Head of Governance & Portfolio Management in Guildford

The Role

We are looking for a highly structured, execution-focused Head of Governance & Portfolio Management who brings clarity, discipline and risk-aware leadership to the organisation. This role sits at the centre of the COO perimeter and is responsible for establishing and leading the Governance & Portfolio Management function across Engineering, InfoSec, Platforms and Operations. You will build and lead a globally distributed team across multiple Infovista offices and resume overall responsible for portfolio governance, programme assurance and enterprise risk visibility, while strengthening governance maturity across the organisation. You will work closely with the COO, ELT and cross-functional leaders to ensure that initiatives are prioritised transparently, governed consistently, risk-informed and execution-ready under the Product Governance Framework (“Make Infovista Work”). This role heads the governance capability supporting execution discipline across the COO organisation while developing a high-performing team of governance, PMO and risk professionals. The role acts as the central authority for governance discipline across the COO perimeter. This is not a passive reporting function. It is a role for someone who builds structure where ambiguity exists, elevates execution standards, translating complex cross‑functional activity into disciplined decision‑making and proven leadership of distributed international teams. If you are energised by governance maturity, operational clarity, programme oversight and embedding strong risk and control practices into day‑to‑day business rhythm — this role is for you.

What Success Looks Like

• Portfolio decisions are clearer, faster and based on consistent governance standards.
• Product Blueprint gating is applied rigorously and improves execution predictability.
• Governance standards are consistently applied, and deviations are addressed early through structured escalation.
• Major cross‑functional programmes are visible, structured and proactively managed.
• Executive trade‑offs are supported by clean, comparable, decision‑ready materials.
• Risk exposure across the COO perimeter is transparent and systematically reported.
• Governance forums operate with discipline, clear ownership and documented outcomes.
• Control frameworks and certification requirements are integrated into operational governance without creating bureaucracy.
• The PMO capability is elevated into a trusted partner for execution excellence.
• Cross‑functional leaders feel supported, aligned and can work seamlessly accountable.
• A high‑performing governance team is established, developed and trusted across the organisation.

Leadership & Department Management

• Build and lead the Governance & Portfolio Management department, including governance, PMO and risk management capabilities across the COO organisation.
• Define the organisational structure, roles and responsibilities of the function to support scalable governance maturity.
• Coach, develop and mentor team members while fostering a culture of accountability, clarity and execution discipline.
• Set clear objectives, priorities and performance expectations across the team.
• Promote strong collaboration and trusted partnership with other cross‑functional teams.
• Continuously evolve governance capability to support organisational growth and complexity.

Key Responsibilities

• Own and evolve the integrated governance model aligned to Vista One Portfolio.
• Consolidate L2 product, technology and RTB initiatives into a coherent portfolio view.
• Govern Product Blueprint gating readiness and enforce governance compliance standards.
• Structure ELT trade‑off forums and ensure decision documentation is consistent and auditable.
• Define governance standards and decision logs; act as the governance authority for portfolio adherence, escalating deviations where necessary.
• Lead a high‑performing global Governance team working seamlessly across multiple time zones and offices to ensure governance compliance across change and run initiatives within the COO perimeter.
• Ensure technical feasibility, architectural alignment and information security considerations are embedded into governance decisions.

• Establish, lead and scale a structured PMO capability supporting cross‑functional programme governance.
• Build and manage a team responsible for programme oversight, delivery assurance and cross‑functional coordination.
• Provide governance oversight of major cross‑functional programmes, escalating material delivery risks to the COO and ELT where required.
• Standardise milestone tracking, reporting cadence and dependency management.
• Ensure early identification and structured management of delivery risks.
• Drive improvements in execution maturity, predictability and cross‑functional coordination across the COO organisation.

• Embed structured risk management practices into portfolio intake and gating processes.
• Ensure initiatives consider operational, technology and information security implications.
• Own executive‑level visibility of cross‑functional risk exposure and escalate material risks appropriately.
• Ensure portfolio governance aligns with relevant control and security frameworks, including certification requirements, ISO‑aligned practices and cybersecurity governance standards.
• Ensure ongoing governance maturity and audit readiness across the COO organisation.

• Ensure initiatives entering the portfolio have clear scope, accountability and measurable outcomes.
• Strengthen consistency and comparability of business cases to support executive decision‑making.
• Track delivery commitments to ensure tangible operational impact.
• Govern structured in‑year prioritisation and trade‑off processes.
• Promote disciplined execution and accountability across cross‑functional initiatives.

• Define governance cadence, executive reporting standards and board material preparation processes.
• Maintain LT governance portal structure and transparency.
• Develop and manage an end‑to‑end governance calendar.
• Strengthen communication clarity across the COO organisation.

• Define and manage the Governance & Portfolio Management department budget.
• Ensure efficient allocation of resources across governance, PMO and risk management activities.
• Identify opportunities to improve operational efficiency and governance effectiveness.
• Ensure the function operates with strong cost discipline and within agreed budget and resource plans while delivering measurable organisational value.

The Person We’re Looking For:

• You think in systems — you see how governance, risk, delivery and strategy connect.
• You enjoy building structure, frameworks and clarity in complex environments.
• You are comfortable operating at executive level while staying grounded in operational reality.
• You bring calm, rigour and credibility to cross‑functional discussions.
• You elevate standards without creating unnecessary bureaucracy.
• You influence through partnership, not hierarchy.

• 8–15 years’ experience in IT, technology, programme leadership, governance or operational excellence roles.
• Comfortable leading and aligning distributed teams across geographies and cultures.
• Experience managing distributed international teams and operating across multiple offices or regions.
• Demonstrated experience leading cross‑functional programmes or portfolio oversight.
• Experience designing and implementing governance frameworks.
• Demonstrated experience leading teams or organisational capabilities in governance, PMO, programme leadership or operational excellence functions.
• Strong understanding of risk management and structured control environments (e.g., ISO‑aligned practices).
• Exposure to audit, certification lifecycle or structured management systems is highly valued.
• Ability to prepare executive‑ready materials and facilitate high‑level governance forums.
• Strong stakeholder management across technical and operational functions.

• Structured thinker with strong judgement and intellectual curiosity.
• Highly collaborative relationship builder with strong interpersonal awareness and the ability to align diverse stakeholders.
• Proven ability to lead and develop high‑performing teams while fostering strong collaboration across the organisation.
• Pragmatic, resilient and composed under pressure.
• Detail‑oriented with commitment to execution excellence.
• Clear communicator with strong executive presence and credibility across technical and operational teams.
• Confident in challenging assumptions and constructively holding senior stakeholders accountable where governance standards are at risk.

Why This Role Is Different

This role sits at the centre of execution discipline and governance maturity within the COO organisation. You will shape how cross‑functional decisions are structured, how major initiatives are governed and how risk and control practices are embedded into operational rhythm. In addition to shaping governance maturity across the organisation, you will lead and develop the Governance & Portfolio Management function, building and scaling a high‑performing team that supports disciplined execution across the COO perimeter. It offers visibility across Engineering, Platforms, InfoSec and Operations while enabling you to elevate standards without losing connection to technical and delivery reality. If you are motivated by building clarity, strengthening accountability and improving organisational execution through disciplined governance — this role provides the platform to do so.