Sr Director, Transformation Program Operations- Strategic Programs

Job Description

Job Title: Sr Director, Transformation Program Operations- Strategic Programs

Posting Start Date: 4/7/26

Job Description:

Position Information

$174,720 - $263,640

The base salary range represents a good faith salary range for this position. This position is eligible for annual incentive pay and has the opportunity for continued salary growth. If you are hired at American Water your base salary compensation will be determined based on factors such as market, geography, skills, education and/or experience. At American Water, we are committed to pay equity.

In addition to compensation, you will be offered a comprehensive benefits package including 401(k),Defined Contribution Plan, Employee Stock Purchase Plan, medical, prescription, dental and vision coverage, plus disability, paid time off, life insurance, voluntary benefits, health and wellness programs and much more!

American Water is also proud to offer employees learning opportunities and work experiences to grow professionally!

Primary Role

This role serves as the senior leader accountable for Program Operations for a large, multi‑year enterprise technology and business process transformation program, with specific responsibility for leading the program management functions that enable successful delivery across business, technology, and functional domains.

The role requires leadership across program governance, performance management, financial and value oversight, risk and compliance integration, organizational change, communications, and readiness. Acting as a strategic partner to executive sponsors and the Program Executive Steering Committee, this leader ensures that complex, interdependent projects are executed in a coordinated, disciplined, and value‑driven manner.

Key Accountabilities

Program Operations & Governance

• Establishes and leads the Program Operations operating model, spanning the Project Management Office, project and program governance, change management, communications, and readiness
• Defines and enforces enterprise delivery standards, decision rights, escalation paths, and performance expectations
• Serves as a primary advisor to executive sponsors and the Executive Steering Committee, framing risks, trade‑offs, and recommendations to support timely, informed decision‑making
• Ensure disciplined and consistent assessment, prioritization, and project roadmap planning for incremental projects considered for implementation
  
  

Integrated Planning, Performance, & Value

• Owns integrated planning and execution oversight across all workstreams, including roadmap alignment, dependency management, capacity planning, and critical path visibility
• Leads business and value governance, ensuring benefits realization, financial discipline, and outcome transparency
• Ensures consistent, high‑quality executive reporting across schedule, cost, risk, value, and readiness
  
  

Leadership & Succession

• Builds, leads, and develops a high‑performing Program Operations leadership team
• Partners closely with Portfolio Delivery and Technology & Process Enablement leaders to drive integrated outcomes
  
  

Change, Readiness, & Adoption

• Leads program change management, communications, learning, and training strategies to ensure sustainable adoption of transformation outcomes
• Ensures organizational readiness and workforce alignment across all phases of the program
  
  

Risk, Controls, & Compliance

• Provides leadership and integration across controls, compliance, and audit readiness in partnership with functions
• Ensures risks, issues, and control impacts are proactively identified, managed, and escalated
  
  

Knowledge/Skills

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill and/or ability required.

Leadership:

• Enterprise‑level leader with demonstrated success in large‑scale, multi‑year transformations
• Deep expertise in program and portfolio governance, operating models, and delivery enablement
• Strong financial and business acumen; able to connect delivery execution to enterprise value
• Proven ability to operate as a peer to senior executives in complex, matrixed environments
• Comfortable leading through ambiguity, influence, and change
• Recognized for sound judgment, decisiveness, and executive presence
  
  

Self-Management:

• Proven success in a business management role
• Experience with executive-level advising and interdepartmental collaboration
• Positive approach to doing what’s best for the organization
• Can build engagement and alignment across functional areas as well as hold team members accountable
• Strong partnership across the organization with key peers
  
  

Skills

• Strong capabilities related to:
• Leadership
• Decision-making
• Organizing and directing multiple teams and departments
• Planning and leading large strategic initiatives
• Multi-tasking and managing fast-moving teams and environments
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills and proven ability to work effectively at all levels in the organization
• Attention to detail and strong organizational skills necessary to manage multiple phases of a program and project plan(s)
• Strong strategic skills to develop long term visions and the ability to translate them into actionable roadmaps that are broadly accepted
• Strong presentation skills engaging a variety of audiences from the frontlines to the senior executives
• Ability to articulate vision of transformation efforts and a sense of mission
• Willingness to take charge and provide direction
• Results oriented, willingness to commit to a direction and drive actions to completion
• Demonstrated ability to manage adversity and challenging situations
• Ability to manage senior relationships across all the Business and Functional areas
• Collaborative team player orientation towards work relationships, strong culture awareness
• Effectiveness in building trust, respect, and cooperation among teams
• Proven success in a project coordination role
• Ability to work effectively within matrixed reporting relationships
• Strong cross-functional leader
• Can summarize and synthesize issues, risks, and potential solutions
• Confident in presenting with clarity to senior executives
• Ability to address complex issues and topics directly and with tact
• Strong knowledge of end-to-end Program and Project Management
  
  

Experience/Education

• 15 years of progressive leadership experience in large, complex organizations
• 8 years leading enterprise programs, portfolios, or transformation initiatives
• Demonstrated experience establishing and scaling PMOs or transformation operating models
• Experience in regulated, asset‑intensive, or utility‑scale environments strongly preferred
• Proven track record partnering with executive leadership to deliver strategic outcomes
• Bachelor’s preferably in Business Administration or related field and or equivalent years’ experience
• PMP Certification is a plus
• Masters or MBA is a plus
  
  

Travel Requirements

As necessary

Other

Competencies