Interim Head of PMO
Posted 4 days ago by Chapman Tate Associates
Negotiable
Outside
Hybrid
Southampton, England, United Kingdom
Summary: The Interim Head of PMO role in Southampton requires a dynamic leader to enhance portfolio governance and delivery standards in a fast-paced organization. The position demands a hands-on approach to establish effective PMO functions while maintaining operational momentum. The successful candidate will need to quickly assess the current landscape and implement practical management disciplines to improve visibility and decision-making. This role offers the opportunity to make a significant impact and shape the PMO approach within the organization.
Key Responsibilities:
- Rapidly assessing the current project and portfolio landscape
- Establishing fit-for-purpose PMO standards, controls, governance, and reporting
- Bringing consistency across delivery teams, programmes, and stakeholders
- Introducing practical portfolio management disciplines that improve visibility and decision-making
- Building executive confidence through clear reporting, prioritisation, and risk management
- Driving accountability while maintaining a collaborative, delivery-focused culture
- Coaching delivery teams and stakeholders on best practice without creating unnecessary bureaucracy
- Operating with pace, urgency, and high energy in a changing environment
Key Skills:
- Proven experience landing into organisations with low PMO maturity and successfully stabilising delivery environments
- Strong portfolio governance and programme controls expertise
- A pragmatic approach — someone who knows when to introduce process and when to keep things lean
- Excellent stakeholder management skills with the credibility to influence senior leadership
- Comfortable operating in ambiguity and making quick, informed decisions
- High levels of energy, resilience, and personal drive
- A hands-on leadership style with the ability to balance strategic oversight and operational execution
- Experience across complex transformation or change portfolios
Salary (Rate): undetermined
City: Southampton
Country: United Kingdom
Working Arrangements: hybrid
IR35 Status: outside IR35
Seniority Level: undetermined
Industry: Other
Interim Head of PMO
Location: Southampton (2 Days Onsite / 3 Days Remote)
Duration: 6 Months (Potential Extension)
IR35 Status: Outside IR35
Rate: Competitive (DOE)
Start Date: ASAP
Are you the kind of PMO leader who thrives in ambiguity, brings order to complexity, and knows how to build credibility fast? We’re looking for an experienced Interim Head of PMO to step into a fast-moving organisation where portfolio governance, delivery standards, and reporting controls need strengthening — without slowing the business down. This is not a role for someone who hides behind process. We need an energetic, hands-on leader who can quickly assess the current landscape, introduce the right level of governance, and create a PMO function that enables delivery rather than obstructs it. You’ll be joining a business with ambitious change plans already underway, where stakeholders need a trusted operator who can bring visibility, structure, accountability, and momentum from day one.
What you’ll be doing
- Rapidly assessing the current project and portfolio landscape
- Establishing fit-for-purpose PMO standards, controls, governance, and reporting
- Bringing consistency across delivery teams, programmes, and stakeholders
- Introducing practical portfolio management disciplines that improve visibility and decision-making
- Building executive confidence through clear reporting, prioritisation, and risk management
- Driving accountability while maintaining a collaborative, delivery-focused culture
- Coaching delivery teams and stakeholders on best practice without creating unnecessary bureaucracy
- Operating with pace, urgency, and high energy in a changing environment
What we’re looking for
- Proven experience landing into organisations with low PMO maturity and successfully stabilising delivery environments
- Strong portfolio governance and programme controls expertise
- A pragmatic approach — someone who knows when to introduce process and when to keep things lean
- Excellent stakeholder management skills with the credibility to influence senior leadership
- Comfortable operating in ambiguity and making quick, informed decisions
- High levels of energy, resilience, and personal drive
- A hands-on leadership style with the ability to balance strategic oversight and operational execution
- Experience across complex transformation or change portfolios
Why this role?
This is a genuine opportunity to make an immediate impact. You’ll have the autonomy to shape the PMO approach, improve delivery confidence, and leave behind a more mature, scalable change function. If you enjoy stepping into fast-paced environments, bringing clarity where there’s chaos, and building high-performing PMO capability quickly — we’d love to hear from you.