Strategic PMO Lead for Major Infrastructure Programs in Cardiff

ABP is the UK’s leading and largest ports group, providing essential gateways for trade and enabling green infrastructure essential for the UK’s energy transition. We are a major landlord and port operator with 21 port locations in the UK. We have 87km of Quay and 5000ha of port estate handling approximately 100 million tonnes of cargo every year.

ABP handles more than a quarter of all ports industry volumes, provides support for over half the UK’s offshore wind and catalyses investment, jobs and prosperity in coastal communities. We are also a vital enabler of the UK's transformation to net zero, with exciting plans to develop our port estate so that they play a leading role in supporting the energy transition through onshore and offshore wind, hydrogen and carbon capture and storage (CCUS).

The PMO Manager is responsible for establishing, leading, and continuously improving the Programme Management Office for the Future Port Talbot (FPT) Programme, one of ABP’s most strategically important multi‑year infrastructure programmes. The FPT Programme is a major, complex, multi‑disciplinary port transformation initiative with extensive engineering, operational, commercial, property and stakeholder dimensions. It will involve multiple interdependent projects, delivered through internal teams and consultant partners, with combined investment values expected in the £300m–£600m+ range.

Accountabilities:

• Design, establish, and lead the PMO structure tailored for the FPT Programme.
• Develop PMO strategy, operating model, maturity roadmap, and programme performance KPIs.
• Implement and maintain the FPT governance framework, including Review meetings, Stage Gates, Steering Groups and decision-making protocols.
• Maintain a robust suite of programme logs including decisions, assumptions, dependencies, risks and lessons learned.
• Oversee development and maintenance of the Integrated Schedule (IS) for the FPT Programme.
• Integrate schedules produced by consultant planners and internal teams, ensuring alignment with ABP standards such as coding structure, calendars, progress measurement and forecasting rules.
• Facilitate Quantitative Risk Analysis (QRA) for cost and schedule where required.
• Provide clear insights, delivery confidence assessments and strategic recommendations to support decision-making.
• Manage digital tools including P6, MS Project, PowerBI, risk tools and collaboration platforms.
• Support preparation of business cases, investment papers and approvals.

About you:

You will ensure programme governance, controls, reporting, and assurance frameworks are consistently applied across all FPT workstreams to support ABP’s missions of Keeping Britain Trading and Enabling the Energy Transition. You have the ability to cope with uncertainty, conflict and change. You are flexible, persistent and have well-developed creative problem-solving skills. You will be able to work independently with a strong bias to getting things done. Understand the true value to the business of meeting objectives and timely delivery. You will possess a firm belief in the values of customer service and ABP’s core values of openness and honesty, teamwork and respect, along with the ambition to make a difference and exceed expectations.

Skills, Experience & Qualifications:

• Significant experience leading PMO or project controls on major infrastructure programmes.
• Deep knowledge of planning, scheduling, risk, cost, governance and reporting.
• Exceptional stakeholder engagement and communication skills.
• Proficiency with MS Office, MS Project, Primavera P6, PowerBI and CDE systems.
• High energy, proactive and hands‑on leadership style.
• Experience on large capital programmes (£20m–£800m+).
• APM, PMI, MSP, IPA or equivalent professional qualifications.
• Experience establishing PMO structures in early‑stage programme environments.

When joining ABP you will find an environment that is both welcoming and challenging. We reward our employees well and offer a generous remuneration package, employer pension, private health insurance and a range of other benefits.

Please note that ABP undertake random screening for substance abuse and operate a zero-tolerance policy. A medical will be required before starting this position also.

We are an equal opportunities employer and we welcome applications from all suitably qualified persons regardless of their background, which helps us to provide a diverse and inclusive working environment.