Interim IT Portfolio & PMO Lead

Mentmore Recruitment Ltd; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 120,000 - 125,000; Full time

Job summary

Mentmore Recruitment Ltd is supporting a large international organisation in London to appoint an Interim IT Portfolio & PMO Lead. The role focuses on bringing structure to portfolio management, improving processes and reporting across technology projects.

You will work with technology leadership, establish PMO processes, templates, and dashboards using Microsoft tools, with a 6-month initial contract and 3 days per week option, hybrid London site, day rate £650-£675 inside IR35.

Qualifications

• Experience leading IT PMO or portfolio management initiatives.
• Ability to implement structured PMO processes, templates and reporting.
• Strong stakeholder management and communication skills.
• Practical experience with capacity planning and project tracking using Microsoft tools.

Responsibilities

• Review current PMO practices to improve consistency and efficiency.
• Establish PMO processes, templates, documentation, status updates and reporting routines.
• Introduce a structured intake for new technology requests and project delivery.
• Maintain a central view of ongoing projects, milestones and delivery commitments.
• Improve management information for stakeholders and communicate project status.
• Support resource and capacity planning across teams.
• Identify delivery risks and resolve bottlenecks to maintain momentum.
• Develop tracking solutions using Microsoft tools; leverage current software.
• Run regular review meetings and follow-ups to close actions.
• Embed sustainable ways of working beyond the interim assignment.

Skills

IT portfolio management

PMO governance

Stakeholder engagement

Resource planning

Tools

Microsoft Project

Excel

Power BI

Job description

Interim IT Portfolio & PMO Lead

Day Rate: £650 - £675 per day (inside IR35; part-time option available at 3 days per week)
Contract Length: Initial 6 months
Working Pattern: Full-time, with flexibility for 3 days per week if preferred
Location: Hybrid (remote with 1 day per week onsite in London)

The Opportunity

We are supporting a large, international organisation seeking an experienced Interim IT Portfolio & PMO Lead to improve the way its technology function coordinates and manages projects.

This is a hands-on interim assignment suited to someone who enjoys bringing structure to complex environments, improving processes and establishing practical ways of working that deliver immediate results.

The organisation has a number of technology initiatives underway and needs greater consistency in how projects are tracked, resources are allocated, priorities are managed and progress is communicated. You will take ownership of improving these arrangements, giving stakeholders a clearer understanding of what is happening across the portfolio and helping teams work more effectively together.

You will work closely with technology leadership and colleagues across the business, with the opportunity to make a tangible impact within the first few months.

Key Responsibilities

• Review existing project management practices and identify opportunities to improve consistency, accountability and efficiency.

• Establish practical PMO processes, including standard templates, project documentation, status updates and reporting routines.

• Introduce a structured approach for receiving and assessing new requests for technology support and project delivery.

• Build and maintain a central view of ongoing projects, key milestones, progress, issues and delivery commitments.

• Improve the quality and accessibility of management information, ensuring stakeholders have a clear understanding of project status and emerging concerns.

• Support resource and capacity planning, helping teams balance competing demands and make informed decisions about priorities.

• Work with project leads and internal teams to identify delivery risks, resolve bottlenecks and maintain momentum across initiatives.

• Develop straightforward reporting and tracking solutions using Microsoft tools, making effective use of the technology already available.

• Establish regular review meetings and follow-up processes to ensure actions are completed and outstanding issues are addressed.

• Embed sustainable ways of working that can be maintained by the team beyond the interim assignment.

About You

You will be an experienced IT portfolio, PMO or programme management professional who can quickly assess an existing environment and put effective processes in place.

You will be comfortable working at both an operational and management level, combining strong organisational skills with the ability to engage stakeholders, challenge constructively and drive improvements.

You will also bring:

• A strong track record in IT PMO management, portfolio coordination or technology delivery governance.

• Experience establishing or improving project management processes in an environment where existing arrangements need greater structure.

• The ability to manage information across multiple projects and present it clearly to senior stakeholders.

• Practical experience of resource planning, prioritisation, project tracking and management reporting.

• Strong Microsoft tools experience, with the ability to develop effective tracking and reporting solutions using available Microsoft applications.

• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills, with the confidence to work across different teams and levels of seniority.

• A proactive, pragmatic approach, with the ability to work independently and deliver improvements without relying on a fully established framework.