PMO Lead - Operational Technology & Transformation

Pontoon is an employment consultancy. We put expertise, energy, and enthusiasm into improving everyone's chance of being part of the workplace. We respect and appreciate people of all ethnicities, generations, religious beliefs, sexual orientations, gender identities, and more. We do this by showcasing their talents, skills, and unique experience in an inclusive environment that helps them thrive.

Job Title: PMO Lead - Operational Technology & Transformation

Location: Warwick / London

Contract Type: 6 months with scope to extend

Job Purpose

The PMO Lead sits within IT&D, supporting a critical operational technology environment and associated transformation activity.

The role brings together activity across three interconnected areas of the organisation, providing a clear view of progress, milestones, dependencies, risks and decisions required. Information, expertise and resources are spread across different teams, and the role will connect these moving parts to maintain delivery momentum.

Working closely with a senior steering group, delivery teams and subject matter experts (SMEs), the successful candidate will help shape priorities and inform decisions while taking personal ownership of the practical work needed to resolve issues and keep delivery on track.

This is a hands-on role requiring someone who is comfortable operating in ambiguity, influencing without formal authority and moving between senior stakeholder discussions and detailed problem-solving.

Key Accountabilities

Delivery Coordination and Milestone Management

• Bring together plans, information, resources and dependencies across the three areas to maintain a consolidated view of delivery.
• Track milestones, commitments and actions, proactively following up with teams to maintain progress.
• Identify gaps, conflicting priorities and dependencies that could affect delivery.
• Understand where to find the right expertise and engage the appropriate people to move work forward.
• Identify emerging risks and take practical action to address blockers before they affect delivery.

Problem-Solving and Issue Resolution

• Take personal ownership of complex or stalled issues, investigating the detail and driving them through to resolution.
• Bring together stakeholders with competing priorities or different reporting lines to agree a way forward.
• Work directly with SMEs and delivery teams to gather information, challenge assumptions and resolve problems.
• Operate confidently where ownership is unclear, information is incomplete or no established process exists.
• Escalate issues with clear evidence, options and recommendations when senior decisions are required.

Governance and Senior Stakeholder Engagement

• Provide the senior steering group with clear, concise reporting on progress, milestones, risks, dependencies and decisions required.
• Maintain practical delivery plans, RAID logs, action trackers and governance materials.
• Translate steering group decisions into clear actions, owners and deadlines, ensuring follow-through.
• Build trust and credibility with senior stakeholders, influencing across teams without relying on formal authority.
• Help the steering group shape priorities and direction through evidence-based insight and recommendations.
• Keep governance proportionate, focused on accountability, decision-making and delivery.

Embedding Effective Ways of Working

• Establish practical disciplines that improve visibility, accountability and coordination across teams.
• Clarify ownership of actions, milestones and dependencies where required.
• Work with existing PMO and delivery teams to embed sustainable ways of working without creating unnecessary bureaucracy.
• Ensure knowledge and responsibilities remain with the appropriate business owners.

Knowledge, Experience and Technical Know-How

Essential

• Experience in a hands-on PMO, programme coordination, project delivery or delivery management role.
• Experience coordinating activity, milestones and dependencies across multiple teams or workstreams.
• Demonstrable examples of personally taking ownership of difficult or stalled problems and driving them to resolution.
• Experience gaining agreement across stakeholders with different priorities or reporting lines, without formal authority.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to make sense of fragmented or incomplete information.
• Confidence engaging senior stakeholders while working directly with SMEs and delivery teams.
• A proactive, pragmatic approach, with the ability to operate in ambiguity and maintain delivery momentum.

Desirable

• Experience supporting a senior steering group or programme leadership team.
• Experience in IT&D, operational technology, utilities or another complex operational environment.
• Exposure to infrastructure or technology transformation programmes.
• Familiarity with PMO controls, RAID management, integrated plans and milestone tracking.

Apply now!

Please be advised: if you haven't heard from us within 48 hours, then unfortunately your application has not been successful on this occasion. We may, however, keep your details on file for any suitable future vacancies and contact you accordingly.

We use generative AI tools to support our candidate screening process. This helps us ensure a fair, consistent, and efficient experience for all applicants. Rest assured, all final decisions are made by our hiring team, and your application will be reviewed with care and attention.