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For Companies At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead and shape a new Central PMO, driving governance and performance across strategic programmes.
- Company: Join a large, complex organisation with a focus on excellence in project management.
- Benefits: Full-time role with high visibility and significant influence on delivery culture.
- Why this job: Make a real impact by establishing best practices and leading a talented PMO team.
- Qualifications: Proven experience in leading PMOs and strong communication skills are essential.
- Other info: Opportunity for career growth in a dynamic environment.
The predicted salary is between 43200 - 72000 £ per year.
About the role
We are seeking an experienced Head of Central PMO to establish and lead a portfolio-level Project Management Office within a large, complex organisation. This newly created leadership role has responsibility for driving standardisation, governance, and assurance across a diverse portfolio of strategic and operational programmes. Reporting to a senior strategy leader, you will operate as a Centre of Excellence for Project, Programme and Portfolio Management, working collaboratively across multiple professional service and delivery functions. You will provide senior leaders with clear, timely insight into portfolio performance, risks, dependencies, and investment decisions. This role is suited to a senior PMO leader who is equally comfortable shaping strategy, influencing executives, and building high-performing PMO teams in a matrix environment.
Key responsibilities
- PMO strategy & leadership
- Define and own the PMO strategy, ensuring alignment with organisational objectives
- Establish the Central PMO as a recognised centre of excellence for project and programme delivery
- Set and maintain project, programme, and portfolio management standards, frameworks, and best practices
- Provide leadership assurance on the delivery of strategically critical initiatives
- Lead portfolio-level governance, ensuring appropriate oversight, assurance, and decision-making
- Maintain full transparency of the project and programme portfolio, including risks, issues, dependencies, and change control
- Oversee preparation and support for senior decision-making boards and forums
- Promote and embed governance frameworks through training, guidance, and stakeholder engagement
- Performance, reporting & assurance
- Deliver high-quality portfolio reporting to senior leadership, enabling informed prioritisation and investment decisions
- Define and monitor KPIs to assess delivery performance, maturity, and value realisation
- Act as the central authority for portfolio data, metrics, and management information
- Lead project assurance and audit activity, including engagement with internal and external assurance bodies
- Capacity, demand & financial management
- Align resources across multiple PMO teams to support strategic priorities
- Develop approaches to demand management and cross-organisational resource planning
- Ensure effective financial controls, forecasting, and benefits tracking across the portfolio
- Identify opportunities for efficiency, continuous improvement, and value for money
- PMO operations
- Standardise PMO processes, templates, tools, and documentation across the organisation
- Lead maturity assessments and continuous improvement initiatives
- Champion the use of portfolio and reporting tools to enable efficient, automated insight
- People leadership & stakeholder engagement
- Lead and develop PMO professionals through direct and matrix management models
- Coach and mentor senior managers and delivery leads on best practice in governance, planning, and control
- Build strong, trusted relationships with senior stakeholders, operating with integrity and impartiality
- Foster collaboration across functions and delivery teams
About you
Essential experience and skills:
- Proven experience leading a Central or Enterprise PMO, or equivalent portfolio-level function
- Deep understanding of project, programme and portfolio management methodologies and governance
- Strong experience operating in complex, multi-stakeholder environments
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to influence at senior leadership level
- Demonstrable experience of portfolio reporting, financial control, and benefits tracking
- Strong analytical capability with a pragmatic, solution-focused approach
- Experience managing PMO resources, including matrix management models
- Advanced skills in common project and reporting tools (e.g. MS Project, Excel, PowerPoint)
- Experience in highly regulated or large public-sector style organisations
- Formal P3M / PMO qualifications (e.g. P3O, PRINCE2 Practitioner or equivalent)
- Experience leading maturity assessments and continuous improvement initiatives
Why apply?
- Opportunity to shape and lead a newly established Central PMO
- High visibility role working closely with senior leadership
- Significant scope to influence delivery culture, standards, and outcomes
- Chance to build and mature portfolio-level capability in a complex organisation
Seniority level: Director
Employment type: Full-time
Job function: Education, Project Management, and Strategy/Planning
Industries: Higher Education and Education
Head of Central PMO in England employer: Burman Recruitment
Contact Detail:
Burman Recruitment Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Head of Central PMO in England
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to your connections in the industry and let them know you're on the hunt for a Head of Central PMO role. You never know who might have the inside scoop on an opportunity or can put in a good word for you.
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for interviews by brushing up on your PMO knowledge and leadership skills. Be ready to discuss how you've driven standardisation and governance in previous roles. Show them you’re the Centre of Excellence they need!
✨Tip Number 3
Don’t just wait for job postings; proactively reach out to companies you admire. Express your interest in their PMO initiatives and how you can add value. Sometimes, the best opportunities are created rather than found!
✨Tip Number 4
Finally, apply through our website! We’ve got a streamlined process that makes it easy for you to showcase your skills and experience. Plus, we love seeing candidates who take the initiative to connect with us directly.
We think you need these skills to ace Head of Central PMO in England
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your Application: Make sure to customise your CV and cover letter to highlight your experience in leading PMOs and managing complex portfolios. We want to see how your skills align with our needs, so don’t hold back on showcasing your achievements!
Showcase Your Leadership Skills: As a Head of Central PMO, leadership is key! Use your application to demonstrate your ability to influence senior leaders and build high-performing teams. Share specific examples of how you've successfully led projects or initiatives in the past.
Be Clear and Concise: We appreciate clarity! When writing your application, keep it straightforward and to the point. Use bullet points where possible to make your experience easy to digest, especially when detailing your PMO strategies and governance frameworks.
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. We can’t wait to hear from you!
How to prepare for a job interview at Burman Recruitment
✨Know Your PMO Inside Out
Before the interview, dive deep into the specifics of project management methodologies and governance frameworks. Be ready to discuss how you've successfully led a Central PMO in the past, and think about examples that showcase your ability to drive standardisation and assurance across diverse portfolios.
✨Showcase Your Leadership Style
This role is all about leadership, so be prepared to talk about your experience in building high-performing teams. Share specific instances where you’ve coached or mentored PMO professionals, and how you foster collaboration across functions. Highlight your approach to influencing senior stakeholders and ensuring alignment with organisational objectives.
✨Prepare for Performance Metrics
Since you'll be responsible for delivering high-quality portfolio reporting, brush up on how you define and monitor KPIs. Be ready to discuss your analytical capabilities and provide examples of how you've used data to inform prioritisation and investment decisions in previous roles.
✨Demonstrate Your Strategic Thinking
Think about how you can articulate your vision for a Central PMO as a Centre of Excellence. Prepare to discuss how you would align resources and manage demand across multiple PMO teams, and share your ideas on continuous improvement initiatives that could enhance efficiency and value for money.
