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For Companies At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead the PMO for ambitious rail projects, ensuring excellence and collaboration.
- Company: Join Balfour Beatty, a key player in the UK's rail infrastructure.
- Benefits: Enjoy smart working, generous leave, and a tailored benefits package.
- Why this job: Make a real impact on the future of UK rail delivery.
- Qualifications: Proven management experience and strong project management skills required.
- Other info: Diversity and inclusion are at the heart of our culture.
The predicted salary is between 43200 - 72000 ÂŁ per year.
About The Role
Are you ready to shape the future of rail delivery in the UK? Do you thrive in a fast‑paced, collaborative environment where your leadership can make a genuine impact? We’re looking for an inspiring Head of PMO to lead our Programme Management Office across a diverse and ambitious portfolio of rail projects. This is a unique opportunity to take a strategic role at the heart of our Rail Strategic Plan, driving excellence, championing best practice, and influencing the success of major programmes that keep the country moving. This role offers the chance to lead, influence and inspire across a major part of the UK’s rail infrastructure programme. If you’re driven, collaborative and passionate about delivering excellence, we’d love to hear from you!
What you’ll be doing
- As our Head of PMO, you will play a pivotal role in ensuring robust project controls, high‑quality reporting, and effective planning across the business.
- You’ll build and lead a high‑performing PMO team, ensuring the highest standards of safety, sustainability, environmental management and quality are embedded in everything we do.
- You’ll create a culture where collaboration thrives — with clients, internal stakeholders, and delivery teams — maintaining alignment, motivation, and a shared commitment to success.
What you’ll be responsible for
- Delivering the Rail business strategy and outperforming on key success measures
- Providing strong leadership on Zero Harm, HSES and Quality
- Achieving sustainable profit across your portfolio
- Ensuring resources are used efficiently and opportunities for Rail are maximised
- Demonstrating visible, positive leadership behaviours
- Supporting and developing your team to ensure they excel
- Driving consistent adoption of the Gated Business Lifecycle
- Implementing COP processes and governance across project management
- Developing and monitoring KPIs to track strategic project and business performance
- Ensuring robust programming, interface management and milestone control
- Leading on evaluation of early warnings, exception reporting and lessons learned
Who we’re looking for
Essential Experience
- Proven success at management level
- Strong project or programme management competence
- Experience delivering rail renewals or enhancement schemes (or equivalent construction experience)
- Excellent organisational, people management and presentation skills
- Experience tendering and managing complex projects, including subcontractors
- Solid commercial awareness and financial control capability
- Ability to navigate conflicting stakeholder priorities and deliver balanced solutions
- Comfortable leading through ambiguity and guiding cross‑functional teams
- Strong relationship‑building skills
Knowledge & Qualifications
- Knowledge of project management methodologies, including risk management
- Desirably APMP/APM Practitioner, Prince2 or equivalent certification
- Desirable: Degree‑qualified, or equivalent experience
Why work for us
Day in, day out, our teams deliver some of the UK’s most ambitious, exciting and meaningful projects; developing, building and maintaining the vital infrastructure that supports national economies and strengthens communities.
Benefits
As if contributing to and supporting work that makes life better for millions wasn’t rewarding enough, we offer a full range of benefits too. You’ll have the freedom to shape the package that’s right for you and your life. Here are some of our key benefits:
- Smart working, giving you more flexibility such as staggered start and finish times, with up to 40% remote working, where roles allow.
- 25 days paid annual leave (pro rata)
- Family friendly policies which include 28 weeks full pay for maternity/adoption leave and four weeks full pay for paternity/partners leave
- Pension, share incentive plan, volunteering leave, recognition schemes and much more…
About Us
Balfour Beatty works at the heart of the UK’s rail networks – designing, enhancing and maintaining thousands of miles of the railways that connect communities and underpin growth. From feasibility studies, planning and design through to implementation and asset management, we provide multi-disciplinary rail infrastructure services across the lifecycle of rail assets. Our expertise covers electrification, track, power, civils, specialist rail plant, railway systems and technologies.
Diversity and inclusion
At Balfour Beatty we believe that diversity and inclusion are essential components of any successful, happy workplace. Through our Value Everyone Diversity and Inclusion Strategy and Action Plan, we are growing our diverse workforce and developing our inclusive culture where everyone is able to thrive and reach their full potential, regardless of their identity or background.
To find out how we are making this a reality, visit www.balfourbeatty.com/diversityandinclusion
To help and support us with our desired commitment to create an inclusive culture we are members of WISE, enei, Business Disability Forum and the Association for Black and Minority Ethnic Engineers (AFBE). In 2020, we signed the Audeliss and Involve Open Letter to demonstrate our commitment to taking key long term and sustainable actions on Black Inclusion. Balfour Beatty is also a Gold Award holder in the Ministry of Defence 'Employer Recognition Scheme' and actively encourage applications from Armed Forces personnel, veterans and reservists. As a Disability Confident Employer, we are committed to working with people who have disabilities and long-term health conditions to remove barriers for them in obtaining employment. We are also committed to offering applicants with a disability an interview if they meet the minimum requirements for the role.
For more info, visit: https://disabilityconfident.campaign.gov.uk/
We are looking to continually improve our resourcing process and ensure that it is fair and inclusive for all. If you have any feedback on the process, please share this with us at: candidaterecruitmentqueries@balfourbeatty.com
Head of PMO - Rail employer: Balfour Beatty plc
Contact Detail:
Balfour Beatty plc Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Head of PMO - Rail
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to your connections in the rail industry and let them know you're on the lookout for opportunities. A friendly chat can lead to insider info about openings that aren't even advertised yet.
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for interviews by researching the company and its projects. Show us you’re genuinely interested in our mission and values. Tailor your answers to highlight how your experience aligns with our goals in rail delivery.
✨Tip Number 3
Practice your leadership stories! We want to hear about times you've inspired teams or navigated challenges. Use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to structure your responses and make them memorable.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to follow up after interviews! A quick thank-you email can set you apart from other candidates. It shows your enthusiasm and keeps you fresh in our minds as we make decisions.
We think you need these skills to ace Head of PMO - Rail
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV: Make sure your CV is tailored to the Head of PMO role. Highlight your experience in project management, especially in rail or construction, and showcase your leadership skills. We want to see how you can drive excellence and influence success!
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter: Your cover letter is your chance to shine! Use it to tell us why you're passionate about rail delivery and how your background aligns with our strategic goals. Be genuine and let your personality come through — we love a good story!
Showcase Your Achievements: When detailing your experience, focus on specific achievements that demonstrate your ability to lead and manage complex projects. Use metrics where possible to show how you've delivered results — numbers speak volumes!
Apply Through Our Website: We encourage you to apply directly through our website. It’s the best way for us to receive your application and ensures you’re considered for the role. Plus, it shows you’re keen to join our team at Balfour Beatty!
How to prepare for a job interview at Balfour Beatty plc
✨Know Your Rail Projects
Before the interview, dive deep into the specifics of rail projects similar to those in the job description. Familiarise yourself with recent advancements and challenges in the UK rail sector. This will not only show your passion but also your readiness to lead and innovate.
✨Showcase Leadership Skills
Prepare examples that highlight your leadership experience, especially in managing diverse teams and complex projects. Be ready to discuss how you've fostered collaboration and driven success in previous roles, as this is crucial for the Head of PMO position.
✨Understand Project Management Methodologies
Brush up on project management methodologies like Prince2 or APMP. Be prepared to discuss how you’ve applied these frameworks in past projects, particularly in risk management and quality assurance, as they are key components of the role.
✨Demonstrate Commercial Awareness
Be ready to talk about your experience with financial control and resource management. Highlight any instances where you maximised opportunities or improved efficiency in your previous roles, as this aligns perfectly with the responsibilities outlined in the job description.
