Find a job 
Featured Companies 
Featured Universities 
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, 25 days leave, and family-friendly policies.
- Why this job: Shape the future of UK rail while making a real impact.
- Qualifications: Management experience and strong project management skills required.
- Other info: Diverse and inclusive workplace with excellent career growth opportunities.
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.
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.
Head of PMO - Rail in London 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 in London
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Get out there and connect with people in the rail industry. Attend events, join online forums, and don’t be shy about reaching out to potential colleagues on LinkedIn. You never know who might have the inside scoop on job openings!
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for interviews by researching the company and its projects. Understand their values and how they align with your own. This will help you showcase your passion for rail and demonstrate that you’re the perfect fit for the Head of PMO role.
✨Tip Number 3
Practice your leadership stories! Think of examples where you’ve led teams through challenges or delivered successful projects. Being able to articulate these experiences will show that you can inspire and drive excellence in your future role.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets noticed. Plus, we love seeing candidates who are proactive and engaged with our company. Let’s get you on board!
We think you need these skills to ace Head of PMO - Rail in London
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your Application: Make sure to customise your CV and cover letter for the Head of PMO role. Highlight your experience in rail projects and project management methodologies that align with what we’re looking for.
Showcase Your Leadership Skills: We want to see how you’ve led teams and driven success in previous roles. Share specific examples that demonstrate your ability to inspire and manage diverse groups effectively.
Be Clear and Concise: When writing your application, keep it straightforward. Use clear language and structure your thoughts logically. This will help us understand your qualifications and fit for the role quickly.
Apply Through Our Website: Don’t forget to submit your application through our website! It’s the best way for us to receive your details and ensures you’re considered for this exciting opportunity.
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 you've worked on. Be ready to discuss your experience with rail renewals or enhancement schemes, as this will show your understanding of the industry and your ability to lead effectively.
✨Showcase Leadership Skills
Prepare examples that highlight your leadership style and how you've successfully managed teams in high-pressure environments. Discuss how you foster collaboration and maintain motivation among diverse stakeholders, which is crucial for the Head of PMO role.
✨Understand Project Management Methodologies
Brush up on project management methodologies like APMP, APM Practitioner, or Prince2. Be prepared to discuss how you've applied these frameworks in past projects, especially in terms of risk management and quality assurance.
✨Demonstrate Commercial Awareness
Be ready to talk about your experience with financial control and resource management. Highlight how you've maximised opportunities in previous roles and how you plan to achieve sustainable profit across your portfolio in this new position.
