Head of Digital and Data PMO

• Hybrid working practices in place.
• The opportunity to create a high performing environment for project management.

About Our Client

The role can be based in the following locations:

Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Leeds, Manchester, Nottingham or Swindon.

Hybrid working practices are in place.

The Government Property Agency is the largest property holder in government, with more than £2.1 billion in property assets and over 55% of the government's office estate.

We are transforming the way the Civil Service works by creating great places to work, leading the largest commercial office programme in the UK, working towards halving carbon emissions from government offices, and achieving greater value for taxpayers. We are seeking innovative, solutions-focused individuals to join our team.

Representing the best covenant in the UK - His Majesty's Government, we are leading transformational programmes such as the Government Hubs Programme, Whitehall Campus Programme and Net Zero Programme, as well as delivering modern, cost-effective real estate service solutions.

Innovation and progress are at the heart of our behaviours. We foster a culture of lifelong learning, where curiosity and self-improvement are encouraged. We're dedicated to becoming a leading, inclusive employer both in the external market and throughout the Civil Service. Our strong emphasis on Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) is not just about driving inclusion across our organisation; it is also about ensuring our services meet the needs of government departments and the civil servants who use our spaces.

Join our dynamic and diverse team that leads with purpose, improving sustainability, nurturing social value, driving inclusivity and flexibility, and kick-starting economic growth. We are driven by purpose, and you can be part of it too: where you make a meaningful impact, where you influence, where your voice really matters, where you help to shape our future direction.

The Chief Digital & Information Office is on a mission to create a transformed, more efficient, digitally enabled organisation that provides better outcomes for everyone by 2028. This role has the opportunity to help spearhead our Digital & Data strategies and ongoing transformation.

To date, Digital & Data have had a significant role to play in supporting the GPA's 2030 vision of a transformed, shared, sustainable and value for money government estate, rapidly moving the organisation from a start-up to a scale-up organisation.

Going forward, as part of the Government Spending Review process, we have a pivotal opportunity to influence and shape our future, to focus on prioritised areas to better respond to our clients, customers and GPA teams. Taking a paradigm shift towards developing services that are even more fit for purpose to support the next stage in GPA's evolution, scale and innovate our services to be more efficient and effective over a longer period, supporting innovation and growth.

The Government Property Agency (GPA) is seeking a dynamic and forward-thinking Head of Digital and Data PMO to drive the successful delivery of our digital and data portfolio. As Head of PMO, you will lead a central team that drives excellence across portfolio planning, programme governance, risk and issue management, benefits realisation, resource forecasting, and financial oversight. You will embed a culture of transparency, accountability, and continuous improvement, ensuring digital and data programmes are aligned with GPA's strategic goals.

Job Description

Working closely with senior leaders, delivery teams, and cross-government partners, you'll ensure consistent standards, agile decision-making, and robust reporting across all projects, enabling the GPA to deliver real impact through smarter use of technology and insight.

To deliver GPA's Business plan, there are a significant number of digital & data activities, spread across tactical, operational and strategic, with dependencies across budget, resource, time-lines, risks, portfolio, business impact, etc. These areas need to be better managed to set ourselves up for success going forward and continue to deliver GPA's business objectives in a more sustainable, integrated and coordinated way.

Currently, in Digital & Data, we have PMO resources but under separate teams. The Head of PMO for Digital & Data, reporting into the Chief Digital & Information Officer, will aim to create a more cohesive PMO function to better support, oversee and coordinate the successful delivery of our programmes of work and deliverables, which are spread across the Digital & Data teams.

In parallel, ensuring the activities are aligned with GPA objectives, following best practices and delivering value by ensuring structured, efficient and strategically aligned execution of projects.

The Head of PMO for Digital & Data will play a critical leadership role in driving the successful delivery of business plan objectives by creating a high-performing environment for project management and ensuring alignment with strategic goals.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership and Vision

• Ensuring that the PMO's activities align with the broader business strategy, especially focusing on digital transformation and data initiatives.
• By clearly linking projects to business outcomes, the role will ensure that all efforts contribute directly to achieving business objectives.

Driving a culture of Agility and Continuous Improvement

• The role will help implement agile frameworks and promote a culture of adaptability and learning within the PMO.
• This will enable the GPA to respond quickly to changes, refine processes, and improve project outcomes over time.

Managing Risks and Ensuring Compliance

• The role will develop strategies to identify, mitigate, and manage risks related to digital transformation and data initiatives.

Establishing Governance and Accountability

• The role will define and enforce robust governance structures, ensuring projects adhere to best practices, timelines, and budgets.
• Improving oversight reduces project risks, ensures accountability, and enhances transparency, keeping stakeholders informed and engaged.

Enhancing Collaboration across Teams

• Importantly, the role will act as a facilitator, ensuring seamless collaboration between Digital & Data and the wider business towards delivering business plan objectives.
• Ensuring cross-functional alignment and projects which are relevant to business needs and deliver user-centric solutions.

Optimising Resource Management

• Importantly, the oversight will support resource planning and allocation, ensuring the right skills, tools, and budgets are in place for critical digital and data projects.
• Ensuring efficient resource management minimises bottlenecks and ensures high-priority initiatives are adequately supported.

Measuring and Communicating Impact

• Helping to establish KPls and performance metrics to track how digital and data projects contribute to business objectives.
• Demonstrating the tangible impact of projects builds confidence in the PMO and reinforces its strategic value.

The Successful Applicant

Experience & Technical Skills

Essential criteria:

• Demonstrable experience of leading a PMO or similar function within a digital, data, or technology environment in a complex organisation.
• Strong understanding of portfolio, programme, and project management disciplines, including Agile and traditional methodologies.
• Proven ability to establish governance frameworks and performance reporting in support of digital transformation initiatives.
• Excellent communication, influencing, and stakeholder engagement skills - including experience working with senior executives.
• Strong financial and resource planning acumen, with the ability to manage budgets, forecasts, and business cases.
• Track record of improving delivery assurance and outcomes across large-scale or complex portfolios.
• Experience in government, public sector, or regulated environments, with an understanding of the strategic context of public service delivery.

Desirable criteria:

• Professional qualifications such as MSP, MoP, PRINCE2, AgilePM, SAFe, or equivalent.
• Experience working in or alongside property, infrastructure, or estates functions.
• Familiarity with Cabinet Office and Government Digital Service (GDS) standards and governance processes.

Qualifications and Accreditation's Degree-Level Education (Desirable)

• A degree in a relevant field such as IT Project Management or Programme Management.

Professional Certifications (Highly Desirable):

• Project/Programme Management: PRINCE2, MSP, AgilePM, PM Project Management Professional or equivalent.

Agile and Service Design Expertise (Desirable):

• Agile Scrum Master/Product Owner certification
• Knowledge of Government Digital Service (GDS) standards and service assessment criteria.

Behaviours

At the interview, we'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Changing and Improving
• Communicating and Influencing
• Leadership
• Delivering at Pace

Technical skills

We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:

• Customer Perspective
• Commercial Acumen
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