Program Management Office Manager

About the Company

We are looking for an experienced and strategic PMO G6 to lead programme governance, planning, reporting and risk management across a complex and high-profile programme environment.

About the Role

This is a senior leadership role, providing the framework, standards and insight that enable effective programme decision-making. You will set the strategic direction for programme governance and ensure that senior leaders have a clear, accurate and timely understanding of progress, performance, risks and emerging issues.

Responsibilities

• Set the strategic direction for programme governance, planning and reporting.
• Lead and develop the PMO function, establishing high standards, effective ways of working and a culture of continuous improvement.
• Design, implement and maintain proportionate governance frameworks for a complex programme environment.
• Oversee governance, decision-making and reporting cycles, ensuring that information is timely, accurate and focused on what senior leaders need to know.
• Develop PMO standards, tools and processes that improve consistency, transparency and delivery confidence.
• Ensure robust insight into workstream progress, performance, dependencies and emerging issues is maintained at central programme level.
• Translate complex programme information into clear, actionable insight for senior leadership.
• Lead major programme risk reviews and develop risk management standards, capability and assurance.
• Ensure that aggregate risk is understood across the programme and appropriately reflected in investment and strategic decision-making.
• Support senior leaders and ministers by providing clear, evidence-based assurance on programme performance, risk and delivery confidence.
• Contribute to and engage with cross-government PMO and risk management communities, sharing best practice and driving continuous improvement.

Qualifications

Experience of working on organisational mergers in either the public or private sector, ideally involving significant scale, complexity or transformation.

Required Skills

• Experience of managing a complex PMO function at G7 level or above, with a demonstrable impact on governance quality, programme control and reporting standards.
• A strong track record of designing and implementing governance frameworks for complex programmes or portfolios.
• Experience of using programme and portfolio insight to support effective, timely decision-making by senior leaders.
• Proven experience of leading, developing and motivating a PMO team.
• Experience of contributing to or engaging with cross-government PMO communities, professional networks or equivalent communities of practice.

Preferred Skills

You will bring deep expertise in:

• PMO governance frameworks and best practice.
• Advanced planning, performance management and reporting approaches.
• Designing proportionate and effective governance arrangements for complex delivery environments.
• Risk management strategy and relevant government risk frameworks.
• The relationship between aggregate programme risk, investment decisions and ministerial confidence.
• NISTA review expectations and cross-government risk management standards.

Pay range and compensation package

Salary: Competitive, in line with Civil Service terms and conditions

Grade: G6

Location: Remote with occasional travel to Leeds/London Offices

Contract: Fixed Term until March 2027

Closing date: 21st September 2026