. 3 Proven ability to translate business strategy into executable priorities, delivery roadmaps, governance structures, and measurable outcomes. 3 Strong financial and business acumen, including experience evaluating investments, managing portfolio tradeoffs, and maintaining accountability for the effective use of resources. 3 Executive-level communication and influence skills, with the ability to bring clarity to complex issues, challenge constructively, and advise senior leaders across business and technology organizations. 3 Demonstrated experience building, leading, and developing high-performing teams through transformation, growth, and organizational change. 3 Ability to operate effectively in an evolving environment where success requires sound judgment, curiosity, adaptability, and a willingness to build new solutions rather than rely solely on established playbooks. What makes you stand out: 3 Leadership experience within financial services, insurance, wealth management, or another highly regulated industry. 3 Experience leading transformation across life insurance, annuity, customer operations, underwriting, sales, or distribution functions. 3 Experience leveraging AI, automation, data, and modern delivery practices to improve decision-making, execution, and business outcomes. 3 Success modernizing or scaling a portfolio and program management organization while improving transparency, consistency, and delivery performance. 3 Experience working across business, technology, finance, risk, and people functions within a complex, matrixed organization. 3 A reputation as an enterprise-minded connector who builds trust, strengthens partnerships, and brings the right stakeholders together to move critical priorities forward. Base Salary Range: $230,000 - $255,000 Base Pay Range: The base pay range noted represents the company9s good faith minimum and maximum range for this role at the time of posting. The actual compensation offered to a candidate will be dependent upon several factors, including but not limited to experience, qualifications and geographic location. Also, most employees are eligible for additional incentive pay. Your Benefits Start Day 1 Your wellbeing is important to Pacific Life, and we9re committed to providing you with flexible benefits that you can tailor to meet your needs. Whether you are focusing on your physical, financial, emotional, or social wellbeing, we9ve got you covered. 3 Prioritization of your health and well-being including Medical, Dental, Vision, and Wellbeing Reimbursement Account that can be used on yourself or your eligible dependents 3 Generous paid time off options including: Paid Time Off, Holiday Schedules, and Financial Planning Time Off 3 Paid Parental Leave as well as an Adoption Assistance Program 3 Competitive 401k savings plan with company match and an additional contribution regardless of participation

About Pacific Life Insurance Company

Pacific Life Insurance Company Careers

There has never been a more opportune time to join the dynamic team at Pacific Life Insurance Company—a leader in the insurance industry known for its commitment to innovation, leadership, and professional growth.

Work You’ll Do

Join Pacific Life Insurance Company’s esteemed team to assist in pioneering efforts that drive the insurance industry forward. At the intersection of technology, industry expertise, and digital innovation, Pacific Life Insurance Company stands as a beacon of transformative solutions and services. Lead in a unique position in the marketplace, leveraging deep industry knowledge and a commitment to digital innovation to enhance client experiences and outcomes. Engage with a diverse global team of business and technology advisors, helping clients navigate through their challenges with cutting-edge solutions. Collaborate with dedicated professionals who are at the forefront of integrating technology and insurance services to deliver exceptional results.

Introducing the Pacific Life Insurance Company Professional Growth and Development Initiative

The initiative aims to build a leading advisory team to guide some of the most well-known companies through their transformation journeys, utilizing innovative insurance solutions.

Do Innovative Work

Be part of a team that is not just the largest but the most knowledgeable in the insurance sector, with a focus on delivering targeted solutions through a depth and breadth of consulting experience that is unmatched.

Drive Innovation and Leadership

Work on a wide range of projects that harness the capabilities of Pacific Life Insurance Company’s robust technological and service-oriented frameworks.

Future-Proof Your Career

Advance your career with Pacific Life Insurance Company, where the opportunities for growth are vast, supported by comprehensive training, development, and certification programs.

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Discover various job opportunities and internship positions that allow you to bring your skills and passion to a team that values innovation and leadership. Pacific Life Insurance Company is committed to fostering a culture of diversity and inclusion, providing a platform for professional development and personal growth.

The Pacific Life Insurance Company Employment Experience

With a commitment to diversity training and a culture that promotes networking and professional growth, Pacific Life Insurance Company helps team members thrive in a supportive and dynamic environment. Clients and employees alike look to Pacific Life Insurance Company for leadership in creating industry-leading solutions that promote growth and innovation.

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