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- Tasks: Lead the Group PMO to ensure effective project governance and delivery across all initiatives.
- Company: Join a forward-thinking organisation dedicated to student success and wellbeing.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, professional development opportunities, and a supportive work environment.
- Why this job: Make a real impact on educational transformation while working with diverse teams.
- Qualifications: Experience in leading PMOs and strong stakeholder management skills required.
- Other info: Embrace a culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion while driving positive change.
The predicted salary is between 48000 - 72000 £ per year.
The Senior PMO Manager (SPMOM) will establish and run a Group PMO that provides consistent governance, transparency, and delivery discipline across all Group-led projects and transformation initiatives, whilst providing consistency in approach and PMO methodology for all Divisional/Regional/Functional or School specific projects. The SPMOM will also act as the single source of truth for programme status, risks, interdependencies, and delivery confidence at Group and Board level. Reports to Group Head of Transformation, Change and PMO.
ISP Principles
- Begin with our children and students: Our children and students are at the heart of what we do. Simply, their success is our success. Wellbeing and safety are both essential for learners and learning. Therefore, we are consistent in identifying potential safeguarding and Health & Safety issues and acting and following up on all concerns appropriately.
- Treat everyone with care and respect: We look after one another, embrace similarities and differences and promote the well-being of self and others.
- Operate effectively: We focus relentlessly on the things that are most important and will make the most difference. We apply school policies and procedures and embody the shared ideas of our community.
- Are financially responsible: We make financial choices carefully based on the needs of the children, students and our schools.
- Learn continuously: Getting better is what drives us. We positively engage with personal and professional development and school improvement.
ISP SPMOM Key Responsibilities
- Establish new PMO set-up and define optimal operating model.
- Design, implement and continuously improve the Group PMO operating model, including standards, templates, tools, and ways of working.
- Define and enforce programme and project governance, stage gates, reporting cadence, and decision forums.
- Ensure clear ownership, accountability, and escalation routes across Group, Divisional and Regional projects and initiatives.
- Maintain a Group-wide portfolio view of all strategic and transformation projects and initiatives.
- Track delivery against milestones, benefits, risks, dependencies and resourcing.
- Identify and proactively manage cross-programme dependencies and delivery conflicts.
- Allocate resources effectively across Projects, ensuring projects are suitably staffed and managed.
- Support prioritisation and sequencing of initiatives in line with strategic capacity and value.
- Produce clear, concise and credible reporting for ExCo, SteerCo and Board-level forums.
- Translate complex delivery data into decision-ready insights, not activity updates.
- Provide early warning on delivery confidence, slippage, or emerging risks.
- Own the Group transformation risk and issue framework, ensuring risks are identified, quantified and actively managed.
- Drive a disciplined approach to issue escalation and resolution, ensuring timely decision-making.
- Maintain and manage critical path and dependency maps across programmes.
- Establish and embed benefits realisation frameworks across transformation initiatives.
- Track delivery of financial, operational and strategic benefits post-implementation.
- Act as a trusted partner and constructive challenger to programme sponsors and workstream leads.
- Influence senior stakeholders to maintain focus on outcomes, pace and delivery discipline.
- Support programme leaders in resolving blockers without becoming delivery-accountable themselves.
- Select, implement and optimise PMO tools and dashboards (e.g. Monday.com, Smartsheet, Planview or equivalent).
- Ensure data quality, consistency and integrity across all reporting.
- Build PMO capability across the organisation through guidance, coaching and standards.
- Build and lead a small Group PMO team, providing clear direction for new team members.
- Set clear expectations, standards and performance measures for PMO resources.
Skills, Qualifications and Experience
- Proven experience setting up or leading a Group-level PMO in a complex, multi-stakeholder organisation.
- Strong understanding of portfolio, programme and transformation governance.
- Experience supporting executive-level decision-making with clear, credible reporting.
- Excellent stakeholder management skills, with the confidence to challenge senior leaders constructively.
- Strong analytical capability, able to move from data to insight quickly.
- Pragmatic, outcomes-focused approach – avoids bureaucracy for its own sake.
ISP Commitment to Safeguarding Principles
ISP is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. All post holders are subject to appropriate vetting procedures, including an online due diligence search, references and satisfactory Criminal Background Checks or equivalent covering the previous 10 years’ employment history.
ISP Commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging
ISP is committed to strengthening our inclusive culture by identifying, hiring, developing, and retaining high-performing teammates regardless of gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation and gender expression, age, disability status, neurodivergence, socio-economic background or other demographic characteristics. Candidates who share our vision and principles and are interested in contributing to the success of ISP through this role are strongly encouraged to apply.
Senior PMO Manager in City of Westminster employer: International Schools Partnership
Contact Detail:
International Schools Partnership Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Senior PMO Manager in City of Westminster
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to your connections in the industry, attend relevant events, and engage with professionals on platforms like LinkedIn. You never know who might have the inside scoop on job openings or can put in a good word for you.
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for interviews by researching the company and its culture. Understand their values and how they align with your own. This will help you tailor your responses and show that you're genuinely interested in being part of their team.
✨Tip Number 3
Practice makes perfect! Conduct mock interviews with friends or mentors to refine your answers and boost your confidence. Focus on articulating your experience in project management and how it relates to the role of Senior PMO Manager.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to follow up after interviews! A simple thank-you email can leave a lasting impression and keep you top of mind. Plus, it shows your enthusiasm for the position and respect for the interviewer's time.
We think you need these skills to ace Senior PMO Manager in City of Westminster
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your Application: Make sure to customise your CV and cover letter to highlight your experience in setting up or leading a Group-level PMO. Use keywords from the job description to show that you understand what we're looking for.
Showcase Your Stakeholder Skills: We want to see how you've managed relationships with senior stakeholders in the past. Share specific examples of how you've influenced decision-making and resolved conflicts to keep projects on track.
Be Clear and Concise: When writing your application, keep it straightforward. We appreciate clarity, so avoid jargon and focus on delivering your message effectively. Remember, we’re looking for insights, not just activity updates!
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 the role. Plus, it shows you’re keen to join our team!
How to prepare for a job interview at International Schools Partnership
✨Know Your PMO Inside Out
Before the interview, make sure you thoroughly understand the PMO principles and methodologies relevant to the role. Familiarise yourself with the specific tools mentioned in the job description, like Monday.com or Smartsheet, and be ready to discuss how you've used similar tools in your past roles.
✨Showcase Your Stakeholder Management Skills
Prepare examples that highlight your experience in managing stakeholders effectively. Think about times when you had to influence senior leaders or resolve conflicts without taking on delivery accountability. This will demonstrate your ability to act as a trusted partner, which is crucial for this role.
✨Be Ready to Discuss Risk Management
Since the role involves owning the Group transformation risk framework, come prepared with examples of how you've identified and managed risks in previous projects. Be specific about the frameworks you’ve used and how you ensured timely decision-making in challenging situations.
✨Demonstrate Your Analytical Skills
The ability to translate complex data into actionable insights is key for this position. Prepare to discuss how you've done this in the past, perhaps by sharing a specific project where your analytical skills led to improved outcomes. Highlight your pragmatic approach to problem-solving.
