Portfolio Delivery Office Lead

Closing date: 21 May 2025

What is the purpose of this job?

We believe that art of successful programme and portfolio delivery is the balance of inspiring a shared strategic vision with co-ordinating multiple workstreams and providing oversight and guidance across the Portfolio of programmes. As Portfolio Delivery Office Lead, your role is to shape and lead the Portfolio Delivery Team, ensuring that programmes support and align to our strategic objectives, that we prioritise our resources and address shortfalls, and undertake Portfolio wide oversight including measuring portfolio dependencies, risks and benefits.

You will own the RDG Project Delivery Framework and ensure it is implemented and followed across the Portfolio and that programmes are supported with PMO activity. This role will be measured by the successful delivery of the programme Portfolio within both our organisation, and where appropriate our member organisations too.

• Ensure the Project and Programmes portfolio remains aligned with the overall strategic goals and objectives of RDG
• Create and maintain a portfolio roadmap and associated resource pipeline, showing current and planned activity and how they all align to RDG Board priorities.
• Create and maintain a long-term resourcing plan for Project and Programmes, working with Head of Programmes to ensure that resources are ready when they are required and that we balance the use and personal development of the P&P team, with the flexibility of contract resources.
• Liaise with internal departments to give them visibility of likely demands on their resources over the medium term and ensure that individual projects and programmes get the necessary support in the short term, managing priorities and escalations as necessary.
• Make strategic Portfolio decisions and provide leadership and direction to programme and project managers to implement those decisions and develop the skills and experience of the P&P team as a whole.
• Represent and champion the Portfolio within RDG and with multiple senior external stakeholders, resolve blockers, balance resources, develop a strong and capable team and oversee multiple projects and programmes simultaneously,
• Oversee benefits measurement and realisation all project implementation related to project management, including monitoring and reporting, financials, execution of project plans, quality, performance and compliance with relevant regulations
• Measure, report and Portfolio wide dependencies, risks and issues.
• With the Head of Programmes and finance representative measure and monitor Portfolio financial performance against budgets to ensure delivery within authorised limits
• Set up and lead appropriate governance for the Portfolio Delivery Office in line with RDG’s existing governance structure. Responsible ensuring the Project Delivery Framework remains current and appropriate to govern the Portfolio
• Adhere to RDG Project Delivery Framework standards and procedures and identify and implement improvements to these standards and procedures. This includes the RDG Risk Management process
• Develop and lead our team of PMO Analysts and Business Support Officers, through a PMO Manager, promote common ways of working, consistent use of our portfolio management tools, continuous improvement of our activities, allocate resources and manage workload distribution with maximum efficiency.
• Foster a collaborative, diverse and inclusive team culture and support professional development and continuous learning opportunities.

• Project and Programme Team Members
• RDG Exec and Senior Leadership Team
• Senior Stakeholders such as DFT, FTR, ORR
• Internal supporting functions (e.g. architecture, finance, procurement, legal)
• Third party suppliers

Requirements

What experience, skills and knowledge do I need?

We are looking for someone with at least 10 years extensive experience of working in a senior leadership position delivering and overseeing large scale programmes and projects. You will be able to demonstrate a strong aptitude for the role and expert programme and project leadership knowledge.

Some of the sort of specific skills and knowledge we are looking for include:

• Significant vocational PMO or Portfolio Office experience ideally within Transport, Travel, Retail, Utilities, Professional Services
• Experience and qualifications in Portfolio Management and project methodologies such as Agile and Prince 2
• Experience of overseeing large portfolios with complex programmes in a wide ranging stakeholder environment.
• Delivery of portfolios within the agreed constraints of time, budget and demonstrating alignment to strategic objectives.
• Ability to make decisions relating to Portfolio priorities, risks and dependencies
• Experienced providing support and resource to programmes that helps assure successful delivery.
• Experience of monitoring and auditing of portfolio wide risks, issues, dependencies, and benefits. Managing, with the appropriate programme action owner to remediate.
• Demonstrated leadership skills, leading and getting the best out of teams and individuals
• Ability to own portfolio governance processes to delivery, and form good working relationships with all internal Governance teams
• Excellent communication skills, liaising with all senior executives, stakeholders, Industry boards and project team members, through the provision of high-quality multi-media reports, presentations, demonstrations and focus groups to influence decisions, make recommendations and provide support on business management.

• 30 days annual leave
• 75% reduction on UK rail travel (for work and leisure) - more below
• Reduced international rail travel
• Interest free season ticket loan
• Contributory defined benefit pension scheme
• Give As You Earn scheme
• Subsidised private medical care
• Healthcare cash plan scheme
• Employee Assistance Programme scheme
• Flexible working
• 30 weeks full pay for maternity, adoption and shared parental leave (subject to eligibility)
• Personal Development Days
• Employees may sell up to a maximum of five days’ leave. Employees can buy up to a maximum of five days’ leave. These figures will be pro rata for part-time employees