Transformation Portfolio & Automation Lead

Vital Energi; Darwen; On-site; GBP 80,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

Vital Energi is seeking a Transformation Portfolio & Automation Lead to drive PMO maturity, portfolio governance and delivery of major change programmes across the business.

You will shape automation roadmaps, oversee people change, digital systems and benefits tracking, partnering with IT, operations and suppliers to realise measurable efficiency gains.

Qualifications

• Extensive experience leading PMO functions and delivering complex change programmes in a fast-paced commercial environment.
• Proven experience delivering people, systems and process-efficiency change, ideally within engineering, energy, utilities or infrastructure sectors.
• Strong understanding of automation technologies (e.g., RPA, workflow automation, AI-enabled analytics) and their application in operational environments.
• Ability to develop and deliver digital or automation roadmaps, including business case development and benefits modelling.
• Demonstrable experience introducing innovative delivery practices, tools or technologies.
• Deep understanding of programme and portfolio management methodologies (MSP, P3O, PRINCE2, Agile).
• Strong commercial awareness with the ability to balance governance discipline with pragmatic delivery.
• Excellent analytical, organisational and communication skills, able to distil complexity into clear, actionable insight.
• Confident influencing senior stakeholders and driving accountability.
• Curious, forward-thinking and improvement-focused, with a passion for innovation and digital enablement.

Responsibilities

• Lead the PMO function and governance across all change activity.
• Maintain portfolio-level governance including planning, RAID, dependencies, resource forecasting and benefits tracking.
• Produce reporting for senior leadership to enable informed decisions and proactive risk management.
• Ensure change aligns with strategic priorities, commercial objectives and operational constraints.
• Drive continuous improvement and innovation in PMO processes and delivery frameworks.
• Lead delivery of strategic change programmes with clear scope, structured plans and measurable outcomes.
• Oversee change in people, digital systems, processes and adoption planning.
• Design future-state processes with operational teams to boost efficiency and customer experience.
• Manage suppliers/delivery partners for value, quality and performance.
• Track and realise benefits with tangible cost, efficiency and customer outcomes.
• Introduce innovative delivery approaches to accelerate progress and improve outcomes.

Skills

PMO Leadership

Portfolio Governance

Change Delivery

Automation Roadmaps

Stakeholder Engagement

Continuous Improvement

Agile & MSP

Commercial Awareness

Analytical Thinking

Tools

MSP

P3O

PRINCE2

Agile

Job description

Transformation Portfolio & Automation Lead

Role Purpose

Vital Energi is delivering a significant portfolio of people, systems and process-efficiency change to support business growth, operational excellence and the transition to a more digitally-enabled, data-driven organisation.

Key Responsibilities

PMO Leadership & Portfolio Governance

• Lead and develop the PMO function, embedding consistent standards, tools and methodologies across all change activity.
• Maintain portfolio-level governance including integrated planning, RAID management, dependency mapping, resource forecasting and benefits tracking.
• Produce clear, insight-driven reporting for senior leadership, enabling informed decision-making and proactive risk management.
• Ensure change activity aligns with Vital Energi's strategic priorities, commercial objectives and operational constraints.
• Drive continuous improvement and innovation in PMO processes, reporting and delivery frameworks.

Change Delivery & Programme Management

• Lead the delivery of selected strategic change programmes, ensuring clear scope, structured plans, disciplined execution and measurable outcomes.
• Deliver programmes covering people change, digital systems implementation, process optimisation and operational efficiency.
• Oversee business readiness, change impact assessment, training, communications and adoption planning to ensure change lands effectively.
• Work with operational teams to design future-state processes that improve efficiency, reduce waste and enhance customer experience.
• Manage suppliers and delivery partners, ensuring commercial value, quality and performance.
• Track and realise benefits, ensuring programmes deliver tangible improvements in cost, efficiency, performance or customer outcomes.
• Introduce innovative delivery approaches, tools and techniques to accelerate progress and improve outcomes.

AI, Automation & Digital Innovation

• Develop Vital Energi's AI and automation roadmap, identifying opportunities to apply intelligent automation, workflow optimisation and data-driven decision-support tools.
• Lead discovery activity to assess current processes, pain points and automation potential across operational and back-office functions.
• Work with IT, data and operational teams to design and deliver automation solutions (e.g., RPA, workflow automation, AI-enabled analytics, machine-learning-driven optimisation).
• Establish governance, standards and controls for automation delivery to ensure quality, scalability and risk management.
• Build business cases and benefits models for automation initiatives, ensuring clear value and measurable outcomes.
• Promote a culture of innovation, encouraging teams to identify opportunities for digital enablement and smarter ways of working.

Stakeholder Engagement & Leadership

• Build strong relationships across Vital Energi's operational, commercial and technical teams to ensure change is well-understood and supported.
• Provide expert guidance on programme delivery, governance, risk management, automation opportunities and change adoption.
• Facilitate decision-making through concise, evidence-based recommendations and options analysis.
• Influence senior stakeholders to maintain delivery discipline and resolve issues that impact progress.
• Act as an ambassador for innovation and digital transformation across the organisation.

Continuous Improvement & Capability Building

• Identify opportunities to streamline processes, improve reporting, enhance delivery tools and strengthen governance maturity.
• Support the development of project, change and automation capability across the organisation through coaching, guidance and knowledge-sharing.
• Champion a culture of structured delivery, transparency, digital enablement and continuous improvement.
• Encourage experimentation, learning and iterative improvement across change teams.

Skills, Experience & Behaviours

Extensive experience leading PMO functions and delivering complex change programmes in a fast-paced commercial environment.

Proven experience delivering people, systems and process-efficiency change, ideally within engineering, energy, utilities or infrastructure sectors.

Strong understanding of automation technologies (e.g., RPA, workflow automation, AI-enabled analytics) and their application in operational environments.

Ability to develop and deliver digital or automation roadmaps, including business case development and benefits modelling.

Demonstrable experience introducing innovative delivery practices, tools or technologies.

Deep understanding of programme and portfolio management methodologies (MSP, P3O, PRINCE2, Agile).

Strong commercial awareness with the ability to balance governance discipline with pragmatic delivery.

Excellent analytical, organisational and communication skills, able to distil complexity into clear, actionable insight.

Confident influencing senior stakeholders and driving accountability.

Curious, forward-thinking and improvement-focused, with a passion for innovation and digital enablement.

Applicants must have the unrestricted and ongoing right to work in the UK for the duration of employment, without the need for sponsorship. Due to the nature of this role, we are unable to support visa sponsorship or employ individuals with time-limited permission or conditions attached to their right to work in the UK.

The company is opposed to all forms of discrimination and will select for employment, training and promotion on the basis of suitability for the job and/ or merit. It is company policy that no job applicant or employee receives less favourable treatment than another on the grounds of sex, race, colour, age, ethnic or national origins, political affiliations, religious beliefs, marital status, physical disability or is disadvantaged by unjustifiable conditions or requirements.