Senior Manager, CSO PMO

The Senior Manager, CSO PMO is the head of governance for the CSO PMO and owns the CSO Delivery Framework, its standards, controls and operating processes.

The role provides enterprise-wide oversight of projects delivered by CSO project and programme resources, ensuring consistent governance, transparent decision-making and disciplined delivery across the portfolio.

Key responsibilities:

• Own, govern and continuously evolve the CSO Delivery Framework, defining the mandatory lifecycle, standards, controls, decision rights, artifacts and minimum evidence required for consistent delivery.
• Act as the head of governance for the entire CSO PMO, establishing portfolio governance forums, operating rhythms, escalation routes and clear accountabilities across projects and programmes.
• Provide independent oversight and constructive challenge to projects run by CSO delivery resources, assuring adherence to the framework without assuming day-to-day project management accountability.
• Govern portfolio intake, prioritisation, sequencing and roadmap integration so that investment and resource decisions align with CSO strategy, risk priorities and available capacity.
• Set expectations for project planning and control across scope, milestones, dependencies, resources, financials, risks, issues, change, quality, benefits and closure.
• Lead portfolio-level assurance, identifying systemic delivery risks, control gaps and underperformance, and driving timely decisions, recovery actions and escalations.
• Own the integrated CSO delivery plan and executive governance reporting, providing a single, reliable view of progress, forecast, capacity, dependencies, risk and benefits.
• Advance automation of PMO workflows, controls, data collection, reporting and management insight to improve accuracy, timeliness and scalability.
• Drive simplification and process improvement, removing unnecessary bureaucracy while retaining proportionate controls appropriate to cyber security and a regulated environment.
• Define portfolio data standards and performance measures, strengthen data quality and use analysis and visualisation to enable evidence-based governance decisions.
• Lead, coach and develop PMO governance capability, ensuring practitioners and delivery resources understand and consistently apply the CSO Delivery Framework.
• Build trusted relationships with CSO leaders, finance, risk, quality, technology and delivery partners, resolving cross-portfolio issues and improving interfaces across organisational boundaries.

Basic Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent relevant experience.
• Substantial experience leading portfolio, programme or enterprise PMO governance in a complex global organisation.
• Demonstrated ownership of a delivery framework, methodology or governance operating model, including standards, controls, assurance and adoption.
• Strong portfolio and programme management acumen across prioritisation, integrated planning, financial management, resource and capacity planning, risk, dependency, change and benefits governance.
• Proven ability to provide independent oversight, constructive challenge and clear escalation across multiple projects without displacing accountable delivery leaders.
• Experience designing and implementing process automation, reporting improvements and simplified governance workflows.
• Strong analytical, financial and commercial acumen, with the ability to translate complex delivery data into clear executive insight and recommendations.
• Experience operating in cyber security, technology, pharmaceutical, life sciences or another highly regulated environment.
• Proven leadership, coaching, stakeholder management, influencing and communication skills across senior, cross-functional and geographically dispersed teams.
• Ability to balance pace, rigour and risk, simplify complex processes and drive sustained adoption of common ways of working.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Deep knowledge of cyber security delivery or significant experience working within a Cyber Security Office.
• Advanced capability in data analysis, visualisation and executive reporting using Excel, Power BI or comparable tools.
• Experience with workflow automation, low-code platforms, AI-enabled reporting or integration of portfolio management toolsets.
• Track record of leading PMO transformation, governance simplification, process redesign and measurable continuous improvement.
• Experience embedding Agile, product, programme and traditional delivery approaches within a proportionate enterprise governance model.
• Project, programme, portfolio or Agile certification such as PMP, PgMP, PfMP, MSP, PRINCE2 or SAFe.
• Experience working across a global matrix and influencing senior leaders through evidence, judgement and trusted challenge.