Head of Portfolio Management Office

We are seeking a highly experienced Head of Portfolio Management Office to lead and develop our Group PMO function.This is a pivotal role responsible for designing, implementing and refining key Portfolio Management frameworks, implementing optimal portfolio management practices across the entire organisation catering for both agile and waterfall delivery methodologies, and enhancing and ensuring adherence to a group-wide delivery governance model.In addition, the Head of Portfolio Management Office will be a key partner to senior leadership providing insightful portfolio reporting and enabling informed decision-making. This individual will lead a small team of Group PMO professionals, and embedded programme PMOs. In addition, this role will be instrumental in ensuring consistent group wide practices are performed across the larger portfolios.

• Process Design and Implementation: Design, develop, and implement standardised portfolio management processes, methodologies, and tools across the organisation, encompassing both waterfall and agile delivery approaches. This includes the full lifecycle of initiative management, from ideation and prioritisation through to execution and closure.
• Governance and Framework Adherence: Ensure consistent adherence to rolled-out governance models and frameworks, monitoring compliance and driving continuous improvement. This includes establishing clear roles and responsibilities, decision-making authorities, and escalation paths.
• Group Portfolio Reporting: Develop and deliver comprehensive and insightful portfolio-level reports for senior management and stakeholders. This includes providing clear visibility on portfolio performance, portfolio plan, risks, issues, dependencies, resource utilisation, financials, enabling data-driven decision[1]making.
• Understand and challenge initiative plans, identified risks and interdependencies including facilitating workshops, actions and resolutions as required
• Undertake and facilitate assurance on projects across the portfolio and provide independent quality assurance of deliverables and independent stage gates as required raising issues with appropriate project stakeholders as required.
• Team Leadership and Development: Lead, mentor, and develop a team of 3-4 PMO professionals, fostering a collaborative and high-performing environment. Set clear objectives, provide regular feedback, and support their professional growth.
• Framework Design and Refinement: Leverage deep expertise to design and continuously refine group wide portfolio management frameworks, including but not limited to:
• Change Risk Framework: Rollout and maintain a robust framework for identifying, assessing, mitigating, and monitoring change-related risks.
• Governance Models and Control Frameworks: Establish clear and effective governance models and control frameworks applicable to both waterfall and agile delivery methodologies.
• Initiative Budgeting and Forecasting: Design and implement processes for accurate initiative budgeting, forecasting, and financial tracking.
• Change Information Standards: Define and enforce consistent information standards for capturing and reporting risks, issues, milestones, dependencies, and other critical change-related data.
• Assist with preparation of the project related costs for the annual departmental and consolidated company budgets
• Group-wide PPM Tool Management: support the selection, implementation, and ongoing administration of the group-wide Portfolio and Project Management (PPM) tool. Ensure its effective utilisation for portfolio planning, resource management, risk and issue tracking, and reporting.
• Stakeholder Management and Alignment: Build and maintain strong relationships with senior leaders and key stakeholders across all business functions. Proactively engage to ensure alignment on portfolio priorities, manage expectations, and mitigate potential change resistance.
• Driving a Sense of Urgency: Champion a proactive and results-oriented approach to portfolio management, fostering a sense of urgency and accountability for timely and effective delivery.
• Continuous Improvement: Continuously evaluate and improve PMO processes, tools, and frameworks based on industry best practices, lessons learned, and evolving business needs.