PMO Manager Lead

Thales Avionics, Inc. (AGS); Ottawa; Hybrid; CAD 110,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

Thales Avionics, Inc. (AGS) in Ottawa, Ontario, is seeking a PMO Manager Lead to oversee governance, planning, risk, training and reporting across in-service support programs.

In a hybrid Ottawa environment, you will partner with program managers, leadership and customers to ensure compliant, efficient delivery and continuous improvement. You will lead relational contracting, communications and lessons learned, build a culture of knowledge sharing, and drive analytics with tools like Power BI.

Qualifications

• Degree or diploma in Business Management/ Admin or relevant field.
• Certified Practicing Project Manager or equivalent (IPMA and/or PMP certification).
• At least 10 years of experience supporting or managing complex projects.
• Experience in PMO within Defence and Aerospace sectors.
• Strong relationships with stakeholders in complex environments.
• Coaching and developing less-experienced team members.
• Knowledge of scheduling (WBS, OBS, milestones, dependencies, EVM) and Change Control.
• Understanding of the Program lifecycle.

Responsibilities

• Lead the PMO to ensure governance, methodologies and standards across programs.
• Maintain frameworks, tools and processes supporting project delivery and reporting.
• Establish and control the program business rhythm.
• Monitor project performance, risks and deliverables for proactive decisions.
• Manage resource planning and prioritization for optimal execution.
• Provide management support to PMO staff through coaching and development.
• Support project planning, scheduling and performance tracking.
• Mitigate risks and maintain risk registers and action plans.
• Drive lessons learned and continuous improvement actions across programs.
• Oversee Travel & Living requirements and relational contracting with the customer.
• Promote transparent communications and maintain Relationship Management Plans.

Skills

Leadership

Governance

Stakeholder influence

Mentoring

PMO delivery

Power BI

Relational contracting

Education

Degree or diploma in Business Management/ Admin or relevant field

Certified Practicing Project Manager (IPMA/PMP)

Tools

Power BI

JIRA

Primavera P6

MS Excel

Job description

Location: Ottawa, Canada

In fast changing markets, customers worldwide rely on Thales. Thales is a business where brilliant people from all over the world come together to share ideas and inspire each other. In aerospace, transportation, defence, security and space, our architects design innovative solutions that make our tomorrow's possible.

PMO Manager Lead

Ottawa, ON- Hybrid

Regulatory Compliance Requirements

• Requires direct or indirect access to hardware, software, technology or technical data controlled under the Canadian Export Control List, the ITAR or the EAR
• Requires a positive Controlled Goods assessment as you will have direct access to hardware, software, technology or technical data controlled under the Canadian Controlled Goods Program
• Required to obtain and maintain a Security Clearance at the NATO Secret Level

Position Summary

We have a current vacancy for a PMO Manager Lead to join our Team in Ottawa, Ontario.

Reporting to the Head of PMO, the PMO Manager Lead works closely with Program Managers to ensure that Thales' in-service support programs are delivered efficiently, compliantly, and in alignment with Thales' strategic objectives. This role oversees governance, relational contracting, communications, planning, risk, training, performance and reporting, to maintain consistency and excellence across all initiatives.

Working closely with the Customer, executive leadership and cross-functional teams in a matrixed environment, the PMO Manager Lead drives program visibility, resource optimization, and continuous improvement. They ensure the programs meet the highest standards of quality, accuracy and compliance, while strengthening delivery capability.

Key Areas of Responsibility

• Leadership & Governance Lead the PMO to ensure consistent application of governance, methodologies and standards across Thales' in-service support programs.
• Maintain frameworks, tools and processes supporting project delivery and reporting.
• Establish and control the program business rhythm.
• Program Oversight Monitor project performance, risks and deliverables to support proactive decision-making.
• Manage resource planning and prioritization for optimal execution.
• Resource Management Provide management support to the PMO team, including skills and capability development, task allocation, objective setting and training.
• Planning, Performance & Risk Management Support integrated project planning, scheduling and performance tracking.
• Oversee identification and mitigation of risks, maintaining accurate risk registers and action plans.
• Implement lessons learned and improvement actions across programs.
• Management of Travel & Living requirements.
• Relational Contracting & Communications Facilitate effective communications between leadership, engineering, operations, and the Customer.
• Promote transparency and clarity in program communications.
• Author and maintain a Relationship Management Plan and Relationship Charter.
• Plan, develop, implement and measure a Relational Contracting culture within the team and the Enterprise.
• Management and facilitation of Lessons Learned sessions - ensuring a Lessons Learned culture is embedded within the Program.
• Training & Capability Development Design and deliver training to strengthen project management capability across the programs.
• Mentor project managers and coordinators in governance, planning, and risk management best practices.
• Build a culture of knowledge sharing and professional growth within the PMO.
• Continuous Improvement & Innovation Drive automation, standardization, and digital transformation within PMO operations.
• Enhance program analytics and reporting using tools such as Power BI.
• Champion process optimization and operational excellence initiatives.

Minimum Qualifications

• Degree or diploma in Business Management/ Admin or relevant field, and/or similar proven experience.
• Certified Practicing Project Manager or equivalent (IPMA and/or PMP certification).
• At least 10 years of experience supporting or managing complex projects.
• Demonstrated experience working in a PMO within a growing, fast-paced program, particularly in the Defence and Aerospace sectors.
• An extensive track record of building strong relationships and influencing key stakeholders in complex environments.
• Prior experience coaching and developing less-experienced team members.
• Comprehensive understanding of generic processes and techniques used to schedule Program activities (WBS, OBS, milestones, dependencies, EVM).
• Comprehensive experience and understanding of the Program.
• Management process, including Change Control.
• Comprehensive knowledge of the Program lifecycle.

Preferred Qualifications

• Advanced user of MS office suite, particularly Excel, including the use of pivot tables / charts.
• Fundamental knowledge of Power BI or similar data visualization tools.
• Intermediate knowledge of project scheduling software like Primavera P6.
• Working knowledge of JIRA.

If you're excited about working with Thale