We’re making a difference: Together, we can ensure that there is enough water for everyone, now and in the future.
Portsmouth Water are delighted to have an opening for a PMO Manager to act as the primary operational interface between programme delivery teams and the Head of Capital Programme Assurance in our Asset Directorate department. In this role, you will translate strategic assurance intent into embedded, pragmatic processes, enabling confident decision making and continuous improvement across the capital portfolio. You will also own PMO direction, standards, people development and manage all escalations to the Head of Capital Programme Assurance.
What will you be doing?
Key Responsibilities
Lead and develop the Capital Programme Assurance PMO, setting direction, priorities, and culture.
Manage team performance, capability, and budgets.
Promote a consistent, high-quality, and continuously improving PMO function.
Own and implement the governance framework across programmes and portfolios.
Ensure robust assurance processes, gated reviews, and adherence to standards.
Provide quality assurance, challenge delivery teams, and address control weaknesses.
Ensure alignment with regulatory reporting requirements.
Deliver integrated reporting across cost, schedule, risk, and performance.
Focus on insight-driven reporting to support decision-making.
Ensure accurate and consistent executive and regulatory reporting.
Support portfolio deliverability and affordability with effective planning and intake balancing.
Ensure alignment between plans, resources, and performance.
Monitor trends and identify early warning signals.
Own PMO processes, standards, and tools, ensuring consistency across functions.
Drive ongoing improvements to PMO maturity and efficiency in line with business and regulatory needs.
Oversee effective use of PMO systems and tools.
Ensure high-quality, transparent data and reporting.
Support continuous improvement of portfolio management tools.
Set PMO priorities and determine readiness of governance submissions.
Escalate key risks/issues with recommendations.
Accountable for assurance delivery and portfolio insight (not investment strategy).
What do you need?
Skills, Qualifications & Competencies
Significant experience in PMO, portfolio, programme delivery and/or capital assurance roles within a regulated / complex delivery environment.
Strong understanding of governance, assurance, risk and performance management across capital programmes.
Experience of leading or managing multidisciplinary PMO/delivery teams.
Proven ability to turn complex programme data into clear insight for senior decision makers.
Practical experience of integrated planning, performance reporting and portfolio controls.
Experience in managing and/or reporting regulatory compliance.
Strong leadership and stakeholder management skills.
Ability to challenge constructively while maintaining collaborative relationships.
Highly organised with the ability to prioritise across competing demands.
Clear, confident communicator with strong written and verbal skills.
Values proportionate assurance and pragmatic solutions.
Analytical / Can do attitude.
Project Management IT systems use and reporting (e.g. Fluid, P6, SAP, etc...).
Microsoft suite proficiency (Excel needs to be at least intermediate level use of formulas and pivot tables, integration of datasets).
P3M3 understanding.
