Portfolio Management Office Lead in London

Portfolio Management Office Lead in London

London Full-Time 60045 - 72984 € / year (est.) No home office possible
Financial Ombudsman Service

At a Glance

  • Tasks: Lead a modern PMO, shaping how change is delivered across the organisation.
  • Company: Join a value-driven organisation focused on Purpose, Ambition, Respect, and Trust.
  • Benefits: Flexible working, 25 days holiday, generous pension, and health benefits.
  • Other info: Dynamic environment with opportunities for personal and career development.
  • Why this job: Make a real impact by influencing senior leaders and driving effective change.
  • Qualifications: Experience in leading a PMO and strong stakeholder management skills.

The predicted salary is between 60045 - 72984 € per year.

Looking for a new challenge? Take a look at our current vacancies. If you see a vacancy that is right for you, we encourage you to apply!

Join a team where Purpose drives everything we do, Ambition fuels our growth, Respect shapes our culture and Trust builds our foundation. Are you looking for a role where you can shape how an organisation delivers change, balances assurance with pace and makes confident decisions? If you have experience leading a PMO in portfolio, project or product environments and want to help evolve a modern PMO function, this role could be for you.

We're not just hiring — we're inviting you to help shape how change is delivered across the organisation.

Contract: Permanent

Working hours: 35 hours per week is full time. We are open to part time/flexible working patterns where possible. Please let us know in your application your desired working pattern.

Salary: This role offers a salary range of £60,045 – £72,984 per annum. The final offer will reflect the successful candidate’s skills, experience, and interview performance.

Location: London

Reporting to: Head of PMO

Our permanent hybrid policy expects colleagues to work at least four days across a fortnight in the office. As well as extensive opportunities for personal and career development.

About Us: The effective management and delivery of an ambitious portfolio of change is central to our organisational strategy. As PMO Lead you will play a leadership role in shaping and operating a modern Portfolio Management Office that supports projects, programmes and product-led delivery.

You will be responsible for the oversight, assurance and enablement of our portfolio, ensuring that decisions are informed by clear insight including risk, capacity and delivery confidence. A core part of the role is to continually evolve our portfolio governance and delivery frameworks so that they remain proportionate, effective and align to how teams deliver change.

You will provide executives and senior leaders with a clear, trusted view of the portfolio health and delivery confidence enabling timely, evidence-based decisions across the portfolio. This includes risk, dependency and resource management alongside portfolio prioritisation with an understanding of the impact on both our operations and customers.

The PMO represents the first line of defence within our transformation assurance framework. In this role you will be balancing strong governance and control with a practical, pragmatic and enabling approach that supports our teams delivering change using a range of approaches, including traditional, agile and hybrid models as well as ongoing product delivery environments.

Strong relationships at senior levels are fundamental to success in this role. You will work closely with senior leadership and executive stakeholders, influencing decision-making, building confidence in delivery and ensuring the PMO is seen as a value-add strategic partner and business function.

Key responsibilities:

  • Delivering accurate and insightful reporting on across the portfolio of change for Executive and senior governance forums.
  • Building strong relationships across the Senior Management group and Executive team to secure the data, insight and engagement needed for effective portfolio oversight.
  • Developing and continuously improving approaches to portfolio, programme, project and change management, including benefits tracking, risk management, resource management, governance and assurance.
  • Driving consistent adoption of portfolio, programme and project management processes and tools to improve transparency, control and decision support.
  • Ensuring governance frameworks are effective, proportionate and responsive to the needs of an expanding portfolio spanning projects, product delivery and continuous improvement.
  • Supporting high-quality decision-making by identifying delivery risks, dependencies, trends and trade-offs, and by strengthening proposals ahead of governance discussions.
  • Supporting the Head of PMO and Director of Transformation with Executive update and decision-making forums, continually improving how those forums operate and the value they provide.
  • Maintaining an external perspective and applying best practice to strengthen PMO methods, standards and continuous improvement across the portfolio.

Minimum Criteria:

  • Significant experience of leading or operating within a Portfolio Management Office or equivalent portfolio-level delivery function.
  • Producing portfolio reporting from multiple sources to provide clear insight for Executive-level stakeholders and support decision-making.
  • A strong track record of working with and influencing senior leaders and executives across a complex organisation.
  • Broad delivery experience across areas such as projects, programmes products or transformation, with sufficient depth to confidently advise and challenge delivery teams.
  • A solid understanding of delivery fundamentals including planning, resourcing, risk and dependency management alongside governance and reporting.
  • Supporting senior governance and decision-making forums in a way that adds value through analysis, judgement, challenge and continuous improvement.

Desirable:

  • Applying recognised project, programme and change delivery methodologies such as PRINCE2, MSP, MoP, P3O, PMP or APMP in a pragmatic way.
  • Coaching, mentoring and developing colleagues to strengthen project, programme and change delivery capability.
  • Improving systems, processes or ways of working to increase consistency, efficiency and control across a portfolio environment.
  • Understanding organisational priorities, spotting complexity and interdependencies, and shaping the right portfolio-level approach across multiple pieces of work.

Why You'll Love Working with Us:

  • We are a value led organisation. Our values – Purpose, Ambition, Respect and Trust - shape our culture, decisions and strategy.
  • Flexibility and hybrid working.
  • A strong focus on wellbeing and inclusion.
  • Investment in learning, development and progression.

We also offer:

  • 25 days holiday entitlement, with the option to buy extra or sell days.
  • Generous pension.
  • Various Family Friendly Policies, including enhanced maternity pay, carers and dependants leave.
  • Employer provided benefits such as Private medical insurance, virtual GP, Critical illness cover, Life assurance cover, to name a few.
  • Choice of voluntary benefits including Technology scheme, Cycle to work scheme, Will-writing service amongst others.
  • Gym membership discounts, and a fully equipped on-site gym open 24/7 in London only.

Let’s Make This Easy:

Please complete the attached questionnaire and upload a copy of your CV. Please send in applications by Midnight on Friday 29th May 2026. Due to high application volumes this advert may close early.

A full job profile is available on request and will be provided to candidates shortlisted to the first stage of the assessment process which will include an online assessment.

The Financial Ombudsman is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all team. We view diversity as fundamental to our success and welcome applications from underrepresented groups across all communities.

Don’t miss out be part of the journey and take advantage of this opportunity.

Portfolio Management Office Lead in London employer: Financial Ombudsman Service

Join a dynamic team at the Financial Ombudsman, where our values of Purpose, Ambition, Respect, and Trust create a supportive and inclusive work culture. With a strong focus on employee wellbeing, flexible working arrangements, and extensive opportunities for personal and professional development, this role as PMO Lead in London offers a unique chance to influence change and drive impactful decisions within a modern Portfolio Management Office. Enjoy generous benefits including 25 days of holiday, private medical insurance, and access to a fully equipped gym, all while contributing to an organisation dedicated to making a difference.

Financial Ombudsman Service

Contact Detail:

Financial Ombudsman Service Recruiting Team

StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫

We think this is how you could land Portfolio Management Office Lead in London

Tip Number 1

Network like a pro! Reach out to your connections on LinkedIn or at industry events. We all know that sometimes it’s not just what you know, but who you know that can help you land that PMO Lead role.

Tip Number 2

Prepare for those interviews by researching the company and its values. We want to see how you align with our Purpose, Ambition, Respect, and Trust. Show us you’re not just a fit for the role, but for our culture too!

Tip Number 3

Practice your storytelling skills! Be ready to share specific examples of how you've led PMOs in the past. We love hearing about your experiences and how they’ve shaped your approach to portfolio management.

Tip Number 4

Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets seen. Plus, we’re always looking for passionate candidates who are eager to help us evolve our PMO function.

We think you need these skills to ace Portfolio Management Office Lead in London

Portfolio Management
Project Management
Change Management
Risk Management
Resource Management
Governance Frameworks
Stakeholder Engagement

Some tips for your application 🫡

Tailor Your CV:Make sure your CV reflects the skills and experiences that align with the PMO Lead role. Highlight your leadership experience in portfolio management and any relevant methodologies you've used. We want to see how you can bring value to our team!

Craft a Compelling Cover Letter:Your cover letter is your chance to shine! Use it to tell us why you're passionate about this role and how your background makes you the perfect fit. Don't forget to mention our values of Purpose, Ambition, Respect, and Trust — show us how you embody these!

Be Clear About Your Working Pattern:We’re open to flexible working patterns, so let us know what works best for you in your application. Whether you prefer full-time or part-time, being upfront helps us understand how we can accommodate your needs.

Apply Through Our Website:To make things easier for both of us, please apply through our website. It streamlines the process and ensures your application gets the attention it deserves. We can't wait to see what you bring to the table!

How to prepare for a job interview at Financial Ombudsman Service

Know Your PMO Inside Out

Before the interview, make sure you thoroughly understand the role of a PMO Lead and how it fits into the organisation's strategy. Familiarise yourself with their current projects and challenges, and think about how your experience can help address these.

Showcase Your Leadership Skills

Prepare examples that demonstrate your ability to lead and influence senior stakeholders. Think about times when you've successfully navigated complex organisational dynamics and how you can apply those skills in this new role.

Be Ready to Discuss Governance Frameworks

Since governance is a key part of the PMO Lead role, be prepared to discuss your experience with governance frameworks. Bring specific examples of how you've improved or adapted these frameworks in previous roles to enhance project delivery.

Ask Insightful Questions

At the end of the interview, don’t shy away from asking questions. Inquire about the organisation's approach to portfolio management and how they envision the PMO evolving. This shows your genuine interest and helps you assess if the role aligns with your career goals.