PMO Manager

Online Education Services (OES); Cape Town; Hybrid; ZAR 1,000,000 - 1,500,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

Medical allowance

Commute allowance

Flexible work for genuine career-life

A healthy and supportive company

Generous annual leave

Paid maternity and paternity benefits

Study leave

Professional development and mentoring

Construct Culture Club events

Company funded lunch and drinks every

Job summary

Online Education Services (OES) seeks a PMO Manager to oversee a portfolio of Project Managers, ensuring delivery on time and within budget. You will drive governance, strategic alignment, and portfolio oversight to scale delivery across the business.

The role balances delivery expertise with client-centric outcomes, coaching Project Managers, and maintaining accountability for portfolio-level results. Hybrid working arrangement in Cape Town supports collaboration and growth.

Qualifications

• Experience leading delivery governance and portfolio oversight.
• Strong track record in financial forecasting and budget control.
• Executive-level communication with clients and leadership.
• Proven ability to coach Project Managers and grow teams.
• Experience in digital media or education delivery is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Oversee a portfolio of Project Managers, providing leadership and oversight across multiple projects.
• Govern and drive portfolio-level delivery outcomes with consistent standards.
• Escalate complex challenges and support Project Managers in resolution.
• Lead portfolio reporting on delivery health, risk, and outcomes for leadership.

Skills

Delivery governance

Portfolio oversight

Financial management

Executive communication

Client engagement

Cross-functional collaboration

Coaching & mentoring

Leadership presence

Problem solving

Systems thinking

Change advocacy

Innovation

Growth mindset

Tools

Kantata

Jira

Monday.com

Asana

Job description

Working Practices:Hybrid | Mondays and Thursday in office and remaining days remote

Contract Type:Permanent

Working Hours:10H00 - 18H30 SAST

Reports to:Head ofProject Management

Position Summary

ThePMOManager oversees a portfolio of Project Managers, ensuring projects are delivered on time, on budget, and to the highest standard. This is a leadership role within thePMOfunction, responsible for governance, strategic alignment, and portfolio oversight.

The role requires someone with deep deliveryexpertisewho can balance operational rigour with client-centric outcomes. ThePMO Managerdrives consistency, fosters collaboration across teams, and ensures that delivery excellence scales with the business. They also provide coaching and guidance to Project Managers, empowering them to grow whilemaintainingaccountability for portfolio-level outcomes.

Key Responsibilities

• Oversee a portfolio of Project Managers, providing leadership, guidance, and oversight across multiple concurrent projects
• Govern and drive portfolio-level delivery outcomes, ensuring consistency in standards and processes
• Act as escalation point for complex client or project challenges, supporting Project Managers in resolution
• Lead portfolio-level reporting on delivery health, risk, and outcomes for senior leadership
  

Strategic & Financial Management

• Drive strategic alignment between delivery, client expectations, and business objectives
• Monitor and manage utilisation trends, resource forecasting, and financial performance across the delivery portfolio
• Ensure portfolio delivery supports broader organisational strategy and growth objectives
  
• Provide coaching and mentorship to Project Managers, building their capability and leadership presence
• Support Project Managers in professional growth, performance development, and delivery excellence
• Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement
• Cultivate a positive and collaborative team community culture that promotes retention, alignment with company values, and active engagement.
  

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Collaborate with cross-functional leaders (e.g., Sales, Learning, Production, etc.,) to ensure seamless delivery handovers and client satisfaction
• Act as a trusted partner in client engagements, supporting relationship-building and expectation management
• Champion continuous improvement in delivery practices, tools, and systems
  
• Advocate for innovation in delivery models, processes, and methodologies
• Lead initiatives that enhance efficiency, scalability, and quality of delivery outcomes
• Identifyand mitigate systemic delivery risks while implementing best practices across teams
  

What does success look like?

• Within 3 months:Establishesstrong working relationships with Project Managers and implements clear reporting cadence on delivery health
• Within 6 months: Portfolio-level delivery outcomes consistently meet agreed client and business standards (scope, time, budget, quality)
• Within 9 months: Measurable improvements in client satisfaction and cross-functional alignment areevident
• Within 12 months: 80%+ of direct reports meet or exceed their individual delivery performance objectives
• Beyond 12 months: Recognised as a trusted delivery leader who enables scale, improves client relationships, and strengthens delivery culture across the organisation
  

Location:Cape Town

Working Practices:Hybrid | Mondays and Thursday in office and remaining days remote

Contract Type:Permanent

Working Hours:10H00 - 18H30 SAST

Reports to:Head ofProject Management

Position Summary

ThePMOManager oversees a portfolio of Project Managers, ensuring projects are delivered on time, on budget, and to the highest standard. This is a leadership role within thePMOfunction, responsible for governance, strategic alignment, and portfolio oversight.

The role requires someone with deep deliveryexpertisewho can balance operational rigour with client-centric outcomes. ThePMO Managerdrives consistency, fosters collaboration across teams, and ensures that delivery excellence scales with the business. They also provide coaching and guidance to Project Managers, empowering them to grow whilemaintainingaccountability for portfolio-level outcomes.

Key Responsibilities

Portfolio & Delivery Oversight

• Oversee a portfolio of Project Managers, providing leadership, guidance, and oversight across multiple concurrent projects

• Govern and drive portfolio-level delivery outcomes, ensuring consistency in standards and processes

• Act as escalation point for complex client or project challenges, supporting Project Managers in resolution
• Lead portfolio-level reporting on delivery health, risk, and outcomes for senior leadership
  

Strategic & Financial Management

• Drive strategic alignment between delivery, client expectations, and business objectives

• Monitor and manage utilisation trends, resource forecasting, and financial performance across the delivery portfolio

• Ensure portfolio delivery supports broader organisational strategy and growth objectives
  

Team Leadership & Development

• Provide coaching and mentorship to Project Managers, building their capability and leadership presence

• Support Project Managers in professional growth, performance development, and delivery excellence

• Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement

• Cultivate a positive and collaborative team community culture that promotes retention, alignment with company values, and active engagement.
  

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Collaborate with cross-functional leaders (e.g., Sales, Learning, Production, etc.,) to ensure seamless delivery handovers and client satisfaction

• Act as a trusted partner in client engagements, supporting relationship-building and expectation management

• Champion continuous improvement in delivery practices, tools, and systems
  

Innovation & Continuous Improvement

• Advocate for innovation in delivery models, processes, and methodologies

• Lead initiatives that enhance efficiency, scalability, and quality of delivery outcomes

• Identifyand mitigate systemic delivery risks while implementing best practices across teams
  

What does success look like?

• Within 3 months:Establishesstrong working relationships with Project Managers and implements clear reporting cadence on delivery health

• Within 6 months:Portfolio-level delivery outcomes consistently meet agreed client and business standards (scope, time, budget, quality)

• Within 9 months:Measurable improvements in client satisfaction and cross-functional alignment areevident

• Within 12 months:80%+ of direct reports meet or exceed their individual delivery performance objectives

• Beyond 12 months: Recognised as a trusted delivery leader who enables scale, improves client relationships, and strengthens delivery culture across the organisation
  

Requirements

Experience

• 7-10 years' experience in project or programme management, including 3+ years in a leadership role

• Proventrack recordof leading teams of Project Managers and delivering complex, multi-workstream projects

• Strong portfolio management and governance experience, with a focus on risk management and resource optimisation

• Experience in client-facing consultancy, communication, and executive stakeholder management

• Financial managementcapability, including forecasting, utilisation monitoring, and budget oversight

• Proficiencywith delivery/project management tools (e.g.,Kantata, Jira, Monday.com, Asana)

• Experience in digital, media, or creative delivery environments (preferred)

Skills & Competencies

• Delivery governance and portfolio oversight
• Financial and resource management with strategic forecasting ability
• Executive-level communication and client engagement skills
• Strong cross-functional collaboration and influence
• Coaching, mentoring, and leadership presence to grow Project Managers
• Problem-solving and risk mitigation in complex delivery contexts
• Systems thinking and change advocacy, driving continuous improvement
• Growth mindset and innovation in delivery practices
  

Benefits

Company Information

OES is a vibrant and values-led organisation, and we are passionate about enhancing lives through education. We work with university partners, training institutes, and professional bodies worldwide, to develop and enable immersive and engaging learning experiences. We empower our teams to be student-focused, innovative, and embrace change with a growth mindset to ensure we achieve our vision of being the world's most impactful enabler of education. We encourage our people to grow and develop through teamwork and a diverse range of projects,programsand challenging work. We trust our people to deliver, so when you work with OES, you will join a team who are empowered toimpactevery day.

Company Culture & Values

Passion and Perseverance: We love what we do (even thoughit'snot always easy) and take pride in creating transformative learning experiences. We bring a ‘can-do' attitude to our work, tackling challenges and inspiring others.

Teamwork: Weoperateas cross-functional teams globally with trust and respect, celebrating success. We have fun while we work and enjoy collaborating with each other and OES partners.

Agility and Innovation: We are innovative, lateral thinkers who use our skills to do things better for our students. We thrive in ambiguity, embrace change and challenge conventional thinking.

Integrity: We dowhat'sright, and what we say we will do, every time. We value a culture of respectful feedback and believe that respect trumps harmony.

These are some of the benefits you can expect when you join the team:

• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Medical allowance
• Commute allowance
• Flexible work for genuine career-life fit
• A healthy and supportive company culture
• Generous annual leave
• Paid maternity and paternity benefits
• Study leave
• Professional development and mentoring
• Construct Culture Club events
• Company funded lunch and drinks every 8 weeks

*Policy T&Cs apply for certain benefits