Strategic Program Management Leader

Job Description

As JULY’s Strategic Program Management Leader, you will take ownership of JULY’s most important initiatives, managing a portfolio of 10+ cross-functional projects that are central to our growth. You will work directly with the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and executive leadership team to provide transparency into project status, ROI, bottlenecks, and resource needs, ensuring projects are aligned with JULY’s strategic goals.

This is an exciting opportunity for a senior program or portfolio manager who is ready to step into a high-visibility role with direct executive exposure. You will not only oversee critical initiatives such as building proprietary software and driving AI-powered operational optimization but also help establish the foundation for JULY’s future Project Management Office (PMO). As the organization grows, you will have the opportunity to expand this function and lead a global project management team, including resources in Cape Town and Bangladesh. This position reports directly to the Chief Executive Officer.

About JULY

July Business Services (www.julyservices.com) is a fast-growing retirement plan services firm headquartered in Waco, Texas. JULY serves 9,500 small and mid-sized businesses, representing more than 220,000 plan participants and $18 billion assets under management. Backed by Platform Partners, a Houston-based private investment firm, JULY is accelerating growth through innovation, software development, strategic acquisitions, and a relentless focus on delivering exceptional service to our clients.

At JULY, we embrace a remote-friendly, people-first culture that encourages teamwork, growth and mission-driven excellence. Guided by our Values – Build a Winning Culture, Foster Strong Relationships, Pursue Excellence, Have a Servant’s Heart, Deliver Wow Service, and Drive Innovation – our Mission is to transform small business retirement plans through innovation, expertise, and service to achieve our Vision of enriching lives by shaping the future of retirement.

Key Responsibilities

Leadership & Strategy

  • Serve as the central point of coordination between senior leadership and project teams.

  • Translate executive priorities into clear project objectives, milestones, and outcomes.

  • Provide portfolio-level reporting to senior leadership, highlighting risks, interdependencies, resource needs, and ROI.

  • Lay the foundation for a scalable PMO function, including processes, tools, and global staffing.

Portfolio & Project Management

  • Oversee JULY’s strategic portfolio of 10+ initiatives, ensuring alignment with corporate priorities.

  • Directly manage some strategic projects, while coordinating with offshore resources on complex initiatives such as:

    • Software design and development.
    • Optimizing operations with AI and automation.
  • Establish consistent dashboards and reporting templates to provide visibility to stakeholders.

  • Evaluate and track the ROI of strategic projects, ensuring JULY invests resources in initiatives that drive measurable value.

Process & Governance

  • Define and manage the project intake/activation and prioritizing process, ensuring strategic alignment and proper resource allocation

  • Develop and implement project management standards, including reporting cadence and escalation procedures.

  • Establish standardized methodology (framework, tools, dashboards, KPI) for how projects are approved, tracked and reported.

  • Partner with senior leadership to review portfolio ROI, risk and dependencies on a regular basis.

  • Ensure projects are delivered on time, within scope, and aligned to organizational priorities.

  • Continuously improve project and portfolio management practices with an eye toward scalability and efficiency.

    Skills / Experience / Credentials

    • 7+ years of experience in project, program, or portfolio management.

    • Proven ability to manage a portfolio of cross-functional projects and report to executives.

    • Strategic thinking, organizational, and analytical skills, including financial acumen to evaluate ROI.

    • Experience and involvement in establishing a Project Management Office is a plus.

    • Experience and ability to lead through influence without direct authority.

    • Exceptional executive communication skills (written and verbal).

    • Experience leading or working with distributed/offshore teams preferred.

    • PMP, PgMP, or equivalent certification a plus.

    Our Benefits

    • 401(k) Plan with fully vested 5% employer match.

    • Company pays 100% of employee health insurance.

    • Four weeks of Paid Time Off.

    • Other miscellaneous employee benefits.

    Our Values

    • Build a winning culture
    • Pursue excellence
    • Deliver WOW service
    • Foster strong relationships
    • Have a servant’s heart
    • Drive innovation

    We know that if we live our values, we will serve our mission of transforming small business retirement plans through innovation, expertise, and service and achieve our vision of enriching lives by shaping the future of retirement.

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