UK Portfolio Office Lead
UK Portfolio Office Lead

UK Portfolio Office Lead

Colchester Full-Time 36000 - 60000 £ / year (est.) Home office (partial)
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At a Glance

  • Tasks: Lead strategic direction and governance for diverse portfolio initiatives in a dynamic environment.
  • Company: Join Hiscox, a leading brand in the insurance market known for innovation and excellence.
  • Benefits: Enjoy a hybrid work model, competitive salary, and great employee benefits for your wellbeing.
  • Why this job: Shape the future of insurance while working with amazing people in a unique culture.
  • Qualifications: Proven experience in portfolio management and strong stakeholder engagement skills required.
  • Other info: Diversity and flexible working are at the heart of our culture.

The predicted salary is between 36000 - 60000 £ per year.

UK Portfolio Office Lead page is loaded## UK Portfolio Office Leadlocations: UK, York: UK, Colchestertime type: Full timeposted on: Posted Yesterdayjob requisition id: R0018100**Job Type:**Permanent**Build a brilliant future with Hiscox****About Hiscox UK**Hiscox UK is a leading brand in the insurance market, recognised as setting the standards others try to emulate. We consistently deliver strong growth and exceptional returns, recruiting only the very best and empowering them to deliver. We are known for insuring the homes of the rich and famous through to the most innovative technology companies. Our customers are diverse and unique and are only united by our ability to provide specialist insurance tailored to their needs.**The role**We are seeking a strategic and experienced Portfolio Office Lead to oversee the UK Change Portfolio Management Office for Hiscox. This role is critical in shaping the strategic direction, governance, and performance of a diverse portfolio of initiatives that span the UK business unit. The Portfolio Office Lead will ensure alignment with business objectives and investment priorities, while driving benefit realisation, risk management, and continuous improvement across the transformation landscape.**What you’ll be doing****Strategic Direction & Governance*** Lead the prioritisation and selection of portfolio initiatives ensuring they are aligned with organisational strategy and investment priorities, working closely with the Head of Transformation and Transformation Business Sponsor* Provide strategic oversight of multiple concurrent programmes, ensuring alignment with portfolio objectives and organisational priorities* Establish and maintain governance frameworks to ensure disciplined portfolio oversight**Stakeholder Engagement & Influence*** Build trusted relationships with senior stakeholders, initiative sponsors, and delivery teams across the UK business unit* Act as a trusted advisor to executive leadership on portfolio performance, risks, and opportunities* Facilitate cross-functional collaboration and strategic decision-making**Portfolio Performance & Delivery*** Oversee portfolio-level planning, performance tracking, and benefit realisation* Monitor and manage portfolio risks, dependencies, and interrelated initiatives* Ensure transparency and control through robust reporting and analytics**Resource & Capacity Planning*** Oversee portfolio resource planning across initiatives* Lead capacity planning and allocation of project managers to priority initiatives**Continuous Improvement & Capability Development*** Drive continuous improvement in portfolio management practices, tools, and methodologies* Build and embed delivery capability across the transformation office**Our must haves*** Proven experience in leading portfolio offices or enterprise PMOs within complex organisations, ideally within the insurance or financial services sector but not a necessity* Successfully led and managed multiple large-scale programmes concurrently, ensuring strategic alignment and effective resource utilisation* Strong strategic thinking and governance expertise* Deep understanding of portfolio performance frameworks, risk management, and benefit tracking* Experience with both Waterfall and Agile methodologies* Proven experience and understanding of software delivery lifecycle* Excellent communication, stakeholder engagement, and influencing skills.* Excellent written and verbal communication skills, capable of working with people at all levels within and external to the business* Experience managing multi-disciplinary teams and working in matrix environments.* Have had exposure to distributed teams and relationship building with stakeholders* Proficiency in PMO tools such as MS Project (or other project tools), JIRA, Confluence, Power BI, PowerPoint and Excel.* Be creative, proactive, logical and innovative and will not just accept the status quo* Be highly results driven, with the energy and determination to succeed in a very fast paced environment where the pace of response and leadership is critical to success* Proficiency in MS Project, Excel, PowerPoint, Word and similar tools**Our nice to haves*** Experience of: + working in the insurance industry + system integration implementation* Relevant certifications (e.g., PMP, PRINCE2, MSP, SAFe) are nice to haves**Diversity and flexible working at Hiscox**At Hiscox we care about our people. We hire the best people for the job and we’re committed to diversity and creating a truly inclusive culture, which we believe drives success. We also know that working life doesn’t always have to in the office, and as long as it’s safe to do so, we will be operating a hybrid way of working to encourage a healthy work life balance, with 2 to 3 days in the office per week.*Work with amazing people and be part of a unique culture*If you want to help build a brilliant future; work with amazing people; be part of a unique company culture; and, of course, enjoy great employee benefits that take care of your mental and physical wellbeing, come and join us. #J-18808-Ljbffr

UK Portfolio Office Lead employer: Hiscox

Hiscox UK is an exceptional employer, offering a dynamic work environment that fosters innovation and collaboration. With a strong commitment to diversity and employee wellbeing, the company promotes a hybrid working model that supports a healthy work-life balance. Employees benefit from opportunities for professional growth, competitive benefits, and the chance to work alongside talented individuals in a culture that values excellence and strategic thinking.
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Contact Detail:

Hiscox Recruiting Team

StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫

We think this is how you could land UK Portfolio Office Lead

✨Tip Number 1

Network like a pro! Reach out to people in your industry, especially those who work at Hiscox or similar companies. A friendly chat can open doors and give you insights that might just land you an interview.

✨Tip Number 2

Prepare for the interview by researching Hiscox's values and recent projects. Show us that you’re not just another candidate; you’re genuinely interested in what we do and how you can contribute to our success.

✨Tip Number 3

Practice your storytelling skills! Be ready to share specific examples of your past experiences that align with the role of Portfolio Office Lead. We love hearing about how you've tackled challenges and driven results.

✨Tip Number 4

Don’t forget to follow up after your interview! A quick thank-you email can leave a lasting impression and remind us why you’re the perfect fit for the team. Plus, it shows your enthusiasm for the role!

We think you need these skills to ace UK Portfolio Office Lead

Portfolio Management
Strategic Thinking
Governance Expertise
Risk Management
Benefit Tracking
Waterfall Methodology
Agile Methodology
Software Delivery Lifecycle
Stakeholder Engagement
Influencing Skills
Communication Skills
Resource Planning
Capacity Planning
PMO Tools Proficiency
Team Management

Some tips for your application 🫡

Tailor Your Application: Make sure to customise your CV and cover letter to highlight your experience in portfolio management and governance. We want to see how your skills align with the role of UK Portfolio Office Lead, so don’t hold back on showcasing your relevant achievements!

Showcase Your Strategic Thinking: In your written application, emphasise your strategic oversight capabilities and how you've successfully managed multiple programmes. We’re looking for someone who can demonstrate a clear understanding of aligning initiatives with business objectives.

Engage with Stakeholders: Highlight your experience in building relationships with senior stakeholders. We value strong communication skills, so share examples of how you’ve influenced decision-making and facilitated collaboration across teams.

Be Clear and Concise: When writing your application, keep it clear and to the point. Use bullet points where appropriate and ensure your key messages stand out. Remember, we appreciate well-structured applications that are easy to read!

How to prepare for a job interview at Hiscox

✨Know Your Portfolio Inside Out

Before the interview, make sure you thoroughly understand the portfolio management principles and frameworks relevant to the role. Familiarise yourself with Hiscox's strategic objectives and how your experience aligns with their needs. This will help you demonstrate your strategic thinking and governance expertise.

✨Build Relationships with Stakeholders

Since stakeholder engagement is key for this role, think about how you can showcase your ability to build trusted relationships. Prepare examples of how you've successfully influenced senior stakeholders in previous roles, and be ready to discuss your approach to cross-functional collaboration.

✨Showcase Your Methodology Knowledge

Be prepared to discuss both Waterfall and Agile methodologies, as well as your experience with PMO tools like MS Project, JIRA, and Power BI. Highlight specific projects where you’ve applied these methodologies effectively, demonstrating your adaptability and understanding of the software delivery lifecycle.

✨Emphasise Continuous Improvement

Hiscox values continuous improvement, so come armed with ideas on how you can drive enhancements in portfolio management practices. Share examples from your past experiences where you’ve implemented changes that led to better outcomes, showcasing your proactive and innovative mindset.

UK Portfolio Office Lead
Hiscox

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