AI PORTFOLIO PRINCIPAL MANAGER

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BBVA is a global company with more than 160 years of history that operates in more than 25 countries where we serve more than 80 million customers. We are more than 121,000 professionals working in multidisciplinary teams with profiles as diverse as financiers, legal experts, data scientists, developers, engineers and designers.

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About the job:

About the Role:

• As part of CIB's AI Transformation organization, this role is responsible for driving the execution of strategic AI transformation projects, ensuring initiatives are delivered efficiently, at scale and with measurable business impact.
• Reporting to the AI Portfolio Lead, the role translates strategic priorities into executable delivery plans , coordinating multidisciplinary teams across Business, Product, Data, Engineering, AI Factory, Risk and Operations.
• The role is accountable for leading complex transformation projects from planning through deployment , managing dependencies and risks, removing delivery obstacles, and ensuring initiatives are delivered on time, within scope and in line with business objectives, governance standards and quality expectations.
• The successful candidate will work within the AI Transformation Portfolio delivery model, leveraging the capabilities of the Centers of Excellence (CoEs) and the AI Factory, in close collaboration with the business teams involved in each initiative.

Key responsibilities:

• Project delivery & execution:

  • Lead the end-to-end execution of strategic AI transformation projects from planning through deployment and business adoption.
  • Coordinate cross-functional teams across Business, Product, Data, Engineering, AI Factory, Risk and Operations.
  • Drive delivery against agreed scope, timelines, KPIs and business objectives.
  • Proactively manage risks, dependencies and delivery blockers, ensuring timely escalation and resolution of critical issues.
  • Coordinate project roadmaps, backlog planning and execution priorities together with the rest of stakeholders.

• Delivery Governance:

  • Translate portfolio priorities into executable roadmaps, delivery plans and implementation milestones.
  • Monitor projects and provide regular reporting to senior stakeholders, ensuring transparency on delivery status, risks and key decisions.
  • Ensure initiatives comply with AI governance, delivery standards, architectural principles and best practices.
  • Promote scalable, reusable and globally consistent solutions across CIB..
  • Coordinate deployment activities across geographies, ensuring consistent execution and alignment with the Group operating model.

• Business value realization:

  • Track business KPIs and ensure initiatives deliver measurable business value and strategic outcomes.
  • Support deployment, business adoption and continuous improvement across geographies.
  • Identify opportunities to optimize delivery and maximize value throughout the project lifecycle.
  • Monitor adoption, operational efficiency and business impact, proposing corrective actions when delivery outcomes deviate from expectations.

• Stakeholder management:

  • Act as the main coordination point across Business, Engineering and cross functions.
  • Build consensus across diverse stakeholders, balancing business priorities, delivery constraints and strategic objectives.
  • Foster collaboration and effective communication across global and local teams to ensure successful delivery.
  • Work closely with business stakeholders to ensure delivered solutions meet functional expectations and support the successful adoption of AI capabilities across CIB.

Experience & Qualifications:

• 8–10+ years of experience in Corporate & Investment Banking, Business transformation, Project management, Consulting or related leadership roles.
• Proven track record leading complex cross-functional transformation projects in international and matrix organizations.
• Experience managing large-scale strategic initiatives involving multiple stakeholders, teams and delivery workstreams.
• Strong understanding of project and program governance, including planning, risk management, dependency management, executive reporting and delivery oversight.
• Experience working closely with Business, Product, Data and Engineering teams to successfully deliver digital and/or AI-enabled transformation initiatives.
• Strong stakeholder management and influencing skills, with experience engaging senior business and technology leaders.
• Knowledge of CIB's business, products, client lifecycle and operating model will be highly valued.
• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Business Administration, Economics or a related discipline.
• MBA or postgraduate qualification is considered a plus.
• Fluent English (C1 or above) is required.

Success profile:

The ideal candidate combines strong project delivery and execution capabilities with strategic thinking and a strong understanding of business and operating models. They are recognized for their ability to lead complex cross-functional initiatives, coordinate multiple teams, align stakeholders around common objectives and translate strategic priorities into successful delivery and measurable business impact. They are comfortable working in complex environments, driving execution excellence while enabling the successful adoption of AI transformation initiatives across the organization.

Skills:

Project Execution Plan, Project Implementations, Work Execution