PMO Manager Lead

Thales Canada; Ottawa; Hybrid; CAD 125,000 - 155,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Extended Health

Dental

RRSP/TFSA match

Paid holidays

Job summary

Thales Canada in Ottawa, Ontario, invites a PMO Manager Lead to join our hybrid team. You will lead governance, planning, risk, and reporting to ensure compliant, efficient in-service programs. This role partners with leadership, engineering and operations to drive visibility and continuous improvement.

Reporting to the Head of PMO, you will mentor project managers, optimize resources, and foster a lessons-learned culture while maintaining high standards of quality and compliance.

Qualifications

• Degree or diploma in Business Management/ Admin or relevant field.
• Certified Practicing Project Manager or equivalent (IPMA and/or PMP).
• At least 10 years of experience managing complex projects.

Responsibilities

• Lead PMO governance, methodologies and standards across programs.
• Monitor project performance, risks and deliverables for proactive decisions.
• Oversee resource planning and prioritization for optimal execution.
• Design and deliver training to strengthen project management capability.
• Drive continuous improvement and digital transformation within PMO.

Skills

PMO Leadership

Governance

Stakeholder Mgmt

Risk Management

Planning

Education

Business/ Admin Degree or Diploma

IPMA/PMP Certification

Tools

Power BI

Primavera P6

JIRA

Job description

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.

Special Position Requirements

Type of Role: Hybrid (Home/Office) – flexibility to work from home but expected to be in office as required to support the business.

Schedule: 40 hours per week

Physical Environment: Office environment

Travel: As required primarily within Canada

The reference Total Target Compensation (TTC) market range for this position, inclusive of annual base salary and the variable compensation target, is between Total Target Cash (TTC) $125,000- $155,000 CAD Annual.

Why Join Us?

Thales provides an extensive benefits program for all full-time employees working 24 or more hours per week and their eligible dependents, including the following:

• Company paid Extended Health, Dental, HSA, Life, AD&D, Short-term Disability, Cancer Care Program, travel insurance, Employee Assistance Plan and Well-Being program.
• Retirement Savings Plans (RRSP, DCPP, TFSA) with a company contribution and a match to a DCPP, with no vesting period.
• Company paid holidays, vacation days, and paid sick leave.
• Voluntary Life, AD&D, Critical Illness, Long-Term Disability.
• Employee Discounts on home, auto, and gym membership.