Portfolio Management Office Manager
c.£64,000 per annum
Bedford
Permanent
Hybrid Working
Join Us as a PMO Manager and Shape the Future of Change at MaPS!
Just over 15 months ago, MaPS embarked on a transformative journey by creating a single Change Portfolio to elevate our department's maturity. Now, we're looking for a dynamic Portfolio Management Office (PMO) Manager to lead the charge in defining and maintaining top-notch standards for programme and project management.
In this pivotal role, you'll be at the forefront of implementing and sharing best practices, developing and applying innovative procedures, tools, and techniques to standardize methodologies and drive efficiencies. Your expert guidance and support will be crucial to our diverse and complex Change Portfolio.
Ready to make a real impact? Join us and be a key player in our exciting transformation!
Role Overview
The Portfolio Management Office Manager will report directly to Senior Programme Manager with dotted line reporting to Corporate Director of Change. In this role, you will be responsible for:
- Delivery and Leadership: Support the delivery of programmes and projects, ensuring alignment with business case benefits and outcomes.
- Governance and Assurance: Implement and monitor appropriate governance reviews and controls across the Change Portfolio's project and programme lifecycle.
- Business Case Support: Assist in the development of business cases for programmes and projects.
- Budget Management: Provide oversight of budgets, forecasting costs in collaboration with financial colleagues.
- Resource Management: Oversee the allocation and management of resources across the Change Portfolio.
- Stakeholder Management: Offer guidance on tools and techniques for effective stakeholder management and provide assurance on the effectiveness of these arrangements.
- Risk and Issue Management: Collaborate with the Risk Team to manage risks and issues, providing a portfolio-level view on their effectiveness.
- Change Management: Enforce change protocols, ensuring scope adjustments are properly documented.
- Project Performance and Controls: Establish and maintain project controls, report on project status, and ensure that learning is shared across the organisation.
- Guidance and Support: Develop and disseminate best practice project management processes, tools, and templates, benchmarking against industry standards.
Skills and Experience Required
To excel in this role, you will need to demonstrate:
- Visible Leadership: Demonstrated ability to lead people effectively through cultural change and transformation. This includes collaboratively establishing a strong, shared vision for change and engaging with integrity.
- Effective Planning and Organisation: Proven capability to define and prioritise essential components of the Change Portfolio, including scope, deliverables, timelines, resource requirements, and budget. Ability to develop and manage comprehensive programme plans that incorporate risk and quality for a consolidated project overview.
- Risk and Issue Management: Skilled in identifying and monitoring risks and issues within the Change Portfolio, planning mitigation strategies, and implementing necessary actions.
- Dependency Mapping: Ability to create visual representations that illustrate the relationships and dependencies between projects and programmes within the Change Portfolio.
- Benefits Management: Expertise in identifying, quantifying, mapping, and tracking transformation benefits to justify investment in projects/programmes and across the portfolio, ensuring that these benefits are realisable.
- Critical Thinking and Problem Solving: Strong analytical skills to develop strategies for addressing and resolving issues and challenges that arise during the planning and execution of projects and programmes.
- Data-Driven Decision Making: Experience in leading with data to influence the Programme Board and stakeholders, enhancing the value of PMO leaders' recommendations and information. Proficiency in using data and KPIs for effective programme reporting to support quality decision-making and instil confidence across the Board.
- Adaptability to Ambiguity: Comfortable working in environments with frequent changes and uncertainties, able to make decisions and act without having the complete picture, and effectively handle risks and uncertainty.
About Us
The Money and Pensions Service (MaPS) is based in Bedford, in a recently renovated modern office. This is a wonderful opportunity for you to become an integral part of a dynamic organisation, working to help people across the UK.
At the heart of the Money and Pensions Service are our values – caring, connecting, and transforming, which are the foundation of our success. They permeate every area of our work and define all our business relationships and the way we work with each other. We’re not only looking for the best people to come and work for us, but we need people who align themselves with our values:
- Caring
We care about our colleagues and the people whose lives we are here to transform.
- Connecting
We will transform lives through our ability to make positive connections.
- Transforming
We are committed to transforming lives and making a positive societal impact.
Our Inclusive Working Environment
By fostering our values, we are immensely proud of the inclusive working environment that we have created. The diversity of our people is a strength that we embrace and wish to build upon, so we are committed to attracting people of all backgrounds. We work hard to ensure that we have a progressive approach to inclusion, equity, and belonging. We really do want our colleagues to “bring their whole selves to work.”
Our colleague and ally networks encompass LGBTQ+, neurodiversity, women’s health, men’s health, ethnicity, and diversity.
What We Offer
- Generous Annual Leave – 30 days plus Bank Holidays
- Pension scheme – contributions matched 2 to 1 (up to 10% of your salary)
- Interest-free loan for season tickets for buses and trains
- Cycle to work Scheme
- Subsidised eye tests & flu jabs
- Life assurance scheme
- Give as you earn scheme
- Employee assistance programme (EAP)
- PAM Assist and PAM Life scheme (Wellbeing)
- Enhanced family and sick pay
- Paid volunteering (2 days a year)
- Recognition Scheme
- Discounts portal to numerous retailers
Flexible Working
At MaPS, we take pride in our flexible approach to work. As standard, we work on a hybrid basis with a minimum of 2 days in the office per week. Hybrid working is a voluntary, non-contractual arrangement and our headquarters in Bedford will be your contractual place of work. The number of days that anyone will be able to work at home will be determined primarily by business needs, but personal and other relevant circumstances will also be considered. If you are successful, any opportunities for hybrid working, including whether a hybrid working arrangement is suitable for you, will be discussed with you prior to you taking up your post.
Career Development
In MaPS, we take career development seriously. We actively encourage and support applications from our existing MaPS colleagues. However, we do follow the Civil Service Commissioner recruitment principles, which means that you will be required to participate in a full, open, and fair process.
Reserve List
If you are successful at interview, we operate a reserve list where your details will be held for up to 6 months. Should a vacancy come available in that time with the same essential criteria, reserve list candidates will be offered that position with no further assessment required.
Application Process
The law requires that selection for appointment to the Civil Service is on merit on the basis of fair and open competition as outlined in the Civil Service Commission’s Recruitment Principles. If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles, and you wish to make a complaint, in the first instance, you should contact the Money and Pensions Service via email: recruitment@maps.org.uk. If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can contact the Civil Service Commission: Visit the Civil Service Commission website.
To apply for this position, please provide the following:
Curriculum Vitae: A comprehensive CV detailing your experience and skills that align with the criteria for this role.
Cover Letter: In 500 words describe a time that you implemented portfolio management, what were the key challenges you faced?.
Selection Process:
Stage 1: A 30-minute informal conversation with a Reed recruiter.
Stage 2: A 1-hour competency-based interview with the MaPS panel via TEAMS. This interview will include a presentation and a series of competency-based questions that focus on the essential criteria of the role and your relevant experience.
Job Reference: MaSPS00788
Close Date: 26th March 2025