Portfolio Scheduling & Dependencies Lead

ReASoN Group; Canberra; On-site; AUD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Reason Group is seeking a Canberra-based PMO scheduling professional to design and maintain integrated project schedules and governance for a two-speed PMO environment. You will enable project and program managers to plan better, explain the importance of scheduling, and deliver clear insights to senior leadership.

The role combines long-cycle portfolio design with urgent PMO requests, requiring strong communication, workshop facilitation, and the ability to persuade for new ways of working.

Qualifications

• 6–8 years in PMO, scheduling, or portfolio analysis.
• Strong ability to explain scheduling concepts to senior stakeholders.
• Experience in government projects is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Build and maintain integrated schedules across projects and programs, with a focus on cross-project dependencies, critical paths and how changes ripple through the portfolio
• Help design and roll out the PMO's scheduling standards, templates, reporting and governance
• Work with project and program managers to improve how they plan and schedule. You'll explain why good scheduling matters to their delivery, not just ask them to comply
• Turn schedule and portfolio data into clear insights for senior stakeholders: what's at risk, what's slipping and what decisions are needed
• Pick up urgent PMO requests (reporting, briefings, analysis, governance support) and turn them around quickly without losing quality
• Bring people along: run workshops, coach practitioners and build buy-in for new ways of working

Skills

PMO analyst

Scheduler

Portfolio analyst

Project coordinator

Stakeholder communication

Tools

MS Project

Primavera

Smartsheet

Job description

About The Role

This is not a project management role.

We're not after someone to run a project. We want someone who understands how projects and programs fit together, and who can help the people running them do it better. That means building the scheduling standards, dependency management, reporting and governance that a portfolio runs on. It also means getting those practices adopted by the project and program managers who have to live with them. The work runs at two speeds. There's long-cycle portfolio work: designing frameworks, building an integrated schedule, setting up governance. Alongside it there's short-cycle, urgent PMO work that turns up with little notice and needs a clear head. You'll do both, often in the same week.

What You'll Do

• Build and maintain integrated schedules across projects and programs, with a focus on cross-project dependencies, critical paths and how changes ripple through the portfolio
• Help design and roll out the PMO's scheduling standards, templates, reporting and governance
• Work with project and program managers to improve how they plan and schedule. You'll explain why good scheduling matters to their delivery, not just ask them to comply
• Turn schedule and portfolio data into clear insights for senior stakeholders: what's at risk, what's slipping and what decisions are needed
• Pick up urgent PMO requests (reporting, briefings, analysis, governance support) and turn them around quickly without losing quality
• Bring people along: run workshops, coach practitioners and build buy-in for new ways of working

About you

You might have been a PMO analyst, scheduler, portfolio analyst or project coordinator who outgrew the role. You're based in Canberra ACT and have seen enough of how delivery works to have opinions about how it should work. You're probably 6-8 years into your career and ready for more responsibility.

You'll Likely Have

• Hands-on experience with scheduling and dependency management (MS Project, Primavera, Smartsheet or similar) and a solid grasp of the theory behind it
• An understanding of portfolio, program and project management and how they differ
• Experience in a PMO, ideally one being set up or reshaped
• The ability to explain technical PMO concepts to people who don't think about them, and to persuade rather than enforce
• Comfort switching between strategic work and urgent tactical requests
• Strong written communication, especially for senior or executive audiences
• Federal government experience (highly regarded)
• Familiarity with P3M3, MSP, P3O, PMBOK or similar frameworks (a plus, not essential)

Eligibility

Applicants must be based in Canberra, Australian citizens and hold a current Baseline or NV1 security clearance.

About Reason Group

Reason Group is an Australian business and technology services firm helping government and regulated enterprises become faster, safer, and simpler. We specialise in digital transformation, business improvement, technology delivery, and AI-enabled solutions that help organisations navigate complexity and deliver better outcomes. As a trusted partner with deep expertise in government and regulated environments, we work alongside our clients to design, build, and deliver practical solutions that create lasting value.

Why join Reason Group?

You'll have the opportunity to own meaningful work, learn from experienced and amazing colleagues and build your capability while being handsomely rewarded for performance.. Our values of Empathy, Diversity, Grit and Elegance guide how we work with our clients and each other.