PMO Lead

EFOR; Leinster; On-site; EUR 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

EFOR is creating a PMO Lead role to establish, implement, and run a PMO for Operations. You will build the capability, defining governance, templates, reports, and tools to deliver portfolio visibility across the Operations network.

The PMO Lead will coordinate with Operations Leadership Team and Project Managers, deliver KPI dashboards, risk tracking, and AI-enabled status reporting, and embed PMO processes into BAU governance across sites.

Qualifications

• Significant experience (7+ years) in program or portfolio management in pharma, biotech, or complex manufacturing.
• Proven track record establishing or maturing a PMO function with governance and stakeholder engagement.
• Strong experience in portfolio-level reporting and analytics for senior leaders.
• Able to work cross-functionally across sites, functions, and levels of seniority.
• Proficient with Smartsheet, Microsoft Project, Power BI, or equivalents.

Responsibilities

• Design and implement the PMO operating model, governance structures, reporting cadences, escalation pathways, and communication flows.
• Define scope criteria for project inclusion within the PMO portfolio to balance coverage with manageability.
• Select and implement tools (Smartsheet, Power BI, or equivalents) for portfolio tracking and analysis.
• Develop standard templates, KPIs, and reporting frameworks for stakeholders.
• Embed PMO processes into BAU governance and align with AOLT monthly reviews.
• Maintain a single source of truth for all in-scope projects and deliver decision-ready portfolio insights.
• Monitor portfolio health using KPI metrics and proactively identify risks and bottlenecks.
• Champion the use of AI tools for status reporting, health analysis, and capacity monitoring.

Skills

PMO leadership

Program management

Stakeholder engagement

Analytics & reporting

Cross-functional collaboration

Communication

Risk management

Self-starter

Education

PMO/project management certification (PMP/PRINCE2/MSP/PgMP)

Tools

Smartsheet

Microsoft Project

Power BI

Job description

This is a newly created role responsible for establishing, implementing, and running a Program Management Office (PMO) function for Operations. The successful candidate will build this capability, creating the processes, tools, governance frameworks, and reporting mechanisms required to deliver holistic portfolio visibility across the Operations network.

The PMO Lead will serve as the central point of coordination for a defined portfolio of strategic and business-critical projects, ensuring that senior leadership has a clear, consistent, and actionable view of project performance, risks, and prioritisation across the network.

This is a highly visible role with direct interaction with the Operations Leadership Team (AOLT) and Project Managers across multiple sites and functions.

Key Responsibilities

• Design and implement the PMO operating model, including governance structures, reporting cadences, escalation pathways, and communication flows
• Define scope criteria for project inclusion within the PMO portfolio, ensuring a right-sized view that balances coverage with manageability
• Select and implement tools and systems (e.g., Smartsheet, Power BI, or equivalent) to enable portfolio tracking, reporting, and analysis
• Develop standard templates, KPIs, and reporting frameworks that provide consistent, actionable insights to stakeholders
• Embed the PMO process into BAU governance, integrating with existing forums and leadership review cycles (e.g., AOLT monthly review)

Portfolio Visibility & Reporting

• Maintain a single source of truth for all in-scope projects, consolidating status, milestones, risks, issues, and dependencies into a programmatic overview
• Deliver regular portfolio reporting to senior leadership, translating complex project data into clear, decision-ready insights
• Monitor portfolio health using standard Program Management KPIs, proactively identifying trends, bottlenecks, and areas of concern
• Champion the use of AI tools for status reporting, portfolio health analysis, actionable insights generation, and capacity threshold monitoring

Risk Management & Escalation

• Identify, track, and facilitate mitigation of key risks at the portfolio level
• Operate a structured escalation mechanism to ensure off-track projects receive timely leadership attention, with clear ownership of actions and deadlines
• Drive resolution of cross-functional roadblocks that impede project delivery

Prioritisation & Demand Planning

• Facilitate ongoing portfolio prioritisation reviews (Stop / Start / Continue) based on resource constraints, strategic alignment, and business needs
• Implement a demand planning process that provides horizon scanning of potential future projects, interfacing with the strategy team to ensure forward-looking portfolio management
• Support objective prioritisation based on clearly defined value drivers

Stakeholder Engagement & Collaboration

• Build trusted relationships with Project Managers across the network, ensuring the PMO process adds value without creating unnecessary burden
• Interface routinely with AOLT members and key stakeholders, providing decision support and portfolio-level insights
• Leverage existing pockets of program management within the organisation, adopting best practices and right-sizing for Operations' needs
• Collaborate with AstraZeneca network PMO counterparts (e.g., Bio Ops, Americas Supply Operations) to share learnings and maintain alignment with enterprise approaches
• Iterate and refine PMO processes based on stakeholder feedback and lessons learned
• Plan for scalability, ensuring the process can flex according to portfolio volume
• Develop the roadmap toward advanced PMO capabilities, including standardised project methodology, benefits realisation assessments, and deeper AI integration

Required Qualifications & Experience

• Significant experience (7+ years) in program or portfolio management, ideally within pharmaceutical, biotech, or complex manufacturing environments
• Proven track record of establishing or significantly maturing a PMO function, including process design, governance setup, and stakeholder engagement
• Strong experience in portfolio-level reporting and analytics, with the ability to translate complex data into clear, actionable insights for senior leaders
• Demonstrated ability to work cross-functionally across multiple sites, functions, and levels of seniority
• Proficiency in project/portfolio management tools such as Smartsheet, Microsoft Project, Power BI, or equivalent platforms
• Excellent communication and influencing skills, with the confidence to engage senior stakeholders and the credibility to drive adoption of new processes
• Strong understanding of risk management frameworks and escalation governance
• Self-starter mentality — comfortable operating with ambiguity and building structure in a dynamic environment
• Familiarity with pharmaceutical operations, supply chain, or manufacturing project environments
• Experience with AI-enabled tools for project reporting, analytics, or portfolio management
• Project management certification (e.g., PMP, PRINCE2, MSP, PgMP)
• Experience with benefits realisation tracking and value-based prioritisation methodologies