Head of PMO in Milton Keynes

Role: Head of PMO

Location: Aldermaston & Green Park - Reading Ready to play your part? At AWE, it's not just a job, it's far more than that. Our shared purpose is to help keep the nation safe. Could this role be the opportunity for you to play your part? AWE is currently recruiting for a Head of PMO to join the Infrastructure Projects Delivery (IPD) Portfolio Office.

This is a senior leadership opportunity for an experienced Project, Programme and Portfolio Management (P3M) professional to shape and drive the strategic direction, governance, and performance of a complex portfolio of major projects and programmes. The role will be instrumental in enabling successful delivery across a diverse and high-profile portfolio that supports AWE's critical mission and long-term strategic objectives. As Head of PMO, you will provide leadership across a multi-disciplinary PMO function, bringing together specialist capabilities including planning, risk management, project controls, reporting, resource management, configuration management, governance and change control. Working closely with the Enterprise PMO (ePMO), programme leadership teams and wider P3M community, you will ensure projects are delivered consistently, effectively and in alignment with organisational priorities. You will act as a key member of the Programme Senior Leadership Team, providing strategic insight, governance leadership and assurance across the portfolio whilst driving continuous improvement and embedding best practice project delivery standards.

Who are we looking for?

• Significant leadership experience within a PMO, Programme Controls, Portfolio Management or project delivery environment.
• Proven experience leading large, complex programmes or portfolios (£multimillion) and driving successful delivery outcomes through effective governance, controls and performance management.
• Portfolio, programme and project governance frameworks within large-scale, regulated, construction or complex organisations.
• Leading and developing high-performing PMO or project controls teams across multiple disciplines.
• Strategic planning, resource optimisation and organisational prioritisation.
• Risk management, reporting, performance metrics and benefits realisation.
• Driving business improvement, standardisation and the adoption of project management best practice.
• Building strong relationships with senior stakeholders and influencing decision‑making at executive level.

You will need to be a strong and engaging leader who can translate strategy into operational delivery. You'll be comfortable working in a complex environment, balancing multiple priorities whilst enabling teams to perform at their best. You will bring excellent communication skills, commercial awareness and the ability to create alignment across diverse stakeholder groups.

Work hard, be rewarded

• 9‑day working fortnight – meaning you get every other Friday off work, in addition to 270 hours of annual leave.
• Market leading contributory pension scheme (we will pay between 9% and 13% of your pensionable pay depending on your contributions).
• Family friendly policies: Maternity Leave - 39 Weeks Full Pay and Paternity Leave - 4 Weeks Full Pay.
• Opportunities for Professional Career Development including funding for annual membership of a relevant professional body.
• Employee Assistance Programme and Occupational Health Services.
• Life Assurance (4 x annual salary).
• Discounts – access to savings on a wide range of everyday spending.
• Special Leave Policy including paid time off for volunteering, public service (including reserve forces) and caring.

The Working at AWE page on our website is where you can find full details in the AWE Benefits Guide.

Next steps

Everyone who works at AWE brings unique skills and perspectives to the table. We recognise that great people don't always ‘tick every box’. That's why we focus on your potential, your fit with our values, your transferable skills as well as your experience.

Important things you need to know

You will need to obtain and maintain the necessary security clearance for the role. This will be funded by AWE. The nature of our work does mean you need to be a British Citizen who has been resident in the UK for the past 5 years in order to apply for SC clearance and 10 years for DV. We want you to feel comfortable and able to shine during our recruitment process. Please let us know on your application form if you need any adjustments or accommodations during the process.

Our interviews typically take place over Teams and for most roles are a 1 stage process.

Our ambition is to create workplaces where we recognise and celebrate differences, encourage diverse contributions and our employees feel able to themselves at work. We strive to create a genuine culture of openness and inclusion and encourage diverse applicants. Please note that you must be a British Citizen to apply for a role with us.

If you’re looking for a role with excitement, intrigue and something that really makes a difference then now is the time to join AWE.

We are at the start of a once in a generation – possibly two generations – programme to design and produce a replacement warhead for the UK’s continuous at sea deterrent. We will do this while continuing to deliver the Trident programme as well as managing ambitious state‑of‑the‑art capital and construction projects – some of which have never been done before.

Find out more on our website.

Service Leavers, Veterans and Reservists

We are an Armed Forces Covenant Gold Award Employer. Visit the Service Leavers page to find out more.