Head of PMO & Operations

Description

• Provide expert technical advice and guidance to the team and Clients to ensure best practice and build a strong reputation for effective delivery.
• Own and manage the preparation of annual and monthly budgets and forecasting to support divisional strategy and objectives whilst ensuring work volumes, business profit and other specified non-financial targets are met, i.e recruitment and retention targets.
• Ensure the business maintains strong financial health and safety performance, and ensure compliance with regulatory and legislative standards in all dealings and business transactions.
• Support the Lead on Health and Safety (SHEQ) across the Business Unit, ensuring company procedures and processes are followed, and SHEQ-related KPIs are met, recorded and shared for future audit.
• Lead and mentor a team fostering a collaborative and innovative work environment and encourage a continuous improvement culture.
• Develop and implement strategies that support growth and stay abreast of industry trends and emerging technologies to ensure the Business Unit remains competitive.
• Develop key policies and processes to align to the changing requirements of the business while supporting and driving business performance.
• Encourage and develop strong leadership qualities within the Business unit, delivering clear direction and leadership through the provision of objectives, responsibilities and accountabilities, managing performance and identifying talent and successors accordingly.
• Ensure compliance with relevant statutory regulations and policies.
• Ensure that regular and meaningful engagement takes place with all staff delivering business strategy through clear and constant communication.
• Develop and manage relationships effectively with clients and internal stakeholders in cross-functional teams to align goals with overall Company objectives.
• Link the growth ambitions to revenue, recruitment and business development strategies to identify clear action plans to meet the overall strategy for growth
• Prepare and present reports including high quality, succinct and relevant operational and financial information via budget updates and business unit reviews to the Freedom Senior Leadership Team and other business stakeholders.
• Support bid activity for the Business Unit in conjunction with the Business Development team, to ensure professional, profitable and successful bid outcomes, that provide levels of turnover and profit that support the financial performance of the Business Unit.
• Support and maintain relationships with existing Clients and actively pursue new work leads to attract new Clients.

Requirements

• Good understanding of UK statutory and regulatory frameworks (e.g., Electricity Act, Planning Act, Compulsory Purchase Orders).
• Degree in relevant discipline
• 10+ years of strong technical expertise in required discipline, demonstrating solution-finding through critical technical thinking and leveraging technical ability to solve problems.
• Experience in utilities, energy, or transport sectors.
• Track record of successful delivery across multiple complex projects.
• Understanding of environmental permitting and ecological constraints.
• Ability to manage multiple pressing priorities at the same time, to find ways to tackle large problems in manageable pieces. Strong ability to prioritise work
• Demonstrable ability to drive through and impliment strategic business, or project, improvement initiatives while managing project/client requirements
• Experience of working on large-scale infrastructure projects in the Energy, Power, Nuclear, Water, Transport or Linear infrastructure sectors
• Ability to understand Primavera P6 project programmes and interpret/understand key attributes such as Critical Path, SPI/CPI, Earned Value etc.
• Experience within an operational leadership role and proven track record of managing a large team and multiple projects
• Familiarity with GIS and land referencing software.
• Understanding of financial statements and financial accounts, interpreting project financial metrics to understand project health/level of distress.
• Experience working on DCOs or large-scale infrastructure projects.
• Experience of working in the general Energy sector and specifically the Electricity sector on OHL / underground cabling projects requiring consent.
• Membership of a relevant professional body (e.g., RICS, APM, CMI).
• Chartership and/or qualification in APM or similar
• Strong leadership and stakeholder engagement skills.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities, deadlines, and internal/external stakeholder requirements.
• Strong digital credentials; understanding of Teams, Sharepoint, business EM softwares, and BIM on projects.
• Project Management qualification from relevant industry bodies such as APM, PMI etc.
• Understanding and experience of working under, standard forms of contract such as JCT, NEC3 or 4. Demonstrable understanding and experience of working with EWNs, Variations, Change Events on large projects.

Benefits

• Personal Wellbeing and Volunteer Days
• Free 24/7 365 Employee Assistance Program to support mental health and well-being (including counselling sessions and legal advice)
• 25 days holiday plus Bank Holidays
• Flexible benefits to suit from Dental Insurance, Gym Memberships, Give As You Earn, Travel Insurance, Tax Free Bikes
• Personal development programme.
• Private Medical Insurance
• Car or Car allowance
• Competitive salary
• Sick Pay
• Pension with a leading provider and employer contribution

Training + Development

Interview process

Visa Sponsorship

Security clearance