PMO Manager | 18-month FTC | £55k - £65k | Milton Keynes
I’m representing a distinctive UK university that’s in the midst of a major digital transformation programme. This is a high-profile initiative spanning IT, Student Management, Finance, HR, and Data, not just about systems, but about driving cultural and organisational change.
They’re now looking for a PMO Manager to reset, rebuild confidence, and take their governance and delivery capability to the next level. Governance processes (risk logs, reporting, newsletters) exist, but their impact and consistency need strengthening.
The offer
* Contract: 18-month FTC (Highly likely for the role to become permanent).
* Salary: £55,000 - £65,000 but can go up to £70,000 for an exceptional candidate.
* Location: Milton Keynes (3 days per week on site).
* Reporting line: Transformation Director, with a dotted line to the Registrar.
* Start date: Ideally asap but can wait for notice periods.
* Process: 1 stage interview process with 2nd stage reserved just in case - w/c 15th of September.
Why this role?
The new PMO Manager will have the mandate to re-energise the team, improve cultural adoption of governance, and establish stakeholder trust through meaningful, consistent reporting. It’s a hands-on role initially, with a natural progression toward shaping and embedding strategic governance across the organisation.
Key priorities for the first 6–12 months
* Establish an effective organisational PMO with consistent reporting and improved engagement.
* Motivate and re-energise the transformation team and wider project team that are non digital.
* Improve governance adoption (e.g. tackling missed milestones, ensuring true RAG status).
* Deliver efficiency and continuous improvement across projects and processes.
* Build credibility and stakeholder confidence through quick wins (better communication and engagement within 3–6 months).
About you
You’ll need to bring:
* 5+ years’ experience in PMO management role.
* Strong stakeholder engagement and influencing skills.
* Proven ability to embed effective PMO processes and drive cultural change.
* Experience navigating complex organisations with multiple stakeholders and high expectations.
* Line management experience, with the ability to motivate and develop others.
Desirable: Higher education or working with smaller-organisation experience, Power BI and data visualisation skills, Agile/benefits tracking exposure.
If you’re ready to lead a PMO reset, bring energy back to a transformation team, and build credibility through delivery, I’d love to hear from you.
Please reach out on +44 (0) 161 5498006 or through email on y.okubet@gravitasgroup.com for more information/confidential chat.