Head of Transformation and Technology Portfolio

Warner Hotels; Hemel Hempstead; On-site; GBP 110,000 - 140,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual Bonus

25 days annual leave

Employee discounts

Job summary

Warner Hotels seeks a Head of Transformation and Technology Portfolio to build a lean PMO from the ground up. You will own the technology change portfolio end-to-end, align demand, prioritise initiatives and report status to the CTO and CFO.

This is a greenfield opportunity to establish governance, delivery discipline, and cross-functional accountability across digital, data, infrastructure and applications.

Qualifications

• Experience leading multi-project portfolios or PMOs.
• Ability to translate strategy into sequenced delivery plans.
• Strong governance, risk and benefits management skills.

Responsibilities

• Own the technology change portfolio end-to-end across digital, data, infrastructure and applications.
• Build and embed a formal demand management process aligned to strategic objectives.
• Maintain the technology roadmap and provide regular financial reporting to CTO/CFO.

Skills

Portfolio management

Programme governance

Stakeholder management

Delivery leadership

Budget reporting

Tools

MSP

MoP

PRINCE2

PMP

SAFe

Scrum@Scale

Job description

Warner Hotels is investing heavily in technology change.The portfolio spans commercial growth initiatives, digital and data products , infrastructure transformation and people & operations programmes. Today, this portfolio is managed through a combination of on-site contractors and informal planning — with no formal demand management, no defined project governance framework, and limited visibility of cross-portfolio dependencies.

We are looking for a Head of Transformation and Technology Portfolio who can build a lean, high-performing PMO and PM function from the ground up — one that brings rigour, pace, and genuine business alignment to how Warner plans, governs, and delivers technology change.

The Core Mission

You will own the technology change portfolio end-to-end and the enterprise strategic portfolio broadly: from demand intake and prioritisation through to delivery governance, benefits realisation, and board reporting. You will be the engine that translates strategy into a sequenced, resourced, and governed delivery plan — and the voice that holds the business and technology teams accountable to commitments.

Why Join Us?

• Build the function: The portfolio function does not exist in its current form — this is a greenfield opportunity to design and embed it from scratch.
• Meaningful portfolio: £5M+ capex and growing spanning digital, data, infrastructure and applications.
• Board visibility: You will report directly to the CTO and CFO and produce the board-level technology update each quarter.

Key Responsibilities would include:

Portfolio & Demand Management

• Own the technology change portfolio — maintaining a single, prioritised view of all initiatives across digital, data, infrastructure and applications.
• Build and run a formal demand management process: intake, assessment, prioritisation and sequencing aligned to strategic objectives.
• Maintain the technology roadmap, ensuring it reflects current priorities and is communicated effectively to the business.
• Manage the annual technology capex budget (£5M+ FY26), tracking spend against plan and providing regular financial reporting to the CTO and CFO.

Delivery Governance & Assurance

• Establish and embed a delivery framework appropriate for Warner's scale — lightweight but rigorous, covering project initiation, change control, risk management, and benefits realisation.
• Provide programme assurance across all major initiatives — identifying risks, dependencies and blockers before they become issues.
• Own the Warner Connect 2.0 network replacement programme from a PMO perspective, coordinating across infrastructure, suppliers and hotel operations.
• Hold delivery teams, engineering partners and third-party suppliers accountable to committed timelines and quality standards.

Stakeholder Management & Reporting

• Produce the quarterly board technology update — a concise, accurate view of delivery progress, portfolio health, budget status and key risks.
• Manage relationships with senior business stakeholders — translating technical delivery into business language and managing expectations proactively.
• Run the technology steering committee and portfolio review cadence, ensuring the right decisions are made at the right level.

Ways of Working & Capability

• Build and embed agile-at-scale delivery practices across the technology team, balancing sprint-based delivery with portfolio-level governance.
• Develop business analysis and test management capability within the PMO function.
• Coach and support project managers, product owners and technical leads on delivery best practice.

You'll need to have this experience:

• Portfolio and programme management: MSP, MoP, or equivalent.
• Project management: PRINCE2, PMP, or agile-at-scale frameworks (SAFe, Scrum@Scale).
• Technology budget management and financial reporting.
• Demand management and portfolio prioritisation techniques.
• Business case development and benefits realisation.
• Risk and dependency management across complex, multi-workstream programmes.
• A Delivery Leader: You have a track record of running complex technology portfolios — on time, on budget, and with genuine business impact.
• A Builder: You can design governance frameworks that are rigorous without being bureaucratic — and embed them in organisations that have never had them before.
• A Translator: You bridge the gap between technical complexity and business language. The board trusts your reporting because it is clear, honest, and accurate.
• An Accountable Leader: You hold yourself and your teams to commitments — and create a culture where delivery discipline is the norm.
• Extensive leadership experience in technology and/or transformation delivery roles with at least 3 years managing a portfolio or programme office function.
• Experience building PMO capability in growth or transformation contexts.
• Consumer sector preferred (hospitality, retail, leisure, travel) with multi-site delivery experience.

The benefits of working with Warner Hotels

• Annual Bonus
• 25 days annual leave per year + flexible 8 bank holidays + you can purchase up to 5 days additional leave per year
• 20% discount at breaks at Warner, Butlins & Haven + additional discounts during your stays
• Help @ Hand from Unum - including virtual GP, Physiotherapy support, Mental Health sessions
• Life Assurance
• Free Car Parking
• Electric Vehicle scheme
• Enhanced Family Friendly policies
• Refer a friend scheme
• Aslan: Our Reward & recognition portal includes access to a financial wellbeing platform
• Access to a discounts platform including a points based discount plan to increase your retail discounts
• Employee Assistance Programme
• L&G Care Concierge
• Glow Getters and Long Service Awards