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, generous holiday, pension, and investment in your development.
- Other info: Dynamic environment with opportunities for personal and career growth.
- Why this job: Make a real impact by influencing senior leaders and driving effective change.
- Qualifications: Experience in leading PMOs and strong stakeholder management skills required.
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!
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.
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
To be considered for this role, you will need to demonstrate:
- 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
- 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
- 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
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.
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.
Portfolio Management Office Lead employer: Financial Ombudsman
Join a dynamic team at the Financial Ombudsman, where our values of Purpose, Ambition, Respect, and Trust shape a collaborative 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 supportive environment. Enjoy generous benefits including a competitive salary, comprehensive health coverage, and access to a fully equipped gym, all while contributing to meaningful work that makes a difference.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Portfolio Management Office Lead
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to your connections on LinkedIn or attend 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! Research the company and its values, especially around Purpose, Ambition, Respect, and Trust. We want to see how you can align with our culture and contribute to our goals.
✨Tip Number 3
Showcase your leadership skills! Be ready to discuss your experience in leading PMOs and how you've influenced senior leaders. We’re looking for someone who can drive change and make confident decisions.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets seen. Plus, we love seeing candidates who take the initiative to engage directly with us.
We think you need these skills to ace Portfolio Management Office Lead
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.
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter:Use your cover letter to tell us why you're passionate about this role. Share specific examples of how you've influenced senior leaders and improved portfolio governance in your previous roles.
Showcase Your Achievements:Quantify your successes! Whether it's improving project delivery times or enhancing reporting accuracy, we want to see how you've made a tangible impact in your past positions.
Apply Through Our Website:We encourage you to apply directly through our website for a smoother application process. It helps us keep track of your application and ensures you don’t miss any important updates!
How to prepare for a job interview at Financial Ombudsman
✨Know Your PMO Inside Out
Before the interview, make sure you thoroughly understand the role of a Portfolio Management Office. Familiarise yourself with key concepts like governance frameworks, risk management, and resource allocation. This will help you speak confidently about how you can contribute to evolving their PMO function.
✨Showcase Your Leadership Skills
Prepare examples that highlight your experience in leading a PMO or similar functions. Think about specific challenges you've faced and how you influenced senior leaders to make informed decisions. This will demonstrate your ability to build strong relationships and add value as a strategic partner.
✨Be Ready for Scenario Questions
Expect questions that ask how you would handle specific situations related to portfolio oversight and decision-making. Practice articulating your thought process and the steps you would take to ensure effective governance and delivery confidence. This shows your analytical skills and practical approach.
✨Align with Their Values
Familiarise yourself with the company's values: Purpose, Ambition, Respect, and Trust. Be prepared to discuss how these resonate with you and how you embody them in your work. This alignment can set you apart as a candidate who not only fits the role but also the company culture.
