Created Date
8/21/2026 11:14 AM
Description
The PMO Lead will establish and operate a pragmatic, single-person Project Management Office for Achilles' technology and product portfolio. The role will create a reliable source of truth for project scope, milestones, delivery health, risks, dependencies, resource utilisation, costs and expected outcomes, enabling the CTO, CPO and wider Board to make timely, evidence-based decisions. Project Managers will not report to the PMO Lead and will remain accountable to their existing line managers and sponsors for delivery; however, they will be required to provide complete, accurate and timely project information in accordance with the governance, standards and reporting cadence operated by the PMO Lead. The role will combine constructive challenge with hands-on administration and analysis, keeping governance proportionate to project risk, value and complexity.
Key Responsibilities
Design, implement and maintain a proportionate PMO operating model, governance calendar, portfolio taxonomy, reporting standards, templates, controls and document repository.
Create and maintain the authoritative portfolio register covering proposed, approved, active, paused and closed technology and product initiatives.
Define minimum project-management information and stage-gate requirements, scaled according to project value, complexity, delivery risk and business impact.
Clarify governance roles, decision rights, escalation routes and accountabilities across sponsors, Project Managers, workstream leads, technology and product leadership.
Establish practical forums and rhythms for portfolio review, delivery assurance, prioritisation, financial review and executive decision-making.
Continuously improve PMO processes and tools, removing low-value administration and automating data collection and reporting where appropriate.
Qualifications
Degree or equivalent practical experience in business, technology, project management, finance or a related discipline.
A recognised project, programme or portfolio qualification such as PRINCE2, MSP, SAFe or equivalent is desirable. Note: Achilles development cycle employs SAFe methodology.
Agile delivery or product-management training is desirable, particularly where combined with experience governing hybrid portfolios.
Evidence of ongoing professional development in portfolio management, financial management, data analysis, reporting or technology delivery.
Person Specification
Portfolio perspective: connects individual project information to strategic priorities, shared dependencies, capacity constraints and enterprise-level decisions.
Influence without authority: secures timely, accurate reporting and corrective action through credibility, clarity and constructive challenge rather than line management.
Analytical judgement: interrogates plans, forecasts and status objectively; identifies material signals and distinguishes evidence from optimism or assumption.
Executive communication: converts complex delivery information into concise narratives, visual reporting, options and recommendations for senior and Board audiences.
Organisation and attention to detail: manages multiple reporting cycles, deadlines, datasets and governance actions while maintaining accurate records and a clear audit trail.
Pragmatism and continuous improvement: introduces proportionate control, adapts methods to context and simplifies or automates administration wherever possible.
Integrity and resilience: maintains independence of judgement, handles sensitive commercial information appropriately and escalates difficult messages with professionalism.
We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds. We foster a diverse and inclusive culture that empowers staff to grow and maximise their skills in an environment free from all forms of inequality.
Our benefits packages vary from country to country dependant but we aim to provide flexible and competitive benefits that support individual financial, physical health and mental wellbeing. Some examples include:
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Pension or retirement benefits
- Health insurance cover
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Paid Annual Leave / PTO
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Charity / Volunteering Day
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Family friendly policies
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Flexible working practices (dependent upon role and location)
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Health & Wellbeing initiatives
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