Strategy and Portfolio Manager in London

About Us

We’re the world’s leading provider of secure financial messaging services, headquartered in Belgium. We are the way the world moves value – across borders, through cities and overseas. No other organisation can address the scale, precision, pace and trust that this demands, and we’re proud to support the global economy. We’re unique too. We were established to find a better way for the global financial community to move value – a reliable, safe and secure approach that the community can trust, completely. We’re always striving to be better and are constantly evolving in an ever-changing landscape, without undermining that trust. Five decades on, our vibrant community reflects the complexity and diversity of the financial ecosystem. We innovate diligently, test exhaustively, then implement fast. In a connected and exciting era, our mission has never been more relevant. Swift now has a presence in 200+ countries and legal territories to serve a community of more than 12,000 banks and financial institutions.

The Portfolio & ZTS Manager supports the Head of Security Strategy in driving the strategic planning, governance, and orchestration of Global Security initiatives. The role manages the Global Security Roadmap, facilitates cross‑team coordination, integrates Zero Trust activities across GS and Swift, and prepares strategic materials for leadership decision‑making. It ensures all initiatives entering the roadmap are aligned to the GS Strategy, capability maturity needs, and Zero Trust principles. The role is strategic and coordination focused – not a delivery project manager – and is central to maintaining a mature, data‑driven, and prioritised security portfolio.

Education

• University degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, or a related field; or equivalent work experience.

Experience

• 7–10 years in cybersecurity, technology strategy, portfolio management, or programme governance.
• Demonstrated experience working in complex, multi‑stakeholder technical environments.
• Strong understanding of capability maturity models, cybersecurity domains, and technology planning.
• Experience coordinating cross‑functional programmes, ideally in security or enterprise technology.

Skills & Competencies

• Excellent strategic thinking and analytical ability.
• Strong coordination and governance capabilities.
• Ability to synthesise complex technical input into clear executive‑level insights.
• Skilled in roadmap design, dependency management, and portfolio structuring.
• Ability to navigate ambiguity, shape early‑stage ideas, and prepare initiatives for approval.
• Strong communication skills across both technical and business stakeholders.
• High level of independence, ownership, and organisational awareness.

Personal Attributes

• Structured, proactive, and able to see across the whole security landscape.
• Comfortable collaborating across teams without owning delivery.
• Able to challenge, question, and provide strategic insight.
• Detail‑oriented with strong clarity of thought.
• Resilient, diplomatic, and able to influence without direct authority.

Domains

• Information Security

Key Responsibilities

• Strategic Portfolio & Roadmap Governance
• Maintain and structure the GS Strategic Roadmap aligned to strategic priorities and capability maturity targets.
• Operate the GS portfolio governance rhythm, including planning cycles, review forums, and reporting.
• Consolidate progress, risks, KPIs, maturity insights, and decision points from delivery teams.
• Provide clear, executive‑ready updates and briefing materials for the CSO and senior leadership.
• Map dependencies and sequencing across initiatives to ensure cohesive and efficient execution.
• Zero Trust Program Integration
• Coordinate and integrate Zero Trust activities across GS, TPSG, Core Operations, Product, Architecture, and Engineering.
• Monitor maturity evolution, progress, risks, and cross‑team impacts related to ZTS.
• Ensure ZTS principles are embedded into broader GS programmes.
• Maintain a single consolidated view of Zero Trust progress for senior leadership.
• Support preparation of Zero Trust initiative validation prior to CSO approval.
• Initiative Intake & Strategic Validation Support
• Assess new initiatives for alignment with GS Strategy, capability maturity needs, and operational readiness.
• Conduct initial analysis and prepare initiative intake packs for Head of Strategy validation.
• Maintain the initiative pipeline, backlog, and planning artefacts.
• Ensure initiatives have clear scope, outcomes, and expected maturity impact before being considered for approval.
• Cross‑Functional Alignment & Coordination
• Facilitate alignment across GS domains to ensure consistent direction and integrated planning.
• Act as a central coordination point during planning cycles, reviews, and roadmap adjustments.
• Support communication and alignment with Enterprise and Security Architecture where relevant.

Competency Profile

• Takes Accountability for Delivering Results – makes choices and decisions based on established practices and precedents; delivers results by overcoming obstacles and issues where timing may be critical.
• Demonstrates Operational Excellence – sets clear standards for quality of work; adheres to or encourages a continuous improvement mindset; implements procedures, standards, and policies to ensure operational success in terms of security, availability, reliability and customer satisfaction.
• Expands Knowledge – expands own specialist knowledge and skills by taking ownership of development; encourages colleagues to share new ideas and alternative solutions; demonstrates openness to new approaches.
• Business Understanding and Commercial Sense – applies understanding of how different divisions contribute to meeting SWIFT's business objectives; understands market drivers of success and encourages changes to improve offerings while optimising commercial performance.
• Builds and Reinforces Customer Relationships – strengthens relationships by listening and responding to customers and adapting solutions to meet their needs; demonstrates and encourages customer focus in all relationships and activities.
• Leads with a Team Focus – initiates effective co‑operation and team working with others; provides support to new team members; appreciates style and background differences; demonstrates commitment to SWIFT values.
• Communicates Effectively – communicates effectively across a range of practical and operational issues; adjusts personal communication style to fit intended audience; listens to and respects other people's points of view.

What We Offer

We give you the freedom to be yourself. We are creating an environment of unique individuals – like you – with different perspectives on the financial industry and the world. A diverse and inclusive environment in which everyone’s voice counts and where you can reach your full potential. We are committed to an inclusive and accessible recruitment process. All requests are confidential and will not affect your candidacy. Don’t meet every single requirement? At Swift, we are dedicated to building a workplace where people can bring their full selves and ideas to the team, so if you are excited about this role, we encourage you to apply even if you do not meet every single qualification.