Head of Investment Programme Management Office (IPMO)

South East Water; Snodland; On-site; GBP 120,000 - 138,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading UK water company is seeking a Head of Investment PMO to oversee a £1.9 billion portfolio of engineering projects. You will manage a centralised PMO function to ensure optimal delivery of projects while fostering teamwork and a culture of accountability. Applicants should have significant experience in infrastructure, a relevant degree, and proven leadership skills. The role offers a competitive starting salary of £120,000 plus benefits including a car allowance and bonus.

Benefits

Excellent Stakeholder pension scheme

5 weeks holiday plus bank holidays

Flexible annual leave policy

Paid volunteering days

Cycle to work scheme

Health cash plan

Life assurance

Wellbeing related benefits

Qualifications

• 5+ years in a leadership role overseeing complex projects.
• Experience with core Project Controls disciplines.
• Proven track record of managing large-scale cross-functional projects.

Responsibilities

• Oversees planning and implementation of project portfolios.
• Ensures compliance with statutory and regulatory requirements.
• Develops and governs portfolio management processes.

Skills

Leadership abilities

Project management

Communication skills

Analytical skills

Negotiation skills

Education

Degree in Engineering

Professional qualification in project management

Tools

Primavera P6

ERP systems

Job description

Are you a seasoned PMO leader looking to make a lasting impact on vital infrastructure? Do you want to lead a high performing team where your expertise in complex project delivery is valued?

This is a newly created position as Head of Investment PMO to join our Investment Delivery Directorate. This is a pivotal role where you will be responsible for setting, managing, and change controlling our enterprise investment baselines throughout the strategic portfolio lifecycle, providing essential oversight and assurance across the Asset Management and Engineering lifecycle.

You will lead a professional, centralised PMO function, ensuring that our £1.9 billion portfolio of engineering and capital investment programmes is delivered with optimal efficiency and effectiveness. This role requires a deep background in infrastructure, construction, or engineering (EPC) to successfully navigate the complexities of our capital delivery requirements. By developing advanced reporting and insights capabilities, you will measure performance to date and forecast future trends, enabling the business to make both retrospective and prospective evidence-based decisions. In this role you are responsible for setting, managing and change controlling the enterprise investment baselines throughout the strategic portfolio lifecycle, including providing oversight and assurance across the Asset Management and Engineering lifecycle.

Main responsibilities

• Oversees the planning, implementation, and tracking of a diverse portfolio of related projects across various departments while creating a team that delivers a repeatable, scalable project platform.
• Ensures that statutory and regulatory requirements are monitored and reported in all investment projects, and risks are managed.
• Provides the centre of expertise on capital investment PMO activity across the business.
• Develop and govern programme and portfolio management processes, uses of dashboards, templates, ensuring alignment with corporate metrics.
• Develop a PMO department and build a team that aligns with the Management of Portfolios P3M3 Maturity Model.
• Implement project control metrics and insights that aim to drive efficiencies that meet or exceed the financial expectations established at project initiation.
• Monitor portfolio to ensure schedules, budgets and outcome expectations are being met.
• Coordinate deliverables with other key stakeholders across the business to ensure the portfolio outcomes are delivered.
• Assume ownership of SEW's Investment project management maturity, owning internal processes, good practice documents and ensure stakeholders engagement.
• Works with the business to assess and decide on which investment options have the highest potential value, impact, regulatory and strategic alignment for capital projects and in alignment with the Change PMO.
• Identify portfolio priorities, deal with challenges and communicate portfolio risks and opportunities.
• Foster a culture of accountability, transparency, and continuous improvement within the project management Community.
• Drive innovation through the investment lifecycle, implementing the latest digital tools and technology.
• Coach and mentor immediate and wider team and share knowledge and best practices.

You’ll need

• The Head of PMO must have a background in infrastructure, construction, EPC (engineering, procurement, construction) or related.
• A degree in Engineering, Business Administration, Project Management, or a related field.
• A relevant professional qualification in project, programme, or portfolio management (e.g. MSP, MoP, PRINCE2, APM Chartered Project Professional, or equivalent), and/or substantial equivalent experience in leading PMO activities across high-value infrastructure projects or programmes.
• Experience of the core Project Controls disciplines (Scheduling, Risk Management, Change Control & Budget Control).
• Significant experience in Programme/Portfolio management, with at least 5 years in a leadership role overseeing complex projects.
• Proven track record of successfully managing multiple large-scale, cross-functional projects from initiation through completion.
• Strong leadership abilities with a demonstrated ability to inspire and motivate teams to achieve project goals.
• Excellent communication, negotiation, and interpersonal skills, with the ability to build consensus and drive decision-making.
• Strategic thinker with a keen attention to detail and the ability to prioritise competing demands.
• Proficiency in Portfolio management software (e.g., Primavera P6) and enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems.
• Ability to thrive in a high paced and at times stressful environment whilst remaining outcome focused.
• Strong leadership, communication, management, and interpersonal skills.
• Highly organised and systematic, with a growth mindset.
• Demonstrate ability to create a cohesive team and engaged and positive culture.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.

Employees are required to be flexible and to be prepared to perform duties and other tasks within their capabilities. The nature of our business is such that the contents of any job profile are subject to change from time to time.

We want to be the water company people want to be supplied by and want to work for. We know the communities we serve are diverse. We recognise creativity comes from diversity not similarity. That’s why we are enthusiastic about creating inclusion across age, race, gender, ethnicity, religion and identity. You will experience our dedication to equal opportunities and fair treatment for all: through your recruitment, employment and career progression with South East Water.

Benefits package

• Excellent Stakeholder pension scheme, up to 10% employer contribution.
• 5 weeks holiday plus bank holidays per annum, increasing to 6 weeks with length of service.
• Flexible annual leave policy to buy or sell holiday leave.
• Paid volunteering days.
• Cycle to work scheme.
• Health cash plan.
• Life assurance.
• Wellbeing related benefits.

Recruitment and Compensation

To apply for this position, please submit your CV on our career’s website.

It is necessary for you to have the legal right to work in the UK when you begin employment with South East Water.

Additionally, as part of the employment offer, you will need to pass background, identity, and employment referencing checks.

Starting from £120,000 depending on experience + £9,844 car allowance + senior management bonus.

South East Water kindly asks that recruitment agencies refrain from submitting CVs to our employees or associates without explicit invitation from our HR Resourcing team. CVs sent on a speculative basis will not be acknowledged and will not assume any responsibility for fees or commissions in the event that we hire a candidate who applied directly or subsequently introduced by an instructed agency.