Head of, Programme Manager in Manchester

The Head of, Programme Manager is a senior leadership role at Pearson within the Pearson Qualifications business unit. This position provides leadership to our Programme Management Office and governs our strategy. It ensures strategic alignment, operational excellence, and the successful delivery of complex transformation programmes across the organisation. Working at the intersection of strategy, innovation and operational delivery, the role will ensure effective delivery of our operational cycle (in a regulated environment), high-quality reporting and that new concepts and capabilities are successfully embedded and delivered at scale. This is a pivotal role for turning ideas into real-world impact, enabling Pearson to evolve how qualifications and services are delivered to learners and educators and ensuring quality and compliance. In addition, the role leads the integration and standardisation of project, portfolio, and programme management practices across the division.

Reporting Structure: This role sits within the Qualifications leadership team and reports to the Managing Director. As a senior leadership post, the role operates across geographies, is location-flexible and may require occasional travel to key sites.

Core Responsibilities

• Provide leadership and direction to the centralised PMO, overseeing the transition to a unified programme management structure that integrates General Qualifications (GQ), Vocational Qualifications (VQ), and Technology Delivery teams.
• Develop and implement a strategic vision, roadmap and governance framework for the PMO.
• Positioning the PMO as a powerful engine for execution including operational delivery of high-stakes assessments and execution of large-scale transformation programmes.
• Ensure the effective execution of operational delivery, incident management, continuous improvement, and transformation programmes within the PMO.
• Balance immediate operational demands with strategic planning for growth and transformation.
• Standardise governance, unify delivery standards, and implement best practices for project and programme execution across the division.
• Deliver regulatory and compliance reporting to PEL Board/Qualifications Committee to allow the QC to undertake their oversight responsibilities.
• Establish and enforce frameworks, policies, processes and standards to elevate the project management practices and strengthen organisational capability.
• Support the implementation of new tools and processes to enhance project efficiency, data-driven decision-making and organisational agility.
• Define OKRs to measure PMO performance, regularly reviewing performance and reporting with transparency to senior leadership.
• Ensure clear, consistent, and proactive communication across leadership, delivery teams, and governance forums.
• Build and maintain senior stakeholder engagement and confidence through transparency, influence, and effective relationship management.
• Champion the use of technology, innovation and agile practices within project management practices to drive responsiveness and value.
• Coordinate with PMO team leads and senior stakeholders to ensure alignment with organisational priorities and successful delivery of key programmes.
• Lead and mentor PMO leadership team and the wider PMO team to foster a high-performance culture, measurably improving engagement, productivity and achievement of OKRs while ensuring succession planning and leadership development.

Strategic Initiatives

• Lead and direct strategic planning and strategic execution across PSQ and VQ.
• Own the development, orchestration and implementation of the strategy in alignment with Pearson and business unit strategies, organisational goals and market trends.
• Lead regular strategic reviews and benchmark business performance against industry standards and enterprise expectations.
• Oversee investment planning and resource allocation to support strategic priorities and enhance business performance.
• Establish and manage dashboards and reporting frameworks to track progress on key strategic initiatives and performance outcomes.
• Translate PSQ and VQ strategic objectives into coordinated, cross-functional initiatives.
• Drive the operationalisation and execution of PSQ and VQ strategies across multiple departments and functions, including leading the delivery of complex programmes and initiatives designed to achieve PSQ and VQ's strategic objectives.
• Evaluate, and pursue new market and commercial opportunities, including strategic partnerships, potential mergers and acquisitions.
• Partner with finance and leaders across PSQ and VQ to ensure commercial viability and strategic alignment of initiatives.
• Lead cross-functional collaboration across the matrixed organisation and contribute to high-level decision-making.
• Lead PSQ and VQ response and implementation of enterprise and A&Q led initiatives and programmes ensuring high quality input, tracking and successful implementation.
• Represent the strategy function in the Qualifications leadership team and collaborate with global strategy leads, acting as the key point of contact for Qualifications strategy and present strategy updates to senior executives.
• Serve as a strategic partner and advisor to the Managing Director and senior leaders, influencing decision-making and long-term planning.
• Continue to serve as A&Q representative on the Global Quality Standards Governance board.

Your rewards & benefits

We know you'll do great work, so we give a lot back with some of the best benefits in the business. We know one size doesn't fit all, so our workplace programs meet the different needs of our diverse teams, and their families too.