Senior PMO Manager

Description:

Senior PMO Manager

Contract: 6-Month Contract
Day Rate: £500 - £550 per day (Inside IR35)
Location: London, Manchester or Bristol (London/Manchester preferred)
Working Pattern: Hybrid, approximately 2 days per week onsite with flexibility
Security Clearance: BPSS required. Candidates must be eligible for SC clearance and can start on BPSS while SC is being processed.

About the Role

We are seeking an experienced Senior PMO Manager to play a key role in establishing and embedding a new Programme Management Office (PMO) capability within a growing Products & Services Directorate of approximately 250 employees.

This directorate has previously benefited from a successful PMO function that supported significant organisational growth, including the onboarding of over 100 contingent workers and engagement with Managed Service Providers (MSPs). As the PMO function is re-established, you will work closely with the Lead PMO Manager, Business Operations team, Finance, and senior stakeholders to implement robust governance, reporting and delivery frameworks.

This is a hands-on opportunity for a proactive PMO professional who thrives in evolving environments, can work independently, and is comfortable contributing to wider business operations activities when required.

Key Responsibilities

Support the establishment and continuous development of the PMO function.
Design and implement effective PMO governance, processes, controls and ways of working.
Maintain programme and portfolio plans, RAID logs, dependency tracking and governance artefacts.
Produce high-quality management information, reporting and dashboards to support decision-making.
Work collaboratively with Senior Civil Service (SCS) stakeholders, Business Operations teams, Finance and delivery teams.
Support the development and production of business cases and investment proposals.
Coordinate cross-functional activities, ensuring actions, risks, issues and dependencies are effectively managed.
Support resource planning, workforce management and supplier-related activities where required.
Identify and implement opportunities to improve PMO processes, governance and reporting.
Take ownership of key deliverables and contribute beyond traditional PMO responsibilities to support wider business objectives.

Essential Skills & Experience

2 to 3+ years' experience operating as a Senior PMO Manager or in an equivalent senior PMO role.
Proven experience establishing, building or significantly improving PMO functions.
Strong expertise in PMO governance, programme planning, reporting and coordination.
Demonstrable experience developing and supporting business cases.
Excellent stakeholder management skills with the ability to influence and engage at senior levels.
Experience producing meaningful management information and reporting packs.
Ability to work autonomously with minimal supervision.
Strong organisational skills with the ability to bring structure and clarity to ambiguous environments.
Resilient and adaptable, with experience operating in fast-paced and changing organisations.
Hands-on approach and willingness to support wider business operations activities when required.

Desirable Experience

Previous experience within Central Government or Local Government environments.
Experience working within digital, product-led or multidisciplinary delivery teams.
Knowledge of resource management, contingent workforce planning and supplier management.
PMO qualifications such as PMO Essentials or similar certifications.
Experience supporting large-scale organisational growth or transformation programmes.

Ideal Candidate Profile

Candidates are likely to come from backgrounds such as:

Senior PMO Manager
PMO Manager
Programme Office Manager
Lead PMO Analyst
Senior PMO Analyst
Delivery Manager with significant PMO experienceYou will be a self-starter who enjoys creating structure, improving governance and enabling successful delivery across complex programmes and organisational functions.

Team Structure

You will join a Business Operations team of five, working closely with a Finance team of three and supporting the newly formed PMO capability. Whilst the wider Products & Services Directorate consists of approximately 250 employees, the PMO team itself will remain relatively lean.

As a result, this role is well suited to someone who enjoys taking ownership, influencing across multiple functions and delivering value in a less structured, highly collaborative environment