Head of Portfolio PMO - Hertfordshire in Watford
Head of Portfolio PMO - Hertfordshire

Head of Portfolio PMO - Hertfordshire in Watford

Watford Freelance Home office (partial)
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At a Glance

  • Tasks: Lead and improve the PMO for strategic projects, ensuring effective delivery and governance.
  • Company: Join a forward-thinking organisation that values innovation and excellence in project management.
  • Benefits: Competitive daily rate, hybrid working, and opportunities for professional growth.
  • Other info: Dynamic role with a focus on continuous improvement and team development.
  • Why this job: Make a significant impact by shaping project delivery and influencing senior leadership.
  • Qualifications: Extensive PMO experience and strong leadership skills required.

Start: 1st of June, 2026

Location: Stevenage Head Office - hybrid working

Rate: £1000 to £1200 per day - Inside of IR35

A senior leadership role within the Strategic Projects and Management Office. The postholder is accountable for establishing, leading, and continuously improving the way the change portfolio is delivered. The role ensures that robust governance, delivery frameworks, quality standards, and assurance processes are in place to enable successful delivery of projects and programmes. The role influences organisational delivery capability, providing the delivery framework, and expert support to project and programme managers. Driving consistency, transparency, and control across the change portfolio while enabling teams to deliver effectively is a key requirement. This position requires a commercially minded, proactive, and experienced technology professional. The successful candidate will have a proven track record of managing complex portfolios and be confident engaging with C Suite stakeholders.

Key Responsibilities:
  • PMO Strategy & Leadership: Operate PMO function as a centre of excellence for change governance, standards, and best practice. Lead, mentor, and develop PMO teams, fostering a high-performance and service-oriented culture. Act as a senior advisor to leadership on delivery capability, governance, and performance.
  • Governance and Control: Design, implement, and maintain a scalable governance framework across projects and programmes. Define and enforce stage gates, approvals, and assurance processes. Ensure compliance with organisational policies, audit requirements, and regulatory obligations. Provide independent oversight and challenge to delivery teams to ensure adherence to standards.
  • Frameworks, Standards, and Methodologies: Establish and maintain delivery frameworks (e.g., waterfall, Agile, hybrid) aligned to organisational needs. Define standard artefacts, templates, tools, and lifecycle processes. Ensure frameworks are pragmatic, scalable, and support delivery rather than hinder it. Drive adoption and consistent use of standards across all initiatives.
  • Quality Assurance and Delivery Oversight: Define and implement quality control processes across all projects and programmes. Conduct health checks, audits, and assurance reviews to assess delivery confidence. Ensure accurate, timely, and consistent reporting of delivery performance, risks, and issues. Escalate systemic risks and delivery concerns to senior leadership with clear recommendations.
  • Continuous Improvement and Capability Development: Drive continuous improvement of PMO processes, tools, and governance practices. Benchmark organisational maturity (e.g., P3M3) and implement improvement roadmaps. Establish lessons learned processes and embed knowledge sharing across teams. Lead communities of practice for project and programme management.
  • Support to Project and Programme Managers: Provide guidance, coaching, and support to project and programme managers. Ensure clarity of roles, responsibilities, and delivery expectations. Enable effective planning, risk management, and stakeholder engagement practices. Support resolution of cross-project dependencies and resource challenges. Establish portfolio-level reporting standards and dashboards. Provide consolidated insights on delivery performance, trends, and risks.
Key Skills & Experience:
  • Leads the establishment and operation of PMO functions - across Portfolio
  • Defines governance frameworks, standards, and processes.
  • Influences organisational adoption of consistent delivery practices.
  • Provides guidance and assurance across projects and programmes.
  • Significant experience operating within a PMO at enterprise level
  • Proven experience designing and implementing governance frameworks
  • Strong track record in delivery assurance, quality control, and reporting
  • Experience supporting and enabling project and programme managers
Desirable Qualifications:
  • Educated to degree level in a relevant discipline (e.g., IT, Business, Management, Engineering) or equivalent professional experience.
  • Relevant professional certifications such as APM, PMP, PRINCE2, MSP, AgilePM, SAFe.
  • Experience with Agile delivery frameworks (e.g., SAFe, Scrum at scale).
  • Familiarity with portfolio and PMO tooling (e.g., Clarity, Planview, ServiceNow, Jira Align).

Head of Portfolio PMO - Hertfordshire in Watford employer: MORGAN PHILIPS UK LIMITED

At Morgan Philips Group, we pride ourselves on being an exceptional employer that values innovation and inclusivity. Our Hertfordshire office offers a dynamic hybrid working environment, fostering a culture of collaboration and continuous improvement, where employees are encouraged to grow through mentorship and professional development opportunities. With a commitment to excellence in project management and governance, we empower our teams to drive impactful change while ensuring a supportive and engaging workplace.
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Contact Detail:

MORGAN PHILIPS UK LIMITED Recruiting Team

StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫

We think this is how you could land Head of Portfolio PMO - Hertfordshire in Watford

✨Tip Number 1

Network like a pro! Reach out to your connections in the industry, especially those who might know someone at the company you're eyeing. A friendly chat can open doors that a CV just can't.

✨Tip Number 2

Prepare for interviews by researching the company and its projects. Understand their PMO strategies and be ready to discuss how your experience aligns with their goals. Show them you’re not just another candidate!

✨Tip Number 3

Practice your pitch! You want to convey your leadership style and how you can drive change effectively. Keep it concise but impactful—think of it as your personal brand statement.

✨Tip Number 4

Don’t forget to follow up after interviews! A quick thank-you email can leave a lasting impression. It shows your enthusiasm and keeps you on their radar as they make their decision.

We think you need these skills to ace Head of Portfolio PMO - Hertfordshire in Watford

PMO Strategy & Leadership
Governance Framework Design
Delivery Frameworks (Waterfall, Agile, Hybrid)
Quality Control Processes
Delivery Assurance
Stakeholder Engagement
Risk Management
Coaching and Mentoring
Project Management Tools (e.g., Clarity, Planview, ServiceNow, Jira Align)
Continuous Improvement
Performance Reporting
C Suite Engagement
Organisational Change Management
Compliance with Regulatory Obligations
Community of Practice Leadership

Some tips for your application 🫡

Tailor Your CV: Make sure your CV speaks directly to the role of Head of Portfolio PMO. Highlight your experience in managing complex portfolios and engaging with C Suite stakeholders. We want to see how your skills align with our needs!

Showcase Your Leadership Skills: This role is all about leading and mentoring teams, so don’t hold back! Share examples of how you've fostered a high-performance culture and provided guidance to project managers. We love seeing strong leadership in action.

Be Clear and Concise: When writing your application, clarity is key. Use straightforward language and get to the point quickly. We appreciate applications that are easy to read and understand, so keep it simple!

Apply Through Our Website: We encourage you to apply through our website for a smoother process. It helps us keep track of your application and ensures you’re considered for this exciting opportunity. Don’t miss out!

How to prepare for a job interview at MORGAN PHILIPS UK LIMITED

✨Know Your PMO Inside Out

Before the interview, make sure you thoroughly understand the PMO function and its role as a centre of excellence. Familiarise yourself with governance frameworks, delivery methodologies, and quality assurance processes that are relevant to the position.

✨Showcase Your Leadership Skills

Be prepared to discuss your experience in leading and mentoring PMO teams. Share specific examples of how you've fostered a high-performance culture and influenced organisational delivery capability in previous roles.

✨Engage with C-Suite Scenarios

Since this role involves engaging with C Suite stakeholders, think of scenarios where you've successfully communicated complex ideas to senior leadership. Highlight your ability to provide strategic advice on governance and performance.

✨Demonstrate Continuous Improvement Mindset

Prepare to talk about how you've driven continuous improvement in PMO processes and tools. Discuss any benchmarking you've done, lessons learned processes you've implemented, and how you've supported project managers in enhancing their delivery capabilities.

Head of Portfolio PMO - Hertfordshire in Watford
MORGAN PHILIPS UK LIMITED
Location: Watford

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