Head of PMO

Sanctuary Group; Worcester; On-site; GBP 87,000 - 91,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

25 days annual leave (rising to 30)

Pension scheme with employer contrib.

Life Assurance

Employee Advice Service

Cycle to Work scheme

Wellbeing support

Job summary

Sanctuary Group in Worcester-based technology delivery leadership role is seeking a Head of PMO to oversee governance, portfolio planning and delivery assurance across a broad technology transformation portfolio. The post reports to the Director of Technology Delivery and leads the PMO team to enable strategic outcomes.

The role focuses on defining the PMO strategy, enforcing delivery standards, managing finances and resources, and driving PMO maturity.

Qualifications

• Proven track record leading a PMO or portfolio function at scale.
• Experience delivering governance, reporting and assurance frameworks.
• Financial control across large multi-million portfolios.
• Strong leadership and inclusive team development.

Responsibilities

• Define and own the PMO strategy and operating model.
• Lead portfolio planning, demand vs capacity, and investment prioritisation.
• Ensure portfolio governance and assurance across programmes.
• Provide senior advisory support to the Director of Technology Delivery.
• Oversee cross-portfolio risks, issues and dependencies.

Skills

PMO leadership

Portfolio management

Governance & reporting

Stakeholder management

Financial control

Agile & Hybrid delivery

Strategic planning

Team development

Risk management

Communication

Education

Degree in a relevant field

PRINCE2 / P3O / APM PMQ qualification

Management qualification

Tools

Planview Portfolio Management

Microsoft Project

PowerPoint

Word

Excel

Job description

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Inclusion is one of our core values. Our goal is to be a diverse, inclusive organisation where our people thrive and meet our customers’ needs with fairness and empathy. We know having a range of ideas and opinions makes a difference. We encourage and welcome applications from people from diverse backgrounds to support this mission. We will make adjustments throughout your application process, in line with Sanctuary’s commitment to our Disability Confident employer status.

Head of PMO – Technology Delivery

Worcester based with a balance of home and office working

£86,766 - £91,351 per year

35 hours per week

We have an exciting opportunity for a Head of PMO to join our Technology Delivery team, based in Worcester.

This role sits within Technology, which is responsible for delivering technology capability across Sanctuary Group, ensuring colleagues have access to the systems and services they need to perform their roles effectively.

Reporting to the Director of Technology Delivery, you will lead the Technology Portfolio Management Office (PMO), providing strategic oversight of governance, portfolio planning, resource management, financial control and delivery assurance across a complex portfolio of technology and transformation initiatives.

As a senior leader, you will play a key role in shaping portfolio investment decisions, driving PMO maturity and ensuring programmes deliver successful outcomes aligned to Sanctuary's strategic priorities.

The role of Head of PMO will include:

• Defining and owning the PMO strategy and operating model, establishing the frameworks, controls and capabilities required to manage a complex portfolio of programmes and investments
• Defining and implementing consistent delivery standards, methodologies and tools, balancing effective control with the flexibility needed across a diverse portfolio
• Establishing and enforcing portfolio governance and assurance processes, providing constructive challenge and escalating where delivery is not aligned with agreed standards or outcomes
• Acting as a senior advisor to the Director of Technology Delivery, providing independent insight and recommendations to support portfolio decisions and outcomes
• Leading portfolio planning and prioritisation, bringing together demand, capacity, financial constraints and strategic objectives to support executive decision-making
• Ensuring the integrity of portfolio performance information and translating complex delivery data into clear, meaningful and actionable insight for senior stakeholders
• Overseeing cross‑portfolio risks, issues and dependencies, ensuring systemic risks are understood, appropriately escalated and effectively managed
• Providing oversight of portfolio financial performance, including consistent approaches to cost management, forecasting, investment appraisal and benefits tracking
• Maintaining portfolio-wide resource and capacity insight to support workforce planning and the effective allocation of resources across competing priorities
• Leading, supporting and developing the PMO team, building an inclusive and collaborative culture focused on high performance and continuous improvement
• Driving improvements in PMO capability and delivery maturity by working collaboratively with delivery colleagues to enhance processes, tools and ways of working
• Promoting and championing the culture of the Technology team and enhancing the reputation of Technology Delivery across the wider organisation

Skills and experiences:

• Degree, management qualification, relevant professional qualification or equivalent knowledge and experience
• Formal qualification in portfolio, programme or project management, such as P3O, APM PMQ or PRINCE2
• Comprehensive experience of leading a PMO or portfolio management function within a large and complex technology or transformation environment
• Comprehensive knowledge of portfolio, programme and project management disciplines, with a proven track record of developing governance, assurance and reporting frameworks at scale
• Experience of managing financial performance and controls across large, multi-million-pound portfolios, including forecasting and investment appraisal
• Strong understanding of Agile, hybrid and Waterfall delivery methodologies
• Advanced leadership skills, with experience of building high‑performing, inclusive and collaborative teams
• Significant experience of providing constructive challenge, insight and recommendations at senior leadership level
• Excellent analytical and problem‑solving skills, with the ability to interpret complex information and identify underlying trends and risks
• Excellent communication, negotiation, presentation, organisational and stakeholder management skills
• The ability to translate complex technical information into clear and accessible language
• Advanced knowledge of Microsoft Project and PowerPoint, intermediate knowledge of Word and Excel, and practical experience of Planview portfolio management products
• A full, current driving licence and the flexibility to travel, including occasional overnight stays

Why work for us?

We provide homes and care for more than 250,000 people in England and Scotland. Our customers are at the heart of all we do. With around 14,000 colleagues, we foster a diverse and inclusive culture, and nurture and reward talent.

As part of our commitment to making Sanctuary a great place to work, where your wellbeing is of genuine importance, we have developed an attractive employment package. The package recognises your contribution, supports your physical, mental and financial health and gives you the flexibility to tailor your employee benefits by offering:

• 25 days annual leave (rising to a maximum of 30 days) plus public holidays
• A pension scheme with employer contributions from Sanctuary
• Life Assurance
• Employee Advice Service including counselling
• Cycle to Work scheme
• Voluntary health plans
• Wellbeing support and tools
• Staff Networks, with a shared interest in inclusion, and who provide invaluable support to colleagues
• Role salary is £78,878 with an additional policy allowance of £7,887 per annum (rising to £83,046 with an additional policy allowance of £8,304 per annum after 12 months, subject to satisfactory performance)

If you're unsure about any details, have questions about the role or want to discuss a need for adjustments, our fantastic talent team will be happy to help you - [e-mail]

We reserve the right depending on application numbers to close or extend the closing dates for positions; we would therefore recommend an early application.

We work closely with the Home Office in order to prevent unlawful working.
Sanctuary Group is a trading name of Sanctuary Housing Association, an exempt charity.