At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead the Group PMO to ensure effective project governance and delivery across all initiatives.
- Company: Join a forward-thinking organisation dedicated to student success and well-being.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, professional development, and a commitment to diversity and inclusion.
- Why this job: Make a real impact on educational transformation while developing your leadership skills.
- Qualifications: Experience in leading PMOs and strong stakeholder management skills required.
- Other info: Dynamic role with opportunities for career growth and personal development.
The predicted salary is between 43200 - 72000 £ per year.
The Senior PMO Manager (SPMOM) will establish and run a Group PMO that provides consistent governance, transparency, and delivery discipline across all Group-led projects and transformation initiatives, whilst providing consistency in approach and PMO methodology for all Divisional/Regional/Functional or School specific projects. The SPMOM will also act as the single source of truth for programme status, risks, interdependencies, and delivery confidence at Group and Board level.
Reports to: Group Head of Transformation, Change and PMO
ISP Principles:
- Begin with our children and students: Our children and students are at the heart of what we do. Simply, their success is our success. Wellbeing and safety are both essential for learners and learning.
- Treat everyone with care and respect: We look after one another, embrace similarities and differences and promote the well-being of self and others.
- Operate effectively: We focus relentlessly on the things that are most important and will make the most difference.
- Are financially responsible: We make financial choices carefully based on the needs of the children, students and our schools.
- Learn continuously: Getting better is what drives us.
ISP SPMOM Key Responsibilities:
- Establish new PMO set-up and define optimal operating model.
- Design, implement and continuously improve the Group PMO operating model, including standards, templates, tools, and ways of working.
- Define and enforce programme and project governance, stage gates, reporting cadence, and decision forums.
- Ensure clear ownership, accountability, and escalation routes across Group, Divisional and Regional projects and initiatives.
- Maintain a Group-wide portfolio view of all strategic and transformation projects and initiatives.
- Track delivery against milestones, benefits, risks, dependencies and resourcing.
- Identify and proactively manage cross-programme dependencies and delivery conflicts.
- Allocate resources effectively across Projects, ensuring projects are suitably staffed and managed.
- Support prioritisation and sequencing of initiatives in line with strategic capacity and value.
- Produce clear, concise and credible reporting for ExCo, SteerCo and Board-level forums.
- Translate complex delivery data into decision-ready insights, not activity updates.
- Provide early warning on delivery confidence, slippage, or emerging risks.
- Own the Group transformation risk and issue framework, ensuring risks are identified, quantified and actively managed.
- Drive a disciplined approach to issue escalation and resolution, ensuring timely decision-making.
- Maintain and manage critical path and dependency maps across programmes.
- Establish and embed benefits realisation frameworks across transformation initiatives.
- Track delivery of financial, operational and strategic benefits post-implementation.
- Act as a trusted partner and constructive challenger to programme sponsors and workstream leads.
- Influence senior stakeholders to maintain focus on outcomes, pace and delivery discipline.
- Select, implement and optimise PMO tools and dashboards.
- Ensure data quality, consistency and integrity across all reporting.
- Build PMO capability across the organisation through guidance, coaching and standards.
- Build and lead a small Group PMO team, providing clear direction for new team members.
- Set clear expectations, standards and performance measures for PMO resources.
Skills, Qualifications and Experience:
- Proven experience setting up or leading a Group-level PMO in a complex, multi-stakeholder organisation.
- Strong understanding of portfolio, programme and transformation governance.
- Experience supporting executive-level decision-making with clear, credible reporting.
- Excellent stakeholder management skills, with the confidence to challenge senior leaders constructively.
- Strong analytical capability, able to move from data to insight quickly.
- Pragmatic, outcomes-focused approach – avoids bureaucracy for its own sake.
ISP Commitment to Safeguarding Principles: ISP is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.
ISP Commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging: ISP is committed to strengthening our inclusive culture by identifying, hiring, developing, and retaining high-performing teammates regardless of gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation and gender expression, age, disability status, neurodivergence, socio-economic background or other demographic characteristics.
Senior PMO Manger in London employer: Aspen Heights British School
Contact Detail:
Aspen Heights British School Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Senior PMO Manger in London
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to your connections in the industry, attend relevant events, and don’t be shy about asking for introductions. The more people you know, the better your chances of landing that Senior PMO Manager role.
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for interviews by researching the company and its projects. Understand their PMO methodology and be ready to discuss how your experience aligns with their needs. Show them you’re not just another candidate, but the perfect fit!
✨Tip Number 3
Follow up after interviews! A quick thank-you email can go a long way. It shows your enthusiasm for the role and keeps you fresh in their minds. Plus, it’s a great opportunity to reiterate why you’re the best choice for the job.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! We’ve got loads of resources to help you stand out, and applying directly shows your commitment to joining our team. Let’s get you that Senior PMO Manager position!
We think you need these skills to ace Senior PMO Manger in London
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your Application: Make sure to customise your CV and cover letter to highlight your experience in setting up and leading PMOs. Use keywords from the job description to show that you understand what we're looking for.
Showcase Your Achievements: Don’t just list your responsibilities; share specific examples of how you've driven successful projects or initiatives. We love seeing quantifiable results, so if you’ve improved processes or saved costs, shout about it!
Be Clear and Concise: When writing your application, keep it straightforward. We appreciate clarity, so avoid jargon and make sure your points are easy to understand. Remember, we want to see your insights, not just activity updates.
Apply Through Our Website: We encourage you to submit your application through our website. It’s the best way for us to receive your details and ensures you’re considered for the role. Plus, it’s super easy!
How to prepare for a job interview at Aspen Heights British School
✨Know Your PMO Inside Out
Before the interview, dive deep into the PMO methodologies and frameworks relevant to the role. Be ready to discuss how you've successfully implemented these in past positions, as well as any tools like Monday.com or Smartsheet that you've used. This shows you’re not just familiar with the concepts but can apply them effectively.
✨Showcase Your Stakeholder Management Skills
Prepare examples of how you've influenced senior stakeholders and navigated complex relationships in previous roles. Highlight specific instances where your constructive challenges led to better outcomes. This will demonstrate your ability to act as a trusted partner and manage expectations effectively.
✨Be Data-Driven
Since the role requires translating complex delivery data into decision-ready insights, come prepared with examples of how you've done this before. Discuss your analytical capabilities and how you've used data to drive decisions and improve project outcomes. This will show your pragmatic, outcomes-focused approach.
✨Emphasise Continuous Learning
ISP values continuous improvement, so be ready to talk about your personal and professional development journey. Share how you've engaged with learning opportunities and how this has positively impacted your work. This aligns perfectly with their commitment to getting better and supporting others in their growth.