PMO Transformation Leader

Korn Ferry; Santa Barbara (CA); On-site; USD 140,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Korn Ferry is seeking an experienced Interim PMO Transformation Leader in Santa Barbara, California. This hands-on role requires establishing an enterprise-wide PMO function and maturing project management capabilities across the organization.

The ideal candidate will have a proven track record in PMO operations, strong stakeholder management skills, and the ability to mentor a junior PMO team. Responsibilities include designing scalable processes, defining governance, and ensuring project alignment with corporate strategy.

Qualifications

• Proven experience standing up or maturing enterprise PMO and portfolio management functions from scratch.
• Strong knowledge of PMO operating models, governance, process design, procedures, and best practices.
• Experience with company-wide project and technology portfolios.
• Background in consumer, CPG, retail, or adjacent environments.
• Experience leading or mentoring small PMO teams.

Responsibilities

• Assess the current portfolio of projects and the project delivery environment.
• Design and implement scalable PMO processes and procedures.
• Establish mechanisms for portfolio visibility and executive reporting.
• Help the organization understand project alignment to strategy.
• Define decision rights and governance forums for stakeholders.

Skills

Stakeholder management

Executive communication

Portfolio visibility

Resource planning

PMO operating models

Governance procedures

Cross-functional leadership

Job description

PMO TRANSFORMATION LEADER

Our Consumer client is seeking an experienced Interim PMO Transformation Leader to help establish an enterprise-wide Portfolio and PMO function. This leader will assess the current environment, define the foundational operating model, and build the processes, procedures, governance, and best practices needed to scale the function across the organization.

This is a hands‑on interim role for a practical PMO leader who has successfully stood up or matured PMO and portfolio management capabilities in complex, consumer‑oriented environments. The consultant will bring structure, visibility, and discipline to project and technology portfolios while helping the organization align around priorities, tradeoffs, decision‑making, and accountability.

Responsibilities

• Assess the current portfolio of projects, team, and project delivery environment
• Design and implement scalable PMO processes, procedures, governance, and best practices
• Establish mechanisms for portfolio visibility, prioritization, resource planning, escalation, and executive reporting
• Help the organization understand what work is in flight, how it connects to strategy, and how decisions should be made
• Support management of company‑wide project and technology portfolios
• Define decision rights, governance forums, escalation paths, and stakeholder responsibilities
• Move the organization from informal or partially defined processes to a structured, scalable operating model
• Lead and develop a small, junior PMO team
• Build foundational PMO capabilities that are able to scale with the organization
• Partner with business, technology, and executive stakeholders to improve confidence in the PMO function

Requirements

• Proven experience standing up or maturing enterprise PMO and portfolio management functions from scratch
• Strong knowledge of PMO operating models, governance, process design, procedures, and best practices
• Experience with company‑wide project and technology portfolios
• Background in consumer, CPG, retail, or adjacent environments
• Strong stakeholder management and executive communication skills
• Ability to create clear portfolio visibility, prioritization, resource planning, and reporting structures
• Hands‑on, "doer" mindset with the ability to build, not just advise
• Experience leading or mentoring small PMO teams
• Clear, simple communication style with strong cross‑functional leadership capability