PMO Lead

IBM SiXworks; Farnborough; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 85,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

25 days annual leave + bank holidays

Private Medical cover

Life Assurance

Pension (10% employer, 5% employee)

Bonus

Professional development and training

On-site parking, gym, cafe & 餐厅

Job summary

SiXworks, a cyber-secure technology firm in the UK, is seeking an experienced PMO leader to design, develop and mature the PMO function as the business scales. You will partner with delivery teams, senior leaders and operations to provide independent assurance, governance, and controls in a fast-paced environment.

The role emphasizes strengthening PMO maturity, driving governance, and enabling rapid decision-making.

Qualifications

• Strong PMO, Portfolio Management Office or Programme Office experience.
• Experience operating within governance, controls and assurance environments.
• Understanding of PMO risk management processes and best practice.
• Ability to provide constructive challenge to programme teams and senior stakeholders; pragmatic approach.
• Energy and drive to improve existing processes and help shape a growing PMO capability.
• Excellent stakeholder engagement and communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead and continuously improve the PMO function, frameworks, standards and governance processes.
• Support the successful delivery of business change and client programmes through effective controls, reporting and assurance.
• Maintain independent oversight of project and programme health, ensuring reporting is accurate, evidence-based and actionable.
• Own and strengthen PMO controls including: RAIDO management, governance compliance, change control, dependency management, benefits tracking, financial oversight.
• Facilitate governance forums, stage gate reviews and programme assurance activities.
• Produce clear portfolio reporting and executive-level insight to support decision-making.
• Drive continuous improvement across PMO processes, tools and ways of working.
• Conduct and coordinate project and programme audits, health checks and assurance reviews, ensuring governance standards and delivery practices are applied consistently and effectively.
• Track and monitor audit findings, assurance recommendations and improvement actions through to completion, providing visibility to senior stakeholders; develop and implement a PMO maturity roadmap aligned to business growth.
• Line manage PMO Coordinators and support future growth of the PMO team.
• Leverage AI, automation and technology to improve PMO efficiency and reporting capability.

Skills

PMO experience

Governance & assurance

Stakeholder engagement

Leadership

Security clearance

Tools

Jira

Project Online

Job description

Work on Technology That Protects What Matters

At SiXworks, we build secure digital solutions that support Defence and National Security missions. Our teams work on complex problems where reliability, security, and speed of innovation matter.

About the Role

We're looking for an experienced PMO professional to lead and develop our PMO function as SiXworks continues to grow.

This is not a traditional PMO role focused solely on reporting and governance administration. We're looking for someone who can bring energy, pragmatism and fresh thinking to help mature our PMO capability, strengthen controls and governance, and ensure we continue to scale effectively as the business grows.

You’ll work closely with programme delivery teams, senior leaders and operations, providing independent assurance and challenge whilst helping establish governance processes that support a fast-paced delivery environment.

This is an excellent opportunity for someone who has strong PMO leadership experience and is ready to take the next step in their career by shaping and growing a PMO function with future development opportunities.

What You’ll Be Doing

• Lead and continuously improve the PMO function, frameworks, standards and governance processes.
• Support the successful delivery of business change and client programmes through effective controls, reporting and assurance.
• Maintain independent oversight of project and programme health, ensuring reporting is accurate, evidence-based and actionable.
• Own and strengthen PMO controls including: RAIDO management, Governance compliance, Change control, Dependency management, Benefits tracking, Financial oversight
• Facilitate governance forums, stage gate reviews and programme assurance activities.
• Produce clear portfolio reporting and executive-level insight to support decision-making.
• Drive continuous improvement across PMO processes, tools and ways of working.
• Conduct and coordinate project and programme audits, health checks and assurance reviews, ensuring governance standards, controls and delivery practices are being applied consistently and effectively.
• Track and monitor audit findings, assurance recommendations and improvement actions through to completion, providing visibility to senior stakeholders.Develop and implement a PMO maturity roadmap aligned to business growth.
• Line manage PMO Coordinators and support future growth of the PMO team.
• Leverage AI, automation and technology to improve PMO efficiency and reporting capability.

How We Work

SiXworks operates in a fast-paced environment where governance and delivery activities happen frequently rather than through traditional monthly review cycles.

Our project and change governance forums typically operate weekly, and in some cases multiple times per week, enabling rapid decision-making and responsiveness to client demand. The successful candidate must be comfortable working at this pace while maintaining strong governance and control standards.

What We’re Looking For

We’re looking for someone who brings:

• Strong PMO, Portfolio Management Office or Programme Office experience.
• Experience operating within governance, controls and assurance environments.
• An understanding of PMO risk management processes and best practice.
• The confidence and credibility to provide constructive challenge to programme teams and senior stakeholders.A pragmatic approach to solving problems and implementing change.
• The energy and drive to improve existing processes and help shape a growing PMO capability.
• Excellent stakeholder engagement and communication skills.
• Experience leading PMO resources or coordinating PMO teams.
• Sole UK National – with the ability to obtain security clearance.

Whilst experience growing a PMO function in a smaller organisation would be advantageous, it's not essential. We're equally interested in candidates who have developed strong PMO expertise within larger organisations and are looking for an opportunity to apply that experience in a growing business.

• Defence sector experience.
• PMO maturity and transformation initiatives.
• Portfolio reporting and executive dashboards.
• Governance frameworks and project assurance.
• Financial governance and benefits realisation.
• Jira, Project Online or similar portfolio management tools.
• AI and automation tools used within PMO environments.
• Audit and compliance assurance activities.

Location

This role requires regular engagement with stakeholders and delivery teams. The successful candidate will be expected to be onsite a minimum of three days per week.

Why Join SiXworks?

This role offers the opportunity to take ownership of a growing PMO function and help define how governance, controls and assurance evolve as the business scales.

You’ll have the support and autonomy to implement improvements, influence senior stakeholders and build a PMO capability that enables successful delivery across the organisation.

For the right candidate, this role provides a clear opportunity for future growth as both the PMO function and wider business continue to mature.

We offer competitive salaries and a package that supports your wellbeing and development, including 25 days annual leave + bank holidays, free Private Medical cover and Life Assurance, Generous pension (10% employer, 5% employee contribution), Bonus and Professional development and training support. In addition to secure parking, gym, café & restaurant on site and lots of open break out spaces.

A word on UK Security Clearance

Due to the secure nature of the position and working environment, you must have or be eligible to obtain Security Clearance. More details relating to UK Security Clearance can be found here:

United Kingdom Security Vetting: clearance levels - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)