Head of PMO – AR

Job Details

Job Description: Head of PMO (Programme Management Office)

Directorate: Strategy & Change
Location: Shropshire Council (Hybrid – Shrewsbury / Home working)

About the organisation

Shropshire Council is a resilient and forward-thinking local authority committed to delivering its Corporate Plan: Rebuilding Shropshire Together.

We are driving an ambitious transformation agenda focused on improving services, ensuring financial sustainability, and embedding new ways of working across the organisation.

Our Strategy & Change directorate plays a central role in enabling this transformation through strong governance, structured delivery, and high-performing change capability.

Role purpose

As Head of PMO, you will lead the Council’s central Programme Management Office, acting as the organisation’s portfolio governance and delivery assurance function.

You will be responsible for ensuring that all major transformation, improvement, and change activity across the Council is:

  • Strategically aligned
  • Properly prioritised
  • Effectively governed
  • Delivered on time, within budget, and to quality standards
  • Producing measurable benefits

You will operate at a strategic level, providing a “balcony view” across all programmes and acting as a trusted advisor to senior leadership.

Key responsibilities

PMO leadership & governance

  • Lead and develop a centre of excellence PMO, embedding consistent project and programme management standards across the Council
  • Design and maintain the Project & Programme Management Framework, including tools, templates, and governance processes
  • Operate a gateway and prioritisation process for all major change activity
  • Oversee project health checks, deep dives, and assurance reviews

Portfolio oversight & strategic alignment

  • Take an enterprise-wide view across all programmes and projects
  • Identify interdependencies, risks, duplication, and resourcing conflicts
  • Ensure alignment with Council priorities, including the Corporate Plan and transformation agenda
  • Support senior leaders in prioritising and sequencing change activity

Transformation delivery support

  • Support the delivery of the Council’s Improvement Plan and Transformation Programme
  • Oversee benefits realisation, ensuring change delivers measurable outcomes
  • Work with sponsors and delivery teams to ensure successful execution of programmes

People leadership & capability development

  • Lead and manage a PMO team (approx. 15 FTE directly, up to 50 FTE matrix-managed)
  • Build capability across the organisation in programme and project management
  • Develop a community of practice to strengthen delivery standards Council-wide

Risk, finance & performance

  • Own PMO governance for risks, issues, and escalation routes
  • Manage a PMO budget of approximately £1m (primarily staffing)
  • Provide oversight of programme and project financial performance
  • Work closely with finance teams to ensure robust budget monitoring

Continuous improvement & digital enablement

  • Introduce digitisation, automation, and improved reporting tools
  • Develop dashboards and reporting mechanisms to improve transparency
  • Continuously improve PMO standards, tools, and methodologies across the Council

Stakeholder & partner engagement

  • Work closely with Executive Directors, senior leaders, and service managers
  • Act as a trusted advisor on change, governance, and delivery capability
  • Build strong relationships across internal teams and external partners

About you

You will be an experienced PMO or portfolio leader with a strong track record of delivering governance and control across complex organisations.

You will bring:

  • Significant experience leading a PMO, portfolio office, or transformation governance function
  • Strong understanding of programme and portfolio management frameworks
  • Experience operating at a strategic level with senior stakeholders
  • Ability to influence without direct authority across large, complex organisations
  • Strong financial, risk, and benefits management capability
  • Experience in public sector, local government, NHS, or similarly complex environments (desirable)

Key competencies

  • Strategic leadership and systems thinking
  • Portfolio prioritisation and governance
  • Stakeholder influence and senior advisory capability
  • Change and transformation leadership
  • Financial and risk oversight
  • People leadership and capability building

Why this role matters

This is a critical leadership role at the heart of the Council’s transformation agenda. You will shape how change is prioritised, governed, and delivered across the organisation—ensuring that improvement and financial sustainability plans are successfully achieved.