Program Manager, Partnerships Program Management & Portfolio Planning - Advanced

Established in 2021, Independence Pet Holdings is a corporate holding company that manages a diverse and broad portfolio of modern pet health brands and services, including insurance, pet education, lost recovery services, and more throughout North America.

We believe pet insurance is more than a financial product and build solutions to simplify the pet parenting journey and help improve the well-being of pets. As a leading authority in the pet category, we operate with a full stack of resources, capital, and services to support pet parents. Our multi-brand and omni-channel approach include our own insurance carrier, insurance brands and partner brands. 

Independence Pet Group (IPG), a subsidiary of IPH, is one of North America’s largest pet insurance and services organizations. Our impressive family of brands (Figo, Felix, ASPCA Pet Health Insurance, Pets Plus Us, and AKC Pet Insurance) supports insurance for more than 1,000,000 pets in the U.S. and Canada and provides well-being, safety, resources, and business solutions to the pet industry, including microchip identification and an online pet registry.

Job Summary:

IPG is seeking an Program Manager , Partnerships Program Management & Portfolio Planning – Advanced. The Program Manager - Advanced will be responsible for leading high-complexity, enterprise programs and strengthening portfolio execution across Partnerships and technology-enabled initiatives. Serves as a senior execution partner to Partnerships leadership, driving disciplined intake and prioritization, shaping cross-functional delivery plans, and converting executive priorities into measurable outcomes. Supports technology and investment planning for the Partnerships portfolio, translating business priorities and future demand into structured Product and Technology requirements, sequencing, capacity needs, and investment considerations that connect into the broader portfolio-management process. Leads through influence across business, Product, Technology, Data, Operations, Finance, Legal/Compliance, Partners, Marketing, and other stakeholders.

Job Location: Hybrid (2-3 days a week) in New York, NY or Chicago, IL 

Main Responsibilities: 

Program Management & Governance

• Lead a portfolio of high-priority Partnership and technology-enabled initiatives with enterprise, customer, partner, financial, or regulatory impact.
• Lead complex, cross-functional initiatives from planning through implementation and launch, coordinating across Partnerships, Product, Technology, Operations, Finance, Legal/Compliance, Marketing, and other delivery teams.
• Create and maintain integrated program plans, roadmaps, stakeholder communications, executive dashboards, risk logs, governance models, and implementation schedules.
• Own core program-management disciplines including milestones, dependencies, risks/issues, governance, decision tracking, executive escalation, and delivery readiness.
• Facilitate alignment across senior leaders and teams where ownership, decision rights, requirements, or prioritization are unclear.
• Drive issue resolution, risk mitigation, dependency management, and decision-making processes to ensure successful delivery.
• Establish clear RACIs, governance forums, operating cadences, and executive reporting to create transparency, clarify accountability, and avoid gaps or duplicate ownership across teams.
• Drive recurring program reviews and hold workstream owners accountable for commitments, risk mitigation, decisions, and next steps.
• Prepare and deliver concise executive communications program status, risks, trade-offs, decisions, and recommendations for senior leadership.
• Continuously improve PMO practices and ways of working, including intake, governance, status transparency, tools, lessons learned, and execution standards.
• Partner with GTM and commercial relationship owners as needed during implementation, while keeping PMO accountability focused on program execution and delivery rather than ongoing partner relationship management.
• Technology, Investment & Portfolio PlanningLead Partnerships technology and investment planning, translating business priorities and future demand into clear Product and Technology requirements, dependencies, capacity needs, and investment asks.
• Maintain an integrated portfolio view and drive prioritization and sequencing across committed work and future demand, surfacing trade-offs and recommendations to business, Product, and Technology leaders.
• Partner with senior business, Product, and Technology leaders to reconcile competing priorities, capacity constraints, dependencies, and delivery commitments.
• Connect Partnerships planning into the broader enterprise portfolio-management process through clear roadmaps, governance, handoffs, and decision rights.

Qualifications:

• 10+ years of relevant program management, portfolio management, transformation, Product/Technology delivery, technology planning, or enterprise change experience, including leadership of complex cross-functional initiatives.
• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent practical experience
• PMP, Agile, SAFe, or related certification preferred.
• Strong experience managing complex, technology-enabled initiatives in a matrixed organization.
• Demonstrated experience leading programs across business, Product, and Technology teams, including integrated planning, dependencies, risks, governance, executive escalation, and delivery readiness.
• Experience with technology and investment planning, portfolio prioritization, capacity planning, demand management, or related portfolio-management processes.
• Strong Product and Technology fluency, with the ability to translate business priorities into actionable delivery requirements and work effectively across business and technical teams.
• Demonstrated capability in program governance, intake, prioritization, requirements, risk/dependency management, executive reporting, and delivery readiness.
• Excellent written and verbal communication, with the ability to tailor messages for executives, business stakeholders, external partners, and Product and Technology teams.
• Strong judgment, organization, attention to detail, and follow-through; comfortable navigating ambiguity and shifting priorities.
• Experience with Agile, hybrid, and waterfall delivery approaches, including UAT/QAT, release readiness, change management, and post-launch support.
• Insurance, financial services, regulated-industry, or partner-channel experience preferred.
• Proven success partnering with senior executives, navigating complex stakeholder dynamics, and presenting clear recommendations under uncertainty.
• Experience establishing or materially improving portfolio governance, intake/prioritization, executive reporting, and capacity/dependency management practices.

#LI-Hybrid

Compensation:
National base pay range:$112,522 – $140,653 per year.

Chicago base pay range: $123,774 – $154,718 per year.

New York City base pay range: $135,026 – $166,784 per year.

This is the range we reasonably expect to pay at hire. Placement within the range depends on job-related factors such as experience, skills, and certifications. This position is eligible for an annual bonus. Base pay is one part of a total rewards package that includes the benefits listed below.

All of our jobs come with great benefits including healthcare, parental leave and opportunities for career advancements. Some offerings are dependent upon the location of where you work and can include the following:

• Comprehensive full medical, dental and vision Insurance

• Basic Life Insurance at no cost to the employee

• Company paid short-term and long-term disability

• 12 weeks of 100% paid Parental Leave

• Health Savings Account (HSA)

• Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA)

• Retirement savings plan

• Personal Paid Time Off

• Paid holidays and company-wide Wellness Day off

• Paid time off to volunteer at nonprofit organizations

• Pet friendly office environment

• Commuter Benefits

• Group Pet Insurance

• On the job training and skills development

• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

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