Senior PMO & Program Governance Lead – Pharma

AtkinsRéalis; Alexandria (VA); On-site; USD 170,000 - 200,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical benefits

Dental benefits

Vision benefits

Life insurance

Disability insurance

401(k) with 100% vesting

Employee stock purchase plan

Paid Time Off

Flexible work options

Job summary

AtkinsRéalis seeks a Program Governance PMO Lead to drive the governance framework and PMO operating model across a multi-project pharmaceutical campus program in the United States. The role demands extensive experience leading enterprise PMOs within complex owner, EPC, or consulting environments and overseeing staffing delivery, workforce planning, and performance management.

The successful candidate will establish governance procedures, reporting systems, and executive forums, while partnering

Qualifications

• Bachelor-level degree required in construction management, engineering, business management, program management, organizational leadership or related field.
• MBA is a plus; graduate degree preferred.
• Professional registration in field of practice (e.g., PE, AICP, RA, RLA) where applicable.
• PMO or CCM/PMI-style certifications encouraged; CCM/PMI references implied.
• 15+ years of professional experience supporting major capital projects or programs.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the owner's lead PMO and governance authority across all projects, contractors, delivery partners, and support organizations.
• Establish and sustain the program governance framework, decision-rights model, escalation pathways, and executive oversight processes.
• Lead development and implementation of the PMO operating model supporting the full program lifecycle from planning through startup and occupancy.
• Provide single-point accountability for managed staffing delivery, workforce planning, resource forecasting, onboarding, mobilisation, and performance management.
• Establish program management standards, procedures, templates, and governance protocols across all participating organizations.
• Develop and maintain executive-level dashboards, KPIs, performance metrics, and governance reporting systems.
• Lead monthly, quarterly, and executive governance forums including steering committees, program reviews, and leadership workshops.
• Coordinate integrated action-item management, risk governance, issue resolution, and decision tracking across all workstreams.
• Establish and manage knowledge management systems, lessons learned processes, document governance, and program record retention strategies.
• Partner with Project Controls, Construction Management, Engineering, Commissioning, and Operational Readiness teams to ensure standardized reporting and decision-making.
• Monitor program performance against contractual obligations, service-level agreements, productivity targets, and strategic objectives.
• Develop resource capacity plans and workforce scaling strategies aligned with program growth and shifting execution requirements.
• Oversee staffing performance, team effectiveness, succession planning, and organizational resilience initiatives.
• Ensure consistency of governance practices across all campus projects and stakeholder organizations.
• Support executive leadership in strategic planning, organizational alignment, and program maturity initiatives.
• Facilitate cross-functional collaboration and communication among client, contractor, and program leadership teams.
• Identify governance gaps, organizational risks, and operational inefficiencies and implement corrective actions.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives focused on PMO effectiveness, knowledge retention, organizational performance, and execution excellence.
• Promote a collaborative, accountable, and performance-driven culture across the program ecosystem.

Skills

Executive communication

Leadership

Stakeholder management

Program governance

Education

Bachelor's degree in Construction Management, Engineering, Business Management, Program Management, Organisational Leadership

MBA preferred

Job description

AtkinsRéalis seeks a Program Governance PMO Lead to drive the governance framework and PMO operating model across a multi-project pharmaceutical campus program in the United States. The role demands extensive experience leading enterprise PMOs within complex owner, EPC, or consulting environments and overseeing staffing delivery, workforce planning, and performance management.

The successful candidate will establish governance procedures, reporting systems, and executive forums, while partnering