PMO Manager, John Lewis Partnership

Opportunity Review: PMO Specialist at John Lewis Partnership

For ambitious professionals looking to make a tangible impact within a renowned employee-owned organization, the Programme and Project Management Office (PMO) Specialist role at the John Lewis Partnership presents a compelling career opportunity. This position is embedded within the Change Profession, a vital hub of expertise driving strategic transformation across the vast £600m project portfolio of the Partnership. If you're passionate about efficient delivery, strategic insight, and contributing to a business with a unique co-owned ethos, this role warrants your close consideration.

Key Advantages for Your Career Path:

• Impactful Project Exposure: You'll be at the forefront of delivering significant initiatives, from large-scale operating model transformations like "WTR Simpler Shops" and "JL Retail Transformation," to enhancing customer propositions such as "Delivery from Store," and even venturing into new business areas like "Build to Rent." This breadth of involvement ensures continuous learning and exposure to diverse strategic objectives.
• Focus on Strategic Modernisation: A significant aspect of this role involves contributing to the Tech Modernisation programme. This offers a prime opportunity to gain hands-on experience in transforming IT infrastructure towards cloud-based technologies and evolving operating models to be more product-centric. For those with an interest in IT PMO, this is a particularly attractive prospect.
• Driving Best Practice: The role emphasizes not only supporting delivery but also constructively challenging existing processes, providing critical insights for decision-making, and actively coaching teams to adopt best practices. This fosters a proactive approach to PMO, allowing you to shape and improve delivery frameworks.
• Collaborative & Supportive Environment: While your specific assignments may evolve, the PMO team operates within Value Stream/Shared Capability PMO structures. This collaborative model encourages shared learning and a collective drive for excellence, with an expectation of 1-2 days per week in the London (Pimlico) office for connection and key meetings, fostering a hybrid working approach balanced with business needs.
• Employee Ownership & Rewarding Culture: As part of the John Lewis Partnership, you'll be a Partner, sharing in the responsibilities and rewards of the UK's largest employee-owned business. This unique ownership model fosters a sense of belonging, shared purpose, and a culture that values individual contributions and collective success.
• Financial Incentives: Beyond the competitive salary range of £47,100-£73,000, the role offers a Night Premium of £5.00 per hour for any time worked between 22:00 and 06:00, providing an additional incentive for flexibility.

Key Considerations for Potential Candidates:

• Fixed-Term Contract: Please note that this is a 14-month fixed-term contract. Candidates should be comfortable with this contract duration.
• Location & Travel: The role is based at the London (Pimlico) offices. It is important to be aware that any costs incurred for travel to the office are the responsibility of the successful candidate, as there is no travel allowance provided.
• Experience in IT PMO is Beneficial: While not strictly essential, prior experience working within a PMO on an IT portfolio will be highly advantageous, particularly given the current focus on the Tech Modernisation programme.
• Proactive Contribution to Ways of Working: Beyond day-to-day responsibilities, successful candidates are expected to actively contribute to improving the PMO team's own operational efficiency and methodologies. This requires an analytical and improvement-oriented mindset.
• Diverse Responsibilities: Your daily remit will vary, encompassing governance, risk and issue management, financial oversight, reporting, planning, and dependency management. You may also be expected to lead small teams. A strong understanding and application of agreed delivery frameworks are crucial.
• PPM Tool Proficiency: While experience with specific PPM tools (like Planview) is desirable, the ability to effectively manage and maintain the Partnership's PPM tool for accurate data is essential for portfolio management.
• Pre-Employment Vetting: Be prepared for potential pre-employment vetting, which may include DBS checks and financial probity checks, depending on the specific requirements of the role.

This PMO Specialist role offers a dynamic and rewarding environment for individuals eager to contribute to a purpose-driven organization. If you possess strong PMO fundamentals, excellent stakeholder management skills, and a desire to be part of significant transformations within a unique business model, this opportunity is certainly worth exploring as you chart your next career move.