Planning PMO Manager

This role leads Portfolio Planning by orchestrating the Quarterly Portfolio Planning Process, maintaining an aggregated view of the Portfolio Plan & Cross-Portfolio dependencies, and interpreting planning data to extract actionable insights and identify contentions. Experience with portfolio toolsets such as Atlassian (JIRA, JPD) and Planview is advantageous. This role collaborates within the Portfolio Office to drive the PMO function as a service to all programmes and change activities. The focus is on core deliverables of our Operating model, enhancing process and tooling efficiencies, ensuring consistency where needed, and pursuing ‘just enough’ governance.

Key Responsibilities:

• Manage and ensure adherence to appropriate delivery methodologies and gate processes to support the ‘just enough’ governance approach.
• Drive process efficiencies to ensure activities add value and identify continual improvements.
• Manage core PMO functions such as RAIDD management, Planning, Governance, Dependencies, and Reporting, ensuring services are robust and continuously improved.
• Support tooling evaluation, decision-making, and rollout, working with the change enablement team to implement internal changes effectively.
• Provide tooling and processes for a comprehensive view of all tech strategic initiatives to improve visibility and support decision-making through actionable status information, timelines, risks, and interdependencies.
• Facilitate forums, uphold and adapt the governance framework as necessary.
• Monitor KPIs to measure performance and progress at all levels; conduct project audits, share lessons learned, and highlight key areas of interest.
• Represent the PMO and technology support to other divisions, promoting best practices and setup.

Essential Knowledge & Skills:

• Relevant degree or equivalent qualification.
• Experience as a PMO manager or lead.
• Proven leadership and team management skills.
• Strong track record in programme/portfolio management within a fast-paced retail environment, managing shifting deadlines and multiple initiatives.
• Highly organized, process-driven approach to governance and planning artifacts.
• Experience in data analysis and report preparation.
• Proficiency with PPM/portfolio management tools.
• Stakeholder management skills.

Desirable:

• Retail industry experience.

Key Qualities:

• Proven ability to lead PMO functions.
• Positive attitude towards change.
• Solution-focused, creative, and adaptable mindset.
• Excellent communication skills, capable of navigating complex governance environments.
• Influencing skills.

Our Valued Behaviours:

• Own it: Do what you say you’ll do; address problems proactively.
• Make it better: Improve processes for customers and simplify where possible.
• Be human: Show care and respect, walk in others’ shoes.

Leadership Expectations:

• Obsessed with the customer: Use data and insight to meet customer needs and support decision-making.
• Obsessed with performance: Deliver your role effectively, prioritize resources, and hold yourself and others accountable.
• Lead beyond boundaries: Share the big picture, build partnerships, and drive strategic thinking.
• Lead fearless teams: Foster diversity, challenge, and growth through coaching and feedback.

Development & Benefits:

We support your growth with training, mentoring, and development tools. Benefits include colleague discounts, pensions, life cover, performance bonuses, holiday allowances, flexible working options, and health and wellbeing programs. For detailed benefits, visit www.sainsburys.jobs.

We operate in a modern, innovative environment, leveraging Agile, Scrum, and XP methodologies, with investments in a Tech Academy and emerging technologies like AI.