NATS is the UK's leading air navigation service provider, handling over 2.4 million flights each year. We provide air traffic control services from two control centres and at airports around the UK. We also provide a wide range of commercial products and solutions internationally. Our people are at the heart of our purpose to advance aviation and keep the skies safe. Salary: Negiotiable Closing Date: Wednesdsy 21st January 2026 PURPOSE OF THE ROLE: Accountable to the Director of Projects and Programmes for the effective leadership and operation of the Programme Management Office. The purpose of the role is to provide leadership, structure, and oversight to ensure the successful delivery of programs and projects within NATS. This role supports the alignment of projects with NATS strategic objectives and ensures that project management practices are standardised and efficient. It also supports the Director of Projects and Programmes to ensure effective running of the Directorate, strategic alignment and communication across departments. The Head of Programme Management Office will play a pivotal role in assuring the successful delivery of projects against time, cost, and quality objectives. They will provide leadership and direction to the PMO team to ensure centralised and consistent assurance of project and programmes, prepare and present executive-level reporting on the status of the change portfolio, working with the programme managers, and ensure that approved project management processes and standards are adhered to. The Programme Management Office will also lead on the governance of 'small projects' and 'annualised investment' portfolios. The Head of Programme Management Office will support the Director of Projects and Programmes and their leadership team to develop and execute strategic initiatives and to undertake business planning across the Projects and Programmes Directorate. They will provide high-level decision support and governance/process guidance to help navigate complex business challenges at a portfolio level. They will act as a liaison between the Director and other leadership team members of the Directorate to ensure effective communication and alignment within the leadership team on key portfolio level decisions. ACCOUNTABILITIES: Ensure all projects and programmes align with NATS strategic goals and accountable for the implementation and delivery of programme and project office services. Provide guidance & assurance for the delivery of projects and programmes, ensuring adherence to established standards, frameworks and methodologies. Enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of project delivery by leading the implementation of best practices, standardising methodologies, and optimising resource use. Track the performance of projects and programs through key performance indicators (KPIs) and providing regular reports to senior management and stakeholders. Prepare and present portfolio-level reports to the executive team, offering insights to enable quick and effective decisions. Coordinate Project and Programme governance and processes, ensuring they are up-to-date and effectively implemented. Enable project and programme resource allocation against programme and small project portfolio demand and project prioritisation (through facilitation of the resource allocation board), working in collaboration with internal supplier functions and external supplier managers. Act as one of the "lines of defence" for project and programme delivery", ensuring that risks, issues and dependencies are being appropriately managed, and corrective actions plans are in place where required. Lead and direct the central PMO team (PMO Managers, PMO Analysts, Resourcing Manager, Planning Lead), ensuring effective line management and professional development of direct reports. Collaborate with the capability team to ensure alignment on project and programme standards, practices and quality management. Utilise effective PPM tooling to allow insight into project and programme delivery through examination of delivery data and reporting. Collaborate with the capability team, to ensure tooling is appropriate to the size of the project portfolio and fits the strategic needs of the Directorate. Foster a culture of continuous improvement, implementing best practices. Provide direct governance and oversight of small projects and annualised investment portfolios. Drive and champion quality and lessons learned across programmes, projects and planning to create a learning environment of continuous improvement and simplification. To support the Director of P&P in their role, as an effective member of the leadership team in the preparation of annual business plans and priority setting and provide leadership across Technical Services to support the delivery of the TS Business plan. Responsible for own professional development, to ensure credibility is maintained and can competently demonstrate knowledge of current and evolving PMO, Planning and Project methodologies is essential. Lead the business narrative, take ownership of communication and communications of our people, ensure the leaders are treated and act as leaders, build trust in management and leadership. Responsible for building and maintaining effective employee relations with the trade unions to support delivery of business objectives Lead the delivery of all Service improvements into the Business (Safety, Resilience, Delay and Sustainability). Drive the business strategy & deliver results as part of the business area leadership team Responsible for creating and embedding continuous improvement with your business area Have the ability to coach, motivate, build teams, and develop others to maximise their contribution and performance, actively developing talent and addressing poor performance. Provide strong people leadership to Technical Services. CANDIDATE PROFILE: The ideal candidate will have a deep understanding of PPM practices and approaches and will be able to demonstrate a proven track record of operating in a senior portfolio / PMO role in a technology and infrastructure delivery organisation. They will be expected to strike the right balance in decisions between technical complexity and business change, with support from the programme directors and business representatives. They will be collaborative and help to build a team atmosphere that encourages everyone to achieve the overall organisational goals. They will have strong leadership, communication and interpersonal skills and be able to think strategically and provide insights to drive successful project and programme delivery and contribute to Directorate success. QUALIFICATIONS, PROFESSIONAL KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS: Good honours degree (which could be scientific, technical or business oriented) or equivalent professional experience operating at a senior management level Proven experience in a PMO role, preferably within a large organisation. Strong leadership and team management skills. Proven experience within a complex business transformation environment, with a proven track record of developing and implementing innovative solutions, at an operational, tactical and strategic level In-depth knowledge of PPM governance and processes. Excellent communication and presentation skills, with the ability to engage effectively with executive-level stakeholders. Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities. Demonstrated ability to manage multiple projects and programmes simultaneously. Experience in risk management and mitigation. Understanding of different project delivery types and delivery methods. Excellent interpersonal skills and credibility to interact and influence across all levels of the business and to build strong productive relationships with stakeholders Strong coaching and mentoring skills, with previous experience in coaching and supporting team members Be able to demonstrate a commitment to Equality through action on Diversity and Inclusion Relevant professional qualifications (e.g., PMP, PRINCE2, MSP). ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: We are proud to offer a fantastic total reward package to help you thrive both personally and professionally - for more information on what NATS can offer you please visit - Why NATS? - NATS ' We have adopted agile working to provide greater flexibility and increased choice over working arrangements, with the opportunity for this role to work in our modern office facilities as well as remotely. We also welcome discussions on flexible and part-time working arrangements. The expectation for this role is that you will need to be in the Whiteley office a minimum of 2 days a week. If you share our passion to advance aviation and keep the skies safe - we would like to hear from you whatever your age, sex, race, faith, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, visible or invisible disability. Individuals that bring different perspectives, skills, life experiences and backgrounds help us be at the forefront of our industry. Department: Project & Programmes Location: Whiteley, Hampshire, GB, PO15 7FL job-location.job-location-inline { display: inline; } Country/Region: GB Postal Code: PO15 7FL Job Code: 1168 Salary Range: Negotiable Date: 7 Jan 2026