Head of Project Management Office (PMO)

Position Purpose

The Position PurposeHead of PMO is responsible for establishing and leading the organization’s project delivery governance and ensuring the successful execution of the company’s entire project portfolio.

The role drives operational excellence across project planning, execution, financial performance, risk management, and client delivery. The Head of PMO ensures that all projects are delivered in accordance with contractual commitments, company standards, and profitability targets.

The position also oversees the development of PMO frameworks, portfolio performance monitoring, and continuous improvement of project delivery capabilities using enterprise systems such as Deltek.

Strategic Responsibilities

Portfolio Governance

• Establish and maintain a robust PMO governance framework across the organization.
• Ensure alignment between project execution and corporate strategic objectives.
• Oversee portfolio prioritization and resource allocation across all projects.
• Maintain full visibility of portfolio performance and delivery risks.

Project Delivery Excellence

• Ensure projects are delivered on time, within scope, and within approved budgets.
• Monitor schedule performance, milestone compliance, and delivery commitments.
• Drive discipline in project planning, submissions management, and resource coordination.

Financial Performance & Commercial Control

• Protect project profitability by monitoring margins and controlling cost overruns.
• Oversee revenue forecasting and financial performance across the project portfolio.
• Ensure commercial discipline in managing variations, contractual obligations, and financial risks.

Risk & Change Management

• Establish enterprise-level risk management practices for project delivery.
• Ensure early identification and mitigation of project risks.
• Oversee change management governance to ensure proper approval and financial control.

Client Delivery & Relationship Management

• Maintain strong executive-level relationships with key clients.
• Ensure delivery excellence that supports long-term client satisfaction and repeat business.
• Lead resolution of major project escalations and delivery issues.

PMO Maturity & Operational Excellence

• Standardize project management methodologies and delivery frameworks across all projects.
• Ensure full adoption of PMO processes and reporting standards.
• Develop advanced portfolio dashboards and reporting capabilities using Deltek.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives and institutional learning across projects.

Leadership & Organizational Development

• Lead and develop the PMO organization including PMO Managers and Project Managers.
• Establish a strong culture of accountability, ownership, and delivery discipline.
• Identify and develop high-performing project leaders and succession pipelines.

Key Responsibilities

Portfolio Management

• Monitor portfolio performance across schedule, cost, quality, and risk indicators.
• Ensure accurate master project schedules and coordinated project submissions.
• Manage cross-project dependencies and resource conflicts.

Financial Oversight

• Ensure accuracy of revenue forecasts and project financial reporting.
• Monitor budget adherence and cost performance.
• Identify financial risks and ensure corrective actions are implemented.

Governance & Compliance

• Ensure projects comply with PMO standards, procedures, and reporting requirements.
• Conduct periodic portfolio performance reviews.
• Maintain project documentation and governance compliance.

Reporting & Executive Communication

• Provide regular portfolio performance reports to executive leadership.
• Maintain accurate project data and dashboards within Deltek.
• Support strategic decision-making through data-driven reporting.

Authority & Decision Rights

The Head of PMO holds decision authority in the following areas:

• PMO governance frameworks and project delivery standards
• Portfolio prioritization and project selection
• Assignment of Project Managers and leadership roles
• Approval of project budgets and financial oversight
• Final decisions on major project risks and escalations
• Portfolio-level change management approvals
• Executive reporting on project delivery performance

PMO Managers are responsible for operational coordination, monitoring, and implementation of these directives.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

Delivery Performance

• Percentage of projects delivered on time and within budget
• Portfolio schedule variance and milestone compliance
• Reduction in critical delivery escalations

Financial Performance

• Revenue forecast accuracy
• Planned vs realized project margins
• Reduction of uncontrolled cost overruns

Risk & Governance

• Timely mitigation of project risks
• Compliance with PMO governance frameworks
• Effectiveness of change management processes

Client Performance

• Client satisfaction scores related to project delivery
• Reduction in delivery-related client complaints
• Repeat business linked to delivery excellence

Organizational Capability

• Compliance with PMO processes and reporting standards
• Adoption and effective use of Deltek
• Implementation of lessons learned and operational improvements

Leadership & Talent

• Performance levels of Project Managers
• Retention of high-performing project leaders
• Succession readiness for critical PMO roles

Qualifications

Education

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, Architecture, Project Management, or related field
• Master’s degree or MBA is considered an advantage

Experience

• Minimum 20 years of experience in project management within A&E or engineering consulting firms
• Minimum 5 years in a senior leadership or PMO management role
• Proven experience managing complex multi-project portfolios

Certifications (Preferred)

• PMP (Project Management Professional)
• PgMP or similar program/portfolio management certification

Core Leadership Competencies

Strategic Thinking

Ability to align project delivery with organizational strategy.

Commercial Acumen

Strong understanding of project financial performance, margins, and contract management.

Governance & Discipline

Capability to establish structured processes and ensure consistent execution.

Leadership & Influence

Ability to lead multidisciplinary teams and influence senior stakeholders.

Risk & Decision Management

Ability to anticipate risks and make timely high-impact decisions.

Client Orientation

Strong focus on maintaining client trust and delivery credibility.