Head of Project Delivery and Excellence ›

As the Head of Project Delivery and Excellence, this role will lead a dedicated team of project and programme managers in delivering transformational projects that support strategic goals and the implementation of the Target Operating Model (TOM). Reporting directly to the Transformation Director, this role will ensure effective governance, optimal resource allocation, and adherence to the transformation framework to guarantee the successful delivery of transformation projects. This role will encompass the ongoing development and enhancement of people, processes, and tools to ensure the efficient execution of projects within the Transformation team.

This position not only requires oversight but also strategic leadership, insight into driving the projects to deliver the TOM, and the development of strong project delivery capabilities. Responsibilities include strategic thinking, leadership, and meticulous planning to deliver projects on time, within budget, and to high-quality standards. This role involves building a high-performing team, ensuring accountability, and maintaining performance reports for senior stakeholders.

• Delivery Leadership and Performance Management: Lead the project management team developing and maintaining best practices in project/programme management, methodologies, and reporting frameworks, in accordance with the Transformation Framework. Line-manage global resources, including contractors and internal team members. Directly manage large-scale complex projects, ensuring these projects align with the overall transformation objectives and framework. Collaborate with the Change Management Lead to ensure that the project management teams understand and support the change management methodologies, and where appropriate can fulfil the basic requirements within the framework. Coordinate with stakeholders, Transformation Team Leads, including the Transformation Director, to support strategic planning, value realisation, and risk management. Provide technical support and guidance (including scope definition, success criteria, requirements, budgets, risk identification and mitigation, resource planning, goals and deliverables).
• Support the continuous improvement of ways of working, metrics and development across the portfolio with a pragmatic approach to delivery, knowing when to adopt and execute the right methods and frameworks. Develop and implement key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure the success of our projects and programmes in delivering to strategic objectives, maintaining clear controls on performance and costs. Work alongside the change management team to agree adoption tracking targets, confirm monitoring arrangements and jointly agree any actions to support adoption when off track. Work with the Transformation Value Lead to identify project benefits, outcomes, and value drivers. Develop plans that outline the activities, milestones, and metrics to track and measure the achievement of expected benefits.
• Lead in ensuring the achievement of the Objectives and Key Results, driving the strategy with insight that inspires and enables innovative solutions. Collaborate with the Transformation Leadership Team and project, programme and initiative sponsors to provide planning, project and delivery consultancy, acting as an advisor and trusted partner and an escalation point and problem solver. Chair of the Transformation Delivery Forum.

• Coach and mentor project and programme managers, building internal capabilities and driving consistent application of methodologies with high delivery standards. Responsible for embedding best-in-class capabilities across all project and programme manager related roles, working with the accountable leaders to champion delivery excellence across the business. Embed project, programme and delivery management strategies, frameworks and processes to optimise efficiency, mitigate risks, and maximise resource utilisation.
• Embed a framework for continual measurement of project management capability, including training programmes to foster growth, development and a culture of continuous improvement. Ensuring the most optimal use of the TMO Hub to ensure oversight and efficiencies in running and delivering projects. Create a positive and supportive environment for the team to stay motivated and inspired throughout the project journey.

10+ years experience in managing Project Management Teams and PMOs. Demonstrable experience in delivering large scale, complex transformation programmes. Expert knowledge of Project and Programme Management methodologies, tools, and best practices. Demonstrable experience of change management methodologies. Extensive experience of managing change delivery in a large, complex organisation. Extensive experience of various project delivery ways of working. Excellent leadership skills. Effective communication and stakeholder management abilities at a senior level. Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to think strategically and make decisions. Excellent communication: communicates with clarity and confidence at all levels; adapts style and content to the needs of the audience by being inspirational. Energises people to drive change/growth, highly adaptable to new situations and agile working cross borders or teams. Stakeholder management: An ability to communicate effectively with stakeholders across all levels of seniority. Working in cross-functional and cross jurisdictional teams to ensure positive outcomes for clients and people. Influencing and relationship building proactively builds productive and open and trusting relationships with internal and external stakeholders; presents robust and convincing positions in the face of challenge while remaining respectful of others' views; negotiates effectively to agree realistic outcomes.

Delivering results remains calm, effective, and positive even when under pressure; takes ownership for delivering outcomes and is highly pragmatic and action oriented. Initiative and problem solving identifies problems, provides/facilitates the creation of options and recommendations, and uses initiative to drive solutions in a positive and constructive manner; whilst being able to identify and manage risk. Change Management & Adoption: ability to focus on the human side of change by building and delivery change management strategies and plans to increase adoption and the success of the acceptance of benefits.