At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead application lifecycle governance and design processes for technology management.
- Company: Fast-growing PE-backed business in central London with a dynamic environment.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, growth opportunities, and a chance to shape technology governance.
- Other info: Collaborate with cross-functional teams and drive efficiency in technology spend.
- Why this job: Make a real impact by designing frameworks and managing technology in a high-growth setting.
- Qualifications: Experience in application portfolio management and building governance frameworks.
The predicted salary is between 80000 - 100000 € per year.
Our client is an ambitious, high-growth, acquisitive PE-backed business based in central London (4 days per week in the office). Every acquisition brings new applications, contracts, and vendor relationships. Some are excellent; some overlap with what we already have; some were purchased locally and have never been reviewed at group level. They need someone to bring order, visibility, and discipline to this landscape so that every pound they spend on technology is justified, governed, and delivering value.
The Role
They are looking for an Application Portfolio Manager who can build and own the discipline. This is not a role where you inherit a mature framework and operate it. You will design the processes, build the governance, and establish the ways of working that ensure that the software and technology services estate is actively managed through its full lifecycle: from identification and selection, through deployment and operation, to retirement.
You will report to the Head of IT Services and work closely with procurement, legal, finance, the wider IT team and business stakeholders across the group. For the highest-value vendor relationships, you will provide portfolio intelligence and technical insight to the senior relationship owners, ensuring they have the information they need to make good decisions. For the long tail of smaller vendors and regionally purchased tools, you will be the primary owner: rationalising, consolidating, and ensuring nothing falls through the gaps.
This is a building role with genuine growth potential. You will design the process and then scale it across a rapidly growing organisation. If you want to shape how a PE-backed business governs its technology estate, not just administer what already exists, this is the opportunity.
Key Responsibilities
- Application Lifecycle Governance: You will own the end-to-end application lifecycle at Lomond, applying consistent governance from the point a need is identified through to eventual retirement. This means designing and embedding the processes that do not yet exist, not waiting for someone else to hand you a playbook.
- Portfolio Intelligence and Rationalisation: You will provide the insight that enables good decisions about our technology estate, both for individual applications and across the portfolio as a whole.
- Process Design and Cross-functional Partnership: The processes that govern how Lomond selects, purchases, onboards, and retires technology do not yet exist in a structured form. A core part of this role is designing them, in partnership with the Head of IT Services, procurement, legal, and finance.
- Commercial Administration: You will maintain the commercial backbone of the application estate, ensuring contracts, renewals, and licensing are actively managed rather than passively consumed.
Required Experience
Must Have
- Demonstrable experience in application portfolio management, IT asset management, or a closely related discipline involving software estate governance in organisations of 500+ employees, ideally with experience of rapid growth or acquisition-driven scaling.
- Proven ability to build frameworks and processes, not just operate existing ones: you have designed governance from scratch or materially improved what you inherited.
- Experience managing technology vendor relationships at a commercial and governance level, including contract tracking, licence management, and renewal preparation.
- Enough technical understanding to evaluate how applications fit within a wider technology ecosystem: integration points, data flows, SSO and authentication, and API connectivity. You do not need to be an engineer, but you need to ask the right questions and understand the answers.
- Experience working cross-functionally with procurement, legal, finance, and business stakeholders to deliver structured outcomes.
- Comfortable producing clear, data-driven reporting for senior leadership audiences.
Nice to Have
- ITIL certification or equivalent service management framework experience.
- Experience with Microsoft 365 licensing and SaaS cost governance at scale.
- PE-backed business experience; familiarity with exit readiness, investor due diligence, and the expectation to demonstrate efficient technology spend.
- M&A integration experience, particularly managing the technology implications of high-volume acquisitions.
- Property, distributed retail, franchise, or multi-site service business experience.
Application Portfolio Manager (high-growth, M&A/PE environment) employer: Ethos BeathChapman
Join a dynamic and ambitious PE-backed business in central London as an Application Portfolio Manager, where you will have the unique opportunity to shape and govern the technology landscape from the ground up. With a strong focus on employee growth and a collaborative work culture, this role offers the chance to design innovative processes while working closely with cross-functional teams. Enjoy the benefits of a high-growth environment that values your contributions and provides a platform for meaningful impact in a rapidly evolving organisation.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Application Portfolio Manager (high-growth, M&A/PE environment)
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to people in your industry, especially those who work in PE-backed businesses. Attend events, join relevant online groups, and don’t be shy about asking for informational interviews. You never know who might have the inside scoop on job openings!
✨Tip Number 2
Showcase your skills in real-time! If you get the chance, offer to present your ideas on application portfolio management or process design during interviews. This not only demonstrates your expertise but also shows that you're proactive and ready to take charge.
✨Tip Number 3
Tailor your approach! When you’re applying through our website, make sure to highlight your experience with governance frameworks and vendor relationships. Use specific examples that align with the job description to make your application stand out.
✨Tip Number 4
Follow up after interviews! A quick thank-you email can go a long way. Mention something specific from your conversation to remind them of your fit for the role. It shows your enthusiasm and keeps you top of mind as they make their decision.
We think you need these skills to ace Application Portfolio Manager (high-growth, M&A/PE environment)
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Us Your Process Design Skills:When applying, make sure to highlight your experience in designing processes from scratch. We want to see how you've built frameworks and governance in previous roles, especially in fast-paced environments like ours.
Be Data-Driven:We love numbers! Include any data-driven insights or reporting you've done in your past roles. This will show us that you can provide the portfolio intelligence we need to make informed decisions about our technology estate.
Cross-Functional Collaboration is Key:Mention your experience working with different teams like procurement, legal, and finance. We’re looking for someone who can partner effectively across functions, so share examples of how you've done this in the past.
Apply Through Our Website:Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way for us to keep track of your application and ensure it gets the attention it deserves. We can’t wait to see what you bring to the table!
How to prepare for a job interview at Ethos BeathChapman
✨Know Your Application Lifecycle
Make sure you understand the end-to-end application lifecycle and be ready to discuss how you've designed or improved governance processes in your previous roles. This will show that you can bring order and visibility to the technology landscape.
✨Showcase Your Cross-Functional Experience
Be prepared to share examples of how you've worked with procurement, legal, and finance teams. Highlight specific projects where you collaborated to deliver structured outcomes, as this role requires strong partnership skills.
✨Demonstrate Vendor Management Skills
Have concrete examples ready about how you've managed technology vendor relationships, including contract tracking and licensing. This will illustrate your ability to maintain the commercial backbone of the application estate.
✨Ask Insightful Questions
Prepare thoughtful questions about the company's current application portfolio and governance challenges. This shows your genuine interest in the role and your understanding of the complexities involved in managing a rapidly growing technology estate.
