PMO Governance & Reporting Lead - (Synergy Programme)

Department for Work and Pensions (DWP); Leeds; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is seeking a strategic PMO leader to elevate governance and reporting across the Synergy portfolio. You will bring discipline, judgment and the ability to challenge and influence at senior levels.

You will design and implement robust PMO standards, dashboards and assurance processes, ensuring delivery excellence and alignment with strategic goals while managing ambiguity with clear structure and pace.

Qualifications

• Extensive experience leading governance, assurance and PMO functions within a complex transformation.
• Experience providing strategic oversight, driving delivery standards and influencing senior decisions.
• Ability to translate data into insights to support timely interventions.
• Proven capability to engage senior stakeholders and deliver constructive challenge.

Responsibilities

• Lead and continuously improve Synergy PMO governance, standards and controls across all workstreams.
• Maintain governance forums, decision processes and escalation routes with proportionate oversight.
• Develop and monitor performance measures to drive continuous improvement.
• Oversee risks, assurance findings and actions ensuring alignment with strategic objectives.
• Partner with Benefits Lead to oversee portfolio benefits and performance.

Skills

PMO leadership

Governance

Performance analytics

Stakeholder engagement

Change control

Planning & resources

Continuous improvement

Clear communication

Education

APM Project Management Qualification

Tools

Dashboards

Job description

We are looking for someone who can make the PMO more than a reporting function.

You will be someone who can look across the Synergy portfolio and answer:

What is happening?

Why does it matter?

What are we concerned about?

What needs to happen next?

What decision or intervention is required from leaders?

You will combine strong PMO discipline with the judgement and confidence to challenge, influence and improve.

You will be comfortable working with ambiguity and complexity, while bringing structure, pace, clarity and consistency.

Key responsibilities

PMO leadership and governance

• Lead and continuously improve Synergy PMO governance, standards and controls, ensuring consistent programme management practices are embedded across all workstreams.
• Maintain effective governance forums, decision-making processes and escalation routes, providing constructive challenge where delivery standards, controls or expectations are not being met, while keeping governance proportionate and focused on enabling successful delivery.
• Develop and monitor meaningful performance measures to assess progress and outcomes, using insight from assurance activity to drive continuous improvement.
• Work with programme teams to address performance issues, maintain oversight of risks, assurance findings and actions, and ensure programme delivery remains aligned to Synergy’s strategic objectives.
• Partner with the Benefits Lead to oversee benefits, outcomes and performance across the portfolio, ensuring alignment with strategic objectives.

Reporting, insight and analytics

• Lead the delivery of clear, accurate and decision-focused reporting, using dashboards and management information to provide meaningful insight into programme performance.
• Translate complex data into clear actions for senior leaders and continuously improve reporting to ensure it remains focused, timely and impactful.

Change control and programme controls

• Lead effective change control across the portfolio, ensuring changes are appropriately assessed, governed and supported by clear impact analysis while continuously improving processes to balance assurance with efficient delivery.

Planning and resource management

• Support integrated planning across the portfolio, ensuring key milestones, dependencies and risks are clearly understood.
• Provide insight into resource demand and capacity, identifying constraints early and working with senior leaders and corporate functions to ensure plans are realistic, aligned and deliverable.

Continuous improvement and capability

• Drive improvements by identifying inefficiencies, eliminating duplication and addressing performance gaps.
• Lead the continuous improvement of PMO standards, tools and ways of working, driving greater consistency, efficiency and delivery excellence.
• Build capability through coaching and knowledge sharing, while promoting a culture of accountability, collaboration and continuous improvement.

Working with senior stakeholders

• Communicate complex issues clearly to both specialist and non-specialist audiences.
• Provide trusted advice to senior leaders, supporting effective decision-making by delivering the right information at the right time.
• Build strong relationships, bring diverse perspectives together, communicate complex issues clearly, and offer constructive challenge to drive effective governance, controls and delivery outcomes.

Person specification

The successful candidate will be able to demonstrate the following experience:

Strategic PMO Leadership (Lead Criteria)

Extensive experience leading programme governance, assurance and PMO functions within a complex transformation programme, providing strategic oversight, driving delivery standards and influencing senior decision-making to support successful programme outcomes.

Performance and Insight

Experience developing and using performance data, management information and analytics to provide strategic insight, identify emerging risks and trends, and drive informed decision-making and timely intervention.

Governance, Risk and Assurance

Experience of leading programme and portfolio governance, with experience integrating risk, issue, dependency and change management processes to support successful delivery and effective control.

Stakeholder Engagement and Influence

Proven ability to build credibility with senior leaders, governance boards and delivery teams, providing constructive challenge, influencing decisions and maintaining effective stakeholder relationships.

Strategic Analysis and Problem Solving

Ability to analyse complex information, assess the relationship between delivery objectives, resources, risk, benefits and outcomes, and translate findings into clear, actionable recommendations.

Continuous Improvement and Delivery Focus

Experience leading PMO maturity improvement initiatives, driving efficiencies and embedding best practice to improve organisational performance and delivery outcomes.

Qualifications:

Project Management Qualification – candidates will have at least one of:

• APM Project Management Qualification