Lead IT Business Partner (f/m/d)

What you will do

• Develop and continuously evolve the Group IT portfolio in line with Axpo’s strategy, business priorities, technology direction and our Target Operating Model.

• Portfolio management and investment steering

• Create the transparency, evaluation criteria and decision foundations required for smart investment decisions across the Group IT portfolio.

• Lead portfolio prioritisation, balancing business value, risk, regulatory requirements, capacity, cost, dependencies and time to value.

• Lead portfolio governance across Group IT, establishing and running decision forums, prioritization rules, escalation paths and executive portfolio reporting.

• Actively manage and balance competing priorities across Business Areas, divisions and subsidiaries to align local needs with Group IT strategy, architectural principles and enterprise value.

• Further develop the portfolio process, governance, methods and supporting tool to improve data quality, transparency and decision velocity.

Demand management and business alignment

• Build and actively manage relationships with Axpo’s Business Areas, Divisions and Business ITs as a trusted strategic partner.

• Redesign, govern and steer the Group IT demand process from business need through assessment, prioritisation, funding decision and handover into delivery.

• Drive adoption of portfolio and demand management practices across the organisation, embedding pragmatic, business-focused processes and strengthening decision discipline.

• Work closely with the business to understand their demand and translate it into clear, complete and actionable requirements that create a shared understanding between the business and Group IT.

• Plan, facilitate and continuously improve Business IT Alignment Meetings, ensuring clear decisions, ownership, follow-up and measurable outcomes.

Continuous improvement and organisational leadership

• Lead, coach and develop the team of IT Business Partners; create clarity of purpose, strengthen capabilities, unlock individual potential and build a high-performing team culture.

• Represent Group IT with confidence at senior stakeholder level and foster a customer-focused, value-oriented mindset across the organisation.

• Define and monitor relevant KPIs and management information for portfolio health, demand throughput, investment quality, change budget, stakeholder alignment and customer satisfaction.

What you bring & who you are

• 10+ years of experience in IT business partnering, portfolio management, IT strategy, or a comparable leadership role.

• Proven experience in managing complex IT portfolios and preparing fact-based recommendations for investment and prioritisation decisions.

• Hands-on experience in designing, governing and improving portfolio and demand processes, ideally supported by digital tools.

• Experience working with business stakeholders in a matrix organisation; a good understanding of operating models.

• Proven leadership experience and a track record of developing people, strengthening capabilities and creating a collaborative, high-performing team environment.

• Excellent stakeholder management, communication and facilitation skills, with the ability to engage confidently from operational teams to senior management.

• Structured, pragmatic and outcome-oriented way of working, combined with strategic thinking and a strong customer and business focus.

• Fluent in German and English; Spanish is an advantage

About the team

You will join a dynamic and collaborative Group IT organisation with around 300 employees. The IT Business Partner team works across Axpo’s Business Areas, Divisions and Business ITs to connect strategy, demand, investment and delivery. Together with colleagues across Group IT and the broader Axpo organisation, we enable our internal customers to focus on their core missions and support a sustainable, reliable and future-oriented energy supply. Occasional travel to subsidiaries and other Axpo locations is part of the role.