PMO Manager

Job Description:

Role Purpose

• In this role you will be responsible for ensuring project management best practice in a way that encourages collaboration, standardisation and overall improvement in project results. This role supports the Head of PMO or Service Delivery Director to ensure the successful delivery of projects though the provision of strategic and operational support, including project governance and reporting, risk and issue management, independent project assurance and coaching to delivery teams.
• Conduct independent project assurance activities to support the on-time and on-budget delivery of projects
• Monitor, manage and ensure compliance with Civica programme/project practices and standards, particularly in the areas of project status reporting, schedule management, risk management and change management
• Facilitate review and delivery workshops to ensure that lessons learnt are captured and project delivery is continuously improved
• Prepare and provide regular project monitoring reporting (progress and status) to key stakeholder groups in accordance with required format and timeframes
• Facilitate/ train /coach project team on the project management methodology
• Lead and drive the implementation and maturing of project management and PMO governance capability across an organization, including monitoring, guidance and support.
• Lead and drive in developing, maintaining and communicating project standards and tool sets covering governance, reporting, project methodology etc., including a consistent approach and usage across the Civica Group.
• Promote services delivered by the PMO using appropriate communication channels e.g. face-to-face, Skype etc.
• Responsible for a team of PMO Analysts to support projects and programmes across Civica or a specific Business Unit.

Reporting Relationships

• Group Head of PMO
• Service Delivery Director
• Business Unit Managing Director

Essential Competencies

• Portfolio, programme and project support

Takes responsibility for the provision of portfolio, programme and project support. Advises on the available standards, procedures, methods, tools and techniques. Evaluates project and/or programme performance and recommends changes where necessary. Contributes to reviews and audits of project and programme management to ensure conformance to standards.

• Change implementation planning and management

Creates the business readiness plan, taking into consideration IT deployment, data migration, capability deployment (training and engagement activities) and any business activities required to integrate new digital processes or jobs into the "business as usual" environment. Determines the readiness levels of business users with regard to upcoming changes; uncovers readiness gaps and creates and implements action plans to close the gaps prior to going live. Assists the user community in the provision of transition support and change planning, and liaises with the project team. Monitors and reports progress on business readiness targets, business engagement activity, training design and deployment activities, key operational metrics and return to productivity measures. Defines the series and sequence of activities to bring stakeholders to the required level of commitment, prior to going live.

• Benefits Management

Identifies specific measures and mechanisms by which benefits can be measured, and plans to activate these mechanisms at the required time. Monitors benefits against what was predicted in the business case and ensures that all participants are informed and involved throughout the change programme and fully prepared to exploit the new operational business environment once it is in place. Supports senior management to ensure that all plans, work packages and deliverables are aligned to the expected benefits and leads activities required in the realisation of the benefits of each part of the change programme.

• Business Modelling

Produces models in support of business strategy. Has in-depth knowledge of a broad range of industry-wide modelling techniques. Advises on the choice of techniques and approach and influences customers accordingly. Capable of developing bespoke models for unusual contexts. Responsible for planning and co-ordinating team modelling activities and for ensuring the quality of their work.

• Financial Management

Advises on financial planning and budgeting. Develops financial plans and forecasts. Monitors and manages IT expenditure, ensuring that all IT financial targets are met, and examining any areas where budgets and expenditure exceed their agreed tolerances. Assists with the definition and operation of effective financial control and decision making, especially in the areas of service, projects and component cost models and the allocation and apportionment of all incurred IT costs. Analyses actual expenditure, explains variances, and advises on options in use of available budget.

• Innovation

Actively monitors for, and seeks, opportunities, new methods, trends, capabilities and products to the advancement of the organisation. Clearly articulates, and formally reports potential benefits from both structural and incremental change. Encourages and motivates colleagues to share creative ideas and learn from failures.

• Business Process Improvement

Analyses business processes; identifies alternative solutions, assesses feasibility, and recommends new approaches. Contributes to evaluating the factors which must be addressed in the change programme. Helps establish requirements for the implementation of changes in the business process.

• Change Management

Develops implementation plans for complex requests for change. Evaluates risks to the integrity of service environment inherent in proposed implementations (including availability, performance, security and compliance of the business services impacted). Seeks authority for those activities, reviews the effectiveness of change implementation, and suggests improvement to organisational procedures governing change management. Leads the assessment, analysis, development, documentation and implementation of changes based on requests for change.

• Learning assessment and evaluation

Administers and ensures the accuracy of knowledge, skill and behavioural assessments based on specified methods and according to specified standards. Conducts analysis and evaluation of learning programmes using tools, methods and following standards.

• Performance management

Manages individuals and groups. Allocates responsibilities and/or packages of work. Provides support and guidance as required, in line with individual’s abilities. Delegates responsibilities as appropriate. Advises individuals on career paths, and encourages pro-active development of skills and capabilities. Sets performance targets, and monitors progress against agreed quality and performance criteria. Provides effective feedback, throughout the performance management cycle, to ensure optimum performance. Mentors individuals, possibly within other parts of the organisation. Participates, as appropriate, in formal processes such as compensation negotiations and disciplinary procedures.

• Resourcing

Develops plans to ensure that the organisation has appropriately skilled resources to meet organisational objectives and commitments. Manages the effective implementation of resource planning, recruitment, selection, assessment, on-boarding and transitioning of resources. Advises on standards, methods and tools for resource management. Ensures compliance with relevant statutory or external regulations and codes of good practice. Contributes to the development of resource management policies, standards and guidelines and to audits and assessment of resource management processes.

• Professional development

Determines the required outcomes for learning or development, from organisational development needs training strategies, and agreed career pathways. Mentors assigned practitioners, ensuring alignment with predetermined statements of required development outcomes. Assists each practitioner with the creation of development plans based on the outcome statements. Ensures that each practitioner records evidence of continuing professional development. Validates practitioners' records at the end of each cycle of planned development, to ensure that achievements and enhanced capabilities are correctly recorded and referenced to the outcome statements. May contribute to practitioners' performance appraisals.

• Quality management

Advises on the application of appropriate quality and/or environmental management techniques. Facilitates improvements to processes by changing approaches and working practices, typically using recognised models.

• Quality assurance

Uses quality standards to review past performance and plan future activities. Conducts audits of quality requirements and produces audit reports. Monitors and reports on the outputs from the quality assurance and audit processes.

• Quality standards

Takes responsibility for the control, update and distribution of quality standards, and advice on their use.

• Conformance review

Plans formal reviews of activities, processes, products or services. Evaluates and independently appraises the internal control of automated business processes, based on investigative evidence and assessments undertaken by self or team. Ensures that independent appraisals follow agreed procedure and advises others on the review process. Provides advice to management on ways of improving the effectiveness and efficiency of their control mechanisms. Identifies and evaluates associated risks and how they can be reduced.

• Sourcing

Researches suppliers and markets, and maintains a broad understanding of the commercial environment, to inform and develop commercial strategies and sourcing plans. Advises on the business case for alternative sourcing models, and on policy and procedures covering the selection of suppliers, tendering, and procurement. Leads procurement teams, managing tender, evaluation and acquisition processes. Negotiates with potential partners and suppliers, developing acceptance criteria and procedures. Drafts and places contracts. Carries out benchmarking and ensures that supplier performance is properly monitored and regularly reviewed. Liaises with designated supplier(s), and manages and implements supplier service improvement actions and programmes.

• Relationship management

Identifies the communications needs of each stakeholder group in conjunction with business owners and subject matter experts. Translates communications / stakeholder engagement strategies into specific tasks. Facilitates open communication and discussion between stakeholders, acting as a single point of contact by developing, maintaining and working to stakeholder engagement strategies and plans. (For example, may oversee the organisation's promotional/selling activities to one or more clients, to ensure that such activities are aligned with corporate marketing objectives). Negotiates with stakeholders at senior levels, ensuring that organisational policy and strategies are adhered to. Provides informed feedback to assess and promote understanding.

• Customer Service Support

Ensures that the inventory of components to be supported is complete and current. Drafts and maintains policy, standards and procedures for the customer service or service desk functions. Responsible for day-to-day management and work allocation to meet agreed service levels. Specifies, agrees and applies standards. Ensures that tracking and monitoring of performance is carried out, metrics and reports are analysed, and issues are resolved.

Skill

• Minimum of 10+ years’ experience with a proven track record of delivering PMO support in a variety of projects/programs in diverse and complex organisations
• Demonstrated knowledge and experience in Project Management Office (PMO) practices and processes
• Proven experience in conducting project assurance activities (i.e. project health checks and reviews
• The willingness to take ownership of challenging tasks, even beyond your initial scope of responsibility to help drive uplift
• P3O Practitioner (desirable but not essential)
• Advanced Microsoft Office knowledge and expertise, especially MS Excel
• Team Management Experience