Head of Technology Portfolio Management

A new Technology Change Team and operating model is being designed, which will develop and implement processes, artefacts, tools, and behaviours to enable more effective and efficient delivery of business value across the organisation, catering for both traditional and more agile/innovation-focused delivery approaches. This new team will consist of the following capabilities: Strategy & Demand Planning, Portfolio Management & Reporting, and Change Excellence.

The Head of Technology Portfolio Management will lead the Portfolio Management & Reporting team. Reporting to the Director of Technology Change this individual will need to be a seasoned PMO/ Portfolio Management leader, have excellent stakeholder engagement skills, consulting and influencing at a senior level. Their sole function is to help deliver better business outcomes through the support, enablement and assurance of change. This is an enabling, collaborative role that uses ‘just enough governance’ to assure quality, timeliness and effective delivery of change.

Design, build and lead the new Technology PMO function

• Work with key stakeholders to understand current and define target PMO capabilities needed to deliver technology change (within and across the Informa divisions). Evolve the PMO operating model, along with supporting processes, artefacts, tools, and behaviours
• Assume line management of a small team of PMOs. Review and evolve the design,scale and remit of the PMO team, owning internal transitions and hiring. Build out and lead a team of highly skilled and experienced professionals, providing direction, and instilling a sense of team and collaboration
• Create a clear Employee Value Proposition within the team, including career development pathways within the PMO and more widely across Informa
• Champion the PMO discipline and its value to Informa in aligning investments, minimising cost and maximising Return on Investment
• Build support for the new PMO function, proving value and managing resistance from key stakeholder groups. Role model collaboration and customer-focused ways of working

Help to ensure demand is effectively aligned with the organisation’s strategy and priorities

• Partner with Demand & Planning to design and facilitate ‘just enough’ governance to ensure demand is effectively understood, prioritised, shaped and funded
• Enable smooth progression through governance forums, minimising rework and supporting fast decision-making
• Enable effective resource planning and scheduling through the provision of process and tooling

Change Standards, Governance, Assurance and Reporting

• Help to improve the quality of change delivery, partnering with project and programme professionals across Informa to align on, standardise and drive adoption of good practice methodologies
• Promote adherence to methodologies and standards for managing projects, including processes, forums, appropriate controls and templates
• Take the lead in building the overall level of project and programme management awareness and skill across Informa
• Ensure stakeholders are supported in navigating change processes, understanding roles and responsibilities and how to plan and engage with decision-making forums
• Chair key governance forums. Ensure meetings/forums have appropriate input documentation, to good quality and that agendas are well prepared with clear decisions and actions
• Assess the demand/project reporting capability , associated data, and tooling practices and enhance and scale this across the organisation. Seek stakeholder input to evolve data and insights, ensuring usefulness for business decisions
• Provide critical data and insight into the Chief Technology Strategy Officer, Director of Technology Change and key stakeholders on technology demand and project performance, including identification and escalation of critical risks and issues
• Create and implement a training process for new starters in key change roles (e.g. PMs)
• Lead the design and implementation of relevant (eg PPM) tooling

Value and Finance

• Partner with finance teams to develop and embed a good practice for project finance management (total cost of ownership, business case, benefits and cost tracking)
• Collaborate with Divisional and Technology leadership, and Finance teams, playing a lead role in coordinating data and insights around Technology change costs, benefits, risks, and opportunities as part of 3 Yr. Planning cycles (PPP) and budget requests

Change Excellence/Capability

• Own, publish and continuously modernise standard PMO role definitions, job families, career paths and capabilities
• Provide guidance on project standards and run related capabilities e.g. conduct project health checks, provide guidance on risk, issue and dependency management
• Run a data-driven cycle of continual improvement activities, identifying lessons learned, trends and opportunities for improvement

• Experience of and appetite to operate in a dynamic and fast-changing environment
• Extensive experience leading a Central or Portfolio PMO Team supporting multiple initiatives, and in running and improving PMO/governance activities
• PMO Leadership experience, with relevant qualification preferred (e.g., P3O Practitioner, MoP Practitioner)
• Experience chairing senior management meetings and governance forums, as well as issuing and visualising reporting and Management Information data
• Strong stakeholder engagement and relationship building skills in senior management forums. Ability to influence without authority
• Experience providing leadership, and coaching to other PMO team roles
• Evidence of continuously improving PMO practice and leading a PMO team through change
• Leveraging strong data literacy skills, and experience of financial and Management Information, and reporting for both waterfall and more agile /iterative deliveries
• Experience working with PPM/Project tools and ideally managing them

Employee experience is very important to us. On top of joining a supportive, diverse and ambitious team that welcomes all types of candidates. We are also flexible with different working patterns and prioritise promotions internally.  

Our benefits include: 

• Tailored development opportunities and on-demand access to thousands of courses on LinkedIn 
• Balance time in the office with time working remotely, feeling fully supported wherever you are 
• 25 days annual leave, 4 days for volunteering and a day off for your birthday! 
• The chance to work from (almost!) anywhere across the globe, four weeks a year 
• Competitive and rewarding benefits, tailored to each of our regions  
• Work with high quality specialist products 
• Bright and friendly staff who are all “expert’s experts” and additional training and development for helping you achieve your career aspiration 
• The chance to become an Informa shareholder, with extra rewards just for colleagues 
• Regular social events and networking opportunities 

We know that sometimes the 'perfect candidate' doesn't exist, and that people can be put off applying for a job if they don't fit all the requirements. If you're excited about working for us and have most of the skills or experience we're looking for, please go ahead and apply. You could be just what we need! We believe strongly in the value of diversity and creating supportive, inclusive environments where our colleagues can succeed.  As such, Informa is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer.  We do not discriminate on the basis of race, colour, ancestry, national origin, religion, or religious creed, mental or physical disability, medical condition, genetic information, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, and related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, marital status, military or veteran status, citizenship, or other protected characteristics under federal, state or local law.  

Please let us know of any adjustments we need to make for you to show us your best self. We want all of our candidates to shine in the recruitment process! 

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