Head of Enterprise PMO

locations

Manchester

time type

Full time

posted on

Posted Today

job requisition id

R7851

At AQA, we’re committed to advancing education and we’re committed to our people. As the largest provider of academic qualifications in the UK, we mark over 10 million exam papers each year and it’s our people who make this happen.

Head of Enterprise PMO

12 Month Fixed Term ContractManchester£69,000 – £78,500Hybrid working: Minimum two days in the office each week

Can you turn portfolio complexity into strategic clarity, and continue to build an Enterprise PMO that truly shapes organisational decisions?

We are seeking an experienced and credible Head of Enterprise PMO on a 12-month fixed term contract to lead, evolve and embed a high impact, enterprise-wide PMO function that enables strategic decision‑making, drives delivery confidence and strengthens portfolio value across the organisation.

This is a leadership role with two distinct but complementary areas of responsibility:

• Ownership and development of the Enterprise PMO, where most of the value will be created, refining the business planning and business case processes, generating insight across our strategy and portfolio delivery, and supporting an ambitious team on their growth journey.
• Leadership oversight of the Delivery PMO, a newly established but already high‑performing, delivery‑focused team.

The role will suit a leader who has taken established capabilities and continued to evolve, align and drive value (ideally within an Enterprise PMO), moving organisations beyond reporting and control into strategic enablement and insight.

Key responsibilities:

Enterprise PMO (Primary Focus)
You will be accountable for embedding and evolving an Enterprise PMO capability that provides portfolio insight, reports on our strategy, creates our business plans, and manages our investment decisions through business cases.

• Continuing to evolve the Enterprise PMO operating model, creating greater connection and cohesion between the individual capabilities, and to drive automation.
• Establishing portfolio frameworks that enable clear prioritisation, investment decisions and benefits realisation
• Enhancing enterprise level portfolio insight, including capacity planning, dependency management, risk aggregation and scenario modelling
• Acting as a trusted advisor to senior leaders, providing objective insight and challenge on portfolio health, delivery confidence and strategic trade-offs
• Driving consistency and maturity across change, project, programme and portfolio management practices

This element of the role is highly strategic, requiring influence at executive level and the confidence to challenge where necessary.

Delivery PMO (Leadership & Oversight)

• Providing leadership and direction to ensure ongoing effectiveness and alignment with enterprise standards
• Ensuring integration between delivery-level reporting and enterprise-level portfolio insight
• Supporting capability development, coaching and succession where appropriate

This is not a hands-on delivery management role; rather, it requires visible leadership, alignment and sponsorship.

What you will bring:
We are specifically seeking candidates who can demonstrate tangible experience of building or maturing Enterprise PMO capability.

• Proven experience leading an Enterprise PMO or equivalent strategic portfolio function
• Demonstrable track record of designing and embedding portfolio governance, prioritisation and investment frameworks
• Experience of leading business planning and business case processes, or participating in them
• Experience operating at executive level, influencing and challenging senior stakeholders
• Strong understanding of portfolio, programme and change management maturity models
• Experience working in complex, multi initiative environments with competing priorities
• A collaborative leadership style with the ability to build trust quickly

What’s in it for you:
This role represents a rare opportunity to shape and lead an Enterprise PMO offering high visibility and influence across the organisation. By joining AQA, a leading independent education charity, you actually make a difference in the lives of millions of learners. There are lots of company benefits,  including private medical insurance, a fantastic pension (up to 11.5% employer contributions), a 35 hour working week, 25 days annual leave with additional office closure in December and bank holidays on top, the opportunity to join lots of network groups (LGBTQ+, neurodiversity, disability, empowering women, wellbeing, ethnic minority and more) an extensive online learning platform, days for volunteering and more. 

Diversity and inclusion statement:
At AQA, we are committed to fostering a workplace that celebrates diversity and promotes equity and inclusion. We believe that a diverse team brings richer perspectives and drives better outcomes. Our ED&I strategy ensures that everyone, regardless of religion, ethnicity, gender identity or expression, age, disability, sexual orientation or background, is valued, respected and empowered to thrive. We actively promote inclusive language, avoid stereotypes and strive for representation across all dimensions of diversity. We welcome applications from individuals of all backgrounds and lived experiences.

What next?
Please upload your CV and a short cover letter outlining your interest and transferable skills.
Closing date: 23:59 on Thursday 28th May 2026
You’ll complete a short application questionnaire, followed by a two stage interview process (Teams, then face to face).
Interviews will take place during June with outcomes by the end of that month

#STEC

Recruitment Agencies

We have a preferred supplier list (PSL) in place.

Unsolicited CVs will be treated as a gift. We will not be subject to or liable under your terms and conditions for agency fees.

Full Job Description

Summary

This role will:

• Provide insight and intelligence across the strategy, business plans and change portfolio.

• Informing the shape and delivery of the portfolio to meet strategic objectives and outcomes.

• Reshape operational processes that support strategy delivery, reporting, business planning and the change portfolio.

• Own and embed the change initiation process (business cases).

Many of the processes that support organisational planning and strategy delivery are out of date and cumbersome and require significant improvement and alignment. This role will have a heavy focus on delivery of those improvements.Landscape:

The role sits in the Business Change Hubs, which lie within the wider Corporate Services Office.

Works with internal and external stakeholders to articulate the overall outcomes / objectives of the change portfolio, and the change initiatives that sit within it.

Ensures that the change projects within the portfolio clearly articulate their contribution to and progress towards the delivery of the AQA strategy.

Provides timely and insightful reporting on the overall state of the change portfolio, and reports to the Executive and Trustees on the delivery of the AQA strategy.

Ensures that the organisations business plans (financial, people, and delivery) enables the delivery of the strategy and operational outcomes.

Makes sure that change is initiated appropriately in line with strategic and operational aims.

Structural fit (subject to review) – see below:

Activities:

Produce and maintain and clear mapping between the strategic aims / outcomes for the organisation, and the individual change outcomes for the programmes and projects to ensure their continued overall alignment. Highlighting and brokering resolution to any areas of mismatch.

Improve, maintain, and run, overall enterprise level processes around Strategy Reporting, Business Planning, Portfolio Management and Business Cases. Ensure that these are appropriate and continually valuable / insightful.

Proactively identifies overarching/strategic risks and issues that impact the overall portfolio and achievement of the strategy, clearly highlighting these with achievable and palatable options to resolve.

Encourages innovation within the team to enhance efficiency and effectiveness. Actively seek out seek opportunities for continuous improvement, learning from both successes and challenges to refine all relevant processes.

Works with relevant stakeholders to identify portfolio resource requirements and effectively remove blockers / overall patterns and proactively reduce future resourcing issues.

Ensures AQA is safe and legally compliant by applying AQA’s policies and other legislative requirements including but not limited to HSE, Equal Opportunities and ISMS.

Engages with high-level executives, senior management, and other strategic stakeholders to ensure that the portfolio focuses on alignment with organizational objectives and that it contributes to the overall success of AQA.

Shapes the culture of AQA by emphasizing alignment with strategic objectives and outcomes, fostering a collaborative environment across teams.

Develops leadership capabilities within the function, fostering a culture of collaboration and cross-functional expertise.

In conjunction with management teams across AQA, drives effective and seamless working across the organisation, ensuring a ‘one team’ approach, with coherent and consistent aims, objectives, and actions, and supporting initiatives, as required.

Produces high levels of performance from direct reports and teams by modelling leadership behaviours with confidence, providing clarity, challenge, feedback, coaching and development in line with business objectives. Line management responsibility for several programme managers and leadership within the PMO.

To be successful in this role, you will need to know:

The education system and AQA’s activities (broadly).

A wide array of strategy reporting, business planning, portfolio management and business case processes.

Process improvement methodologies (broadly).

PMO maturity models (broadly).

Be educated to degree level or have extensive experience in a similar role.

Be P3O accredited, or have a similar relevant qualification (desirable).

Be able to successfully improve enterprise PMO processes.

Be able to proactively resolve problems and adapt to change.

Be able to work effectively across all levels of the organisation.

Be able to proactively resolve problems and adapt to change. Solve problems and undertake analysis at different levels of abstraction.

Be able to identify and articulate portfolio outcomes and strategic aims of the organisaton.

Be able to communicate effectively, conveying complex information in a clear and concise manner. Able to effectively communicate progress, challenges, and contribution to AQA’s objectives to high level stakeholders and executives.

Be able to address conflicts that may arise between programmes or teams within the programmes, finding solutions that support overall programme and portfolio success.

Be able to think strategically and translate a an overall strategy in to specific and measurable outcomes.

Be able to self-reflect and display personal awareness, to tailor working style to get the most from the team and key stakeholders.

Be able to lead by example, to develop and maintain effective working relationships with a range of partners and stakeholders, up to and including Executive Leadership Team level.

Be able to evidence experience of successfully developing teams to achieve business and professional development goals.

Be goal and outcome orientated.

Be able to work flexibly to meet the needs of the portfolio.

Be able to display courage and calmness under pressure.