The University of Copenhagen (KU) was founded in 1479 and consists of 6 faculties, 36 institutions, and more than 200 research centres. KU has a total of 9,763 employees and is associated with 9 Nobel laureates.

Physically, the University of Copenhagen is spread across 4 campus areas in Copenhagen, as well as 10 museums and research gardens, including the Zoological Museum, the Botanical Garden, the Medical Museum, and the Øresund Aquarium.

The University of Copenhagen houses a wide range of scientific environments organised into academic fields called faculties. These faculties serve both as administrative units and academic communities for education and research. The university also hosts numerous centres, cross-disciplinary projects, and other units.

For many years, the University of Copenhagen has been the highest-ranked university in Denmark, and through its research and education, it plays a significant role in Denmark’s development and economy. Sustainability will be a key parameter shaping the university’s future development, including construction projects.

Campus Construction

You will become part of the Campus Construction (CB) section, which is the university’s building owner unit. CB consists of a total of four groups and is led by the chief building officer.

You will join a team of 16 dedicated colleagues, primarily project managers, with opportunities for collaboration, development, and a work environment characterised by good cooperation and an open atmosphere.

You will report to one of the group leaders in the Client Group AB. The groups are part of Campus Construction, which, in addition to maintenance projects, also acts as the client representative in the very large projects with external clients, such as the Natural History Museum of Denmark and the Niels Bohr Building.

At Campus Construction, you will get:

• A job with challenges and development potential, both professionally and personally
• A workplace with a strong culture of collaboration, where work is organised within reasonable working hours
• A professionally diverse and informal environment with committed and skilled colleagues throughout the section

The construction projects are primarily maintenance and renovation projects that vary in size and complexity, ranging from small projects to a few major projects with budgets up to approximately DKK 60-70 million. Internal sparring is also strongly emphasised, working closely with colleagues involved in the commissioning of the university’s major construction projects such as the Niels Bohr Building and the Natural History Museum of Denmark.

About the Portfolio Manager position

As a Portfolio Manager at Campus Construction, you will be part of a team dedicated to managing a wide portfolio of construction and maintenance projects, playing a significant role in developing the construction department and portfolio management in a positive direction.

You will help develop the portfolio management function in Campus Construction, with tasks including managing planning, coordination, and monitoring of the portfolio of maintenance and construction projects. Approximately 240 large and small construction projects are carried out annually, totalling around DKK 360 million, with a strong focus on budget control.

Your task will be to create an overview of the portfolio and support management, project managers, and the finance department with follow-up reports and data. You will also be the point of contact with the Danish Agency for Institutions and Educational Grants (Bygningsstyrelsen), which owns most of the university’s buildings, coordinating activities. There are many stakeholders and various types of allocations, so it is important to be able to juggle many tasks at once.

You will have a broad overview of all projects – existing and future – and will naturally be a focal point for the client team. It is essential to thrive on working with people, be good at collaborating, and also set requirements for colleagues when necessary. You will have a significant impact on developing your areas of responsibility and role in the organisation.

Responsibilities as a Portfolio Manager

• Maintaining a broad overview of all projects – existing and future – and serving as a natural focal point for the team
• Ensuring effective management of the entire portfolio of construction projects, including resource allocation, scheduling, and cost control
• Collaborating closely with management, project managers, and the finance department with follow-up reports and data, and extensive cooperation with the Danish Agency for Institutions and Educational Grants
• Building and maintaining effective communication between project teams, stakeholders, and management to ensure transparency and informed decision-making
• Ensuring sufficient and appropriate resource allocation for each project in the portfolio

Professional experience

A relevant education, such as property management, project management, financial management, or equivalent, along with several years of relevant professional experience (at least 3-5 years), is expected.

It would be a significant advantage to have several of the following skills and experiences:

• Ability to handle large amounts of complex data in Microsoft Excel and present it clearly and comprehensibly
• Experience in financial management and reporting to various target groups
• Knowledge of project work in general, and preferably also in construction projects and processes (KU uses its own project model based on Prince2, so experience in this area would also be beneficial)
• A desire and ability to work in a politically led organisation
• Ability to see tasks from a strategic perspective and interest in the development of the area
• An open, positive, and self-driven nature in a position with freedom and responsibility
• A good sense of humour that can create a positive atmosphere