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For Companies At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead the PMO, manage teams, and provide data-driven insights for project success.
- Company: Join a dynamic organisation focused on strategic delivery and continuous improvement.
- Benefits: Enjoy flexible working options, professional development, and a collaborative culture.
- Why this job: Make an impact by translating complex data into actionable insights for senior leadership.
- Qualifications: 5+ years in PMO roles, strong analytical skills, and proficiency in Excel and Power BI required.
- Other info: Ideal for proactive leaders passionate about best practices and team development.
The predicted salary is between 43200 - 72000 £ per year.
Description
The Head of PMO will be responsible for the Professional Services Portfolio Management Office. The post holder will demonstrate practical experience of a leadership role and/or managing/matrix managing teams and be a key analytical leader in the business.
The successful candidate will have strong data scientist skills and be highly analytical – able to interrogate large datasets to extract performance insights and inform the future trajectory of our portfolio. They will be proficient in Excel (including pivot tables), experienced in writing Power BI reports, and ideally familiar with Precursive.
This role will require working closely with key stakeholders across the organisation, often at Director level, to provide actionable insights, performance reports and predictive analytics that support strategic delivery objectives and continuous improvement.
They will be an excellent communicator, confident in engaging senior leadership, and capable of translating complex data into meaningful business information. The ideal candidate will be pragmatic, delivery-focused and a strong advocate for best practice.
Duties and Responsibilities:
- Management of the Portfolio Management Office (PMO).
- Line management of the PMO Team, x3 Project Support Officers (PSO).
- Work with Portfolio Project Managers (approx. 30) and provide governance oversight of delivery of their projects. This will be a transition in H1 2025.
- Creation and management of best practice PMO processes and controls.
- Supporting, developing, and training of the PSOs in relation to processes and tools.
- Creation of high-quality data analytic reports and dashboards to support board and executive-level reporting.
- Development of regular utilisation and project performance reports to ensure delivery success and resource efficiency.
- Preparing board level reporting and taking executive-level detailed minutes, actions, and decisions.
- Implementation and continuous improvement of project management processes and controls.
- Ensuring data quality standards across the Project Management team are adhered to.
- Effective stakeholder expectation management and communication.
- Financial responsibility: Collating and reviewing Portfolio Finances, challenging variances against forecasts with Programme Leads, and reporting discrepancies to the Director.
- Portfolio risk and issue management.
- Portfolio-level dependency tracking and management.
- Resource planning and constraint identification across the Portfolio.
- Portfolio planning – inflight and backlog project tracking and milestone assurance.
- Opportunity identification and prioritisation scoring in collaboration with Programme Leads.
- Project closure process and documentation compliance.
- Change request trend analysis and early warning insights.
- Lessons learned reviews to identify and act on themes and trends.
- Benefits identification and realisation tracking across programmes/projects.
Requirements:
- Experience working as a PMO Manager or similar leadership role within a mid/large corporate PMO function. Minimum 5 years\’ PMO experience.
- Experience in resource management, RAID management, change control and benefits realisation.
- Financial planning and performance analysis.
- Proactive and flexible, capable of both team collaboration and independent work.
Essential:
- Project Management qualification – Prince2
- Power BI proficiency
- Advanced Excel (incl. pivot tables)
Desirable:
- Agile project qualifications (e.g. APM Agile Foundation / SAFe)
- Power BI dashboarding and reporting at executive level
- Experience with Precursive
Skills Required:
- Track record of managing programmes/projects with multiple teams within a formal methodology.
- Project Management qualification such as Prince2.
- Demonstrable experience of Agile methodology and techniques.
- Strong stakeholder management and communication skills.
- Experience of commercial frameworks and working with 3rd parties.
- High-level analytical and reporting skills, with strong planning and organisational capability.
- Strong verbal and written communication skills, including at senior/executive level.
- Experience of working with geographically distributed teams.
- A good understanding of matrix management structures.
Applications:
- MS Office including MS Project
- Jira / Confluence
- PSA system (Open Air, Precursive) i.e., time recording / resource management
- PPM tools (e.g., Monday.com or similar)
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Head of Project Management Office employer: System C
Contact Detail:
System C Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Head of Project Management Office
✨Tip Number 1
Familiarise yourself with the key tools mentioned in the job description, especially Power BI and Excel. Consider creating sample reports or dashboards to showcase your skills during the interview process.
✨Tip Number 2
Network with professionals in the PMO field, particularly those who have experience in leadership roles. Engaging with them can provide insights into the role and may even lead to referrals.
✨Tip Number 3
Prepare to discuss your experience with stakeholder management and how you've successfully communicated complex data insights to senior leadership in previous roles. Real-life examples will make your case stronger.
✨Tip Number 4
Stay updated on best practices in project management and analytics. Being able to discuss recent trends or methodologies can demonstrate your commitment to continuous improvement and thought leadership.
We think you need these skills to ace Head of Project Management Office
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV: Make sure your CV highlights relevant experience in project management and leadership roles. Emphasise your analytical skills, particularly with data analysis and reporting tools like Power BI and Excel.
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter: In your cover letter, explain why you are the ideal candidate for the Head of PMO role. Discuss your experience managing teams, your proficiency in data analytics, and how you can contribute to the company's strategic objectives.
Showcase Relevant Skills: Clearly outline your qualifications, such as your Project Management certification (e.g., Prince2) and any Agile methodologies you are familiar with. Mention your experience with financial planning and performance analysis, as these are crucial for the role.
Prepare for Potential Questions: Anticipate questions related to stakeholder management and your approach to project governance. Be ready to discuss specific examples of how you've used data to drive decision-making and improve project outcomes.
How to prepare for a job interview at System C
✨Showcase Your Leadership Experience
As the Head of PMO, you'll need to demonstrate your leadership skills. Prepare specific examples from your past roles where you successfully managed teams or projects, highlighting your ability to lead and inspire others.
✨Demonstrate Analytical Skills
Given the emphasis on data analysis in this role, be ready to discuss your experience with large datasets. Bring examples of how you've used tools like Excel and Power BI to extract insights and drive decision-making.
✨Communicate Effectively
You'll be engaging with senior leadership, so practice articulating complex data in a clear and concise manner. Prepare to explain how you've translated technical information into actionable business insights in previous roles.
✨Prepare for Stakeholder Management Scenarios
Expect questions about managing stakeholder expectations. Think of instances where you've successfully navigated challenging conversations or conflicts, and be ready to share your strategies for effective communication and relationship building.
