Head of Programme Management Office

Interview Date: Wednesday 13 March 2024

Do you have proven experience of oversight and reporting of strategic projects, programmes and portfolios in a federated organisation, like a university? Are you looking for a challenging role in an environment that is open, vibrant and welcomes new ideas? Then join the University of East London as our Head of Strategic PMO. 

There are big changes happening at the University of East London. 125 years old and committed to driving diversity in the 5.0 talent pipeline, we work in partnership to promote talent wherever it is found and strive to create a balanced, inclusive, and green future. Our newly-formed Strategic Development and Delivery directorate is set to play a big part in that future. Bringing colleagues together from across the university into one function to form service areas that include Data, Insights & Decision Support; Strategy & Performance; Portfolio & Benefits; and Change & Improvement, the aim is to combine our specialist expertise and sector knowledge to help deliver our strategy ‘Vision 2028’ and beyond.  

Reporting into the Director of Portfolio and Benefits, you will be responsible for ensuring a unified governance framework and methodology is applied across several portfolios and programmes to support their successful completion within our overall ‘Vision 2028’ agenda for change and beyond. You will need to build and maintain positive relationships with a wide range of stakeholders and teams, facilitating honest and pragmatic conversations about the progress, risks, and benefits realisation in this fast-paced environment. You’ll also be able to enthuse and motivate the team, embedding an ethos of continuous improvement and using the university’s project and programme management framework to further improve the experience of our students and the whole UEL community.  

To succeed, you will need proven experience of working under pressure with demonstrable organisation and planning skills, supporting the need to make timely and informed decisions based on business context, agreed priorities, and constraints. With an ability to assimilate, filter, and summarise large volumes of complex information (and data), distilling and simplifying complex projects into component parts, to present the relevant information succinctly to a diverse number of stakeholders. Preferably you’ll have an up-to-date accredited PMO qualification at advanced level, but proven experience is a must. 

Joining the Strategic Development and Delivery directorate means you’ll have access to a wealth of training, opportunities, and exciting networking events. We’re committed to investing in our people. These include attending conferences and webinars; watching videos and receiving newsletters; and accessing tools, guidance, and templates.

This is a great opportunity to make a real mark across the university in the years ahead. Indeed, you could soon be playing a huge role at the heart of a supportive and dynamic team that’s committed to helping us achieve our ambitious goals. So, if you have what we are looking for and are keen to take on a new challenge, apply today. 

At the University of East London, we aim to attract and retain the best possible staff and offer a working environment at the heart of a dynamic region with excellent transport links. You can look forward to a warm, sincere welcome, genuine camaraderie and mobility in an institution led with passion, visibility, and purpose. Your impact, resilience and sense of collegiality will directly contribute to the University’s future and those of the students whose lives you will touch and change forever. We also offer a great range of benefits including pension, family friendly policies and an on-site nursery and gym at our Docklands Campus.