Programme Manager (Portfolio Manager) - Build & Lead a New PMO

Location: Hybrid - Wednesbury, West Midlands

Salary: £70,000 - £80,000 + Bonus + Benefits

Are you ready to build and lead a PMO from the ground up? Do you thrive in fast-paced, evolving environments where IT transformation is at the heart of business success?

We are hiring a Programme Manager (Portfolio Manager) to establish a brand-new Project Portfolio Management function within a market-leading UK manufacturing and distribution company. With a nationwide presence, this organisation supports over 50 locations and 1,700+ customers, and is investing heavily in IT, digital transformation, and strategic project delivery.

This role is perfect for someone who has built or significantly shaped a PMO, is passionate about process optimisation, and enjoys leading programmes that drive real business value.

What You'll Be Doing:

✅ Establish & Lead a PMO - Build the project portfolio function, defining governance frameworks, processes, and reporting structures.
✅ Portfolio Strategy & Planning - Develop and maintain a portfolio strategy that aligns with the company's strategic objectives.
✅ Resource & Risk Management - Ensure effective allocation of resources, balancing capacity and demand across IT projects.
✅ Stakeholder Engagement - Work closely with senior management, project sponsors, and business leaders to ensure transparency, prioritisation, and value-driven delivery.
✅ Performance & Continuous Improvement - Define KPIs, reporting mechanisms, and governance best practices to monitor and enhance project success.
✅ Team Leadership - Mentor and lead the project management office (PMO) team, driving high performance and collaboration.

What You Need to Succeed:

✔ Proven experience in Project Portfolio Management (PPM), Programme Management, or PMO leadership.
✔ Strong knowledge of project management methodologies (Agile, Waterfall, MSP, Prince2).
✔ Experience in resource planning, risk management, and financial oversight of project portfolios.
✔ Excellent stakeholder management skills, particularly in environments where structured project governance is new.
✔ Leadership experience - Comfortable mentoring teams and influencing senior business leaders.
✔ Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to make data-driven decisions.
✔ Proficiency in portfolio management tools and reporting software.

What's in it for You?

🎯 Salary: £70,000 - £80,000 + Performance Bonus (5-15% based on results)
📍 Hybrid working - Based in Wednesbury, West Midlands
💡 Pension Contribution: Up to 6% matched by the company
🏆 Lifeworks Perks & Savings, Life Assurance & Death in Service Benefits
🚀 Professional Development & Certification Support

📌 Click Apply Now to be considered for this exciting opportunity!

Key Refinements Based on the Job Spec:

✅ Strong focus on PMO setup - Highlighting this as a greenfield opportunity for someone to build a structured function from scratch.
✅ Clear governance & portfolio management responsibilities - Emphasising risk, resource allocation, stakeholder management, and performance tracking.
✅ Leadership focus - Since they will lead the PMO team, this is now a key part of the advert.
✅ Cultural fit - Ensuring we attract someone who can handle an evolving, fast-moving environment rather than a rigid, bureaucratic setup.
✅ Better alignment with company scale & industry - Reinforcing that they'll be working with a large, multi-site organisation with 50+ locations and 1,700+ customers