Head of Portfolio Management, Cabin Projects (30-month Contract)

Role Introduction

Reports to: Head of Fleet & Passenger Scheduling  

The role sits within our Planning (PLN) department with the goal to optimize our aircraft and slot assets to build a network which will become our competitive edge. The team devotes their focus on scoping out new routes and developing hubs, to investing in aircraft and developing schedules. Our customers are at the heart of the way we are strengthening our network.

As the Head of Portfolio Management, Cabin Projects, you are responsible for overseeing all cabin projects across the airline’s global operations. This role combines people management—leading Cabin Project Managers—with hands-on project leadership, including independently managing complex cross-departments projects such as Cabin linefit and retrofit projects from inception to completion. You ensure governance, evaluation, and assurance of multi-million-dollar initiatives, aligning them with business strategy, safety, and customer experience objectives.

This position requires strong cross-functional collaboration and influence at senior levels, including executive stakeholders and external partners. The role involves applying continuous improvement methodologies (Agile, Lean, Six Sigma) and project management frameworks to deliver high-complexity aircraft programs. Occasional international travel is required to support global coordination.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and oversee all cabin projects through direct management of Cabin Project Managers, providing guidance, support, and performance oversight
• Support the front end of projects, including project charters, procurement activities to ensure alignment with business objectives and readiness for execution
• Independently manage complex cross department cabin projects as needed, including Cabin Linefit and Retrofit Project
• Working closely with key stakeholders such as Procurement, Customer Experience Design, Engineering, Inflight Service Delivery and Planning to define project scope, timelines, and execution plans to meet strategic milestones across global cabin programs
• Coordinate cross-functional teams and third parties to identify critical paths, bottlenecks and risks; maintain comprehensive risk registers and RAID logs; ensure adherence to scope, schedule and budget; facilitate collaboration across procurement, engineering, operations, planning and customer experience design
• Organise and lead Project Cabin Steering Committee meetings, produce minutes, and track action items
• Collaborate with the Finance and project accounting teams to manage budgets and assess commercial impacts
• Report and escalate risks and issues to Steering Committees and business owners. Align project activities with external program managers, such as Integrator PM, to ensure seamless integration and delivery
• Drive innovation in project tools, processes, and performance metrics to enhance outcomes
• Travel internationally as required to support project delivery and stakeholder engagement

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree or higher, preferably with Project Management Professional certification (PMP, Prince2, or equivalent)
• Minimum 10 years of relevant experience managing large-scale, cross-functional projects, preferably in aircraft systems, cabin interiors, or related equipment
• Proven success in managing teams and delivering complex aircraft or aviation-related projects
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret complex data and generate actionable insights
• Self-motivated, proactive, and solution-oriented with excellent problem-solving capabilities
• Exceptional interpersonal and influencing skills, capable of leading without formal authority
• Experience working across multiple cultures and time zones
• Proficiency in spoken and written English is essential; Cantonese or Mandarin is an advantage
• Willingness and ability to travel internationally as required

Personal & Application Information

Cathay Pacific is an Equal Opportunities Employer. Personal data provided by job applicants will be used strictly in accordance with our Applicant Personal Information Collection Statement and for recruitment purposes only. Candidates not notified within eight weeks may consider their application unsuccessful. We keep records of your data for no longer than is necessary for the purpose for which we obtained them and any other permitted linked purposes. If your application is unsuccessful, we will keep your details on file for as long as is necessary to process your application or for the purposes of further job opportunities if you agree to such longer periods.