Business Gandalf

We're looking for bright Business Gandalfs to join our team At Critical TechWorks, we're seeking

an experienced portfolio leader to provide structure and pragmatism across CTW's Project/Product Portfolio, ensuring that complexity is actively managed and that decisions are both sound and executable.

This role exists at the intersection of business priorities, financial realities, and delivery constraints in a multi-Prime environment closely interacting with BMW peer departments. You will lead alignment not by authority alone, but through credibility, negotiation, and clarity - bringing structure to ambiguity where multiple departments operate with overlapping scopes, shared dependencies, or competing priorities.

Define and maintain Portfolio-level steering processes

for Forecasts, ramp-ups, ramp-downs, and efficiency initiatives - ensuring plans remain realistic, consistent, and actionable across departmental boundaries, while decision authority remains with business owners

Negotiate alignment between BMW peer departments

where priorities, funding expectations, or capacity demands conflict - making trade-offs explicit and ensuring shared understanding

Frame discussions around facts, impacts, and constraints , supporting convergence without escalation while maintaining visibility of the Portfolio as a whole

Protect Portfolio integrity

when bilateral optimizations risk creating downstream imbalance

Test decisions against financial impact, execution feasibility , and cross-departmental consequences- not only local optimization

Draw clear boundaries

when requests cannot be accommodated or accelerations are not sustainable - calmly, transparently, and based on impact

Ensure unresolved tensions do not silently propagate through the organization

Whatever you're working on, here's the lowdown on the technical skills you're likely to have:

Strong

negotiation capabilities

— able to reach alignment across parties with competing interests while preserving relationships and Portfolio coherence.

Advanced Excel and Power Query proficiency

— comfortable building, validating, and maintaining complex financial models, scenarios, and Portfolio-level datasets.

Mediation skills

— able to facilitate difficult conversations, surface underlying concerns, and drive toward actionable consensus.

Data structuring

— able to organize, synthesize, and make sense of large volumes of operational and financial data from multiple sources.

Fluency in English and Portuguese.

Experience and background:

Minimum 5 years of professional experience ,

preferably in Planning & Forecasting.

Sales experience is also a plus.

Solid experience in portfolio management, financial planning, or business operations in technology delivery environments.

• Track record of cross-functional negotiation and stakeholder alignment.
• Comfort operating in ambiguity and managing multiple concurrent priorities.
• Experience working with or within OEM or automotive technology organizations is a plus.

CTW's Daily Toolkit This role operates with high autonomy and direct accountability for Portfolio coherence. You will work across departments without formal authority over them — your influence comes from credibility, preparation, and the quality of your analysis.

Expect frequent interaction with BMW peer departments, requiring diplomatic firmness and the ability to hold positions when necessary. Sometimes alignment moves forward; sometimes it must pause. Occasionally, a clear line must be drawn to ensure CTW's long-term sustainability is not compromised.

Travel to Munich or other BMW locations may be required periodically for alignment sessions, steering committees, or escalation forums.

You will be expected to operate pragmatically: balancing ideal solutions against execution reality, managing trade-offs transparently, and ensuring that decisions made today do not create problems six months from now.

We value diversity and encourage applications from individuals with varied backgrounds and experiences. For this position, candidates must already have the legal right to work in Portugal at the time of application.

Who we are Critical TechWorks seeks a distinct and treasured corporate culture, that is very much our own. This means:

Growth and Innovation:

Be a key player in shaping the future of mobility through innovative ideas.

Engineering Excellence:

Immerse yourself in an environment valuing engineering process, where we create, innovate, lead, and make a tangible impact.

Autonomy and Collaboration:

Thrive in a culture that blends autonomy with teamwork, contributing to groundbreak