Operations PMO Lead

This role delivers projects, not just oversees them. The Operations PMO Lead is expected to personally own and run a project portfolio with the same rigour expected of the wider team.

• Own and run a portfolio of operational, systems, and change projects from scoping through to BAU handover.
• Develop and maintain project plans, timelines, risk registers, and stakeholder reporting to a consistently high standard.
• Manage project risks, issues, and dependencies — escalating where necessary, resolving wherever possible.
• Coordinate cross-functional teams to align scope, priorities, and delivery requirements across concurrent workstreams.
• Ensure projects are delivered on time, to scope, with clearly defined ownership and a structured handover into business-as-usual.
• Be visible and hands-on in delivery — this role is not above the coordination, documentation, or administrative work that makes projects succeed.

Lead a small, globally distributed team of Operations Project Managers — creating an environment where standards are high, support is genuine, and people grow.

• Line manage Operations Project Managers across the UK, Australia, and US: regular 1:1s, clear expectations, and active coaching.
• Build and maintain a consistent approach to delivery across the team — methodology, documentation standards, reporting cadence, and quality bar.
• Maintain visibility of the team's collective portfolio, identifying capacity constraints, sequencing issues, and prioritisation calls.
• Spot development needs and performance issues early, acting on both with directness and care.
• Contribute to recruitment and onboarding of future PM hires as the team scales.
• Lead by example — the standard the team works to should be visible in your own work, not just communicated in words.

• Support the implementation and embedding of new business systems and tools that improve operational efficiency.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to document and refine business processes, ensuring they are scalable, consistent, and measurable.
• Contribute to capacity and resource planning efforts to ensure operational readiness for key initiatives.
• Identify operational blockers and work with teams to implement practical, evidence-based improvements.

• Provide the COO with clear, concise visibility of the team portfolio — progress, risks, capacity, and outcomes — without requiring it to be chased.
• Develop and maintain a reporting framework that gives stakeholders the right information at the right level, without creating unnecessary overhead for the team.
• Contribute to post-acquisition integration activities, ensuring aligned processes, systems, and delivery models.
• Support ad-hoc operational initiatives and special projects at the direction of the COO.
• Champion continuous improvement by embedding good project management practice across teams and functions.

• Proven hands-on project and programme management experience in SaaS, tech, or digital services — with a demonstrable track record of personally delivering, not just governing.
• Experience managing or mentoring project managers, with the ability to hold standards high while developing people effectively.
• Comfortable managing a small, globally distributed team across multiple time zones without sacrificing the pace or quality of your own delivery work.
• Strong understanding of operational systems, business tools, and scalable process design.
• Experience coordinating system implementations, migrations, or operational change projects.
• Experience supporting post-acquisition integration activities is advantageous.

• Exceptional project planning, coordination, and risk management — able to run multiple complex projects simultaneously without losing grip on the detail.
• Strong people leadership: direct, fair, and genuinely invested in developing the capability of the team.
• Excellent communication at all levels — able to give a COO a crisp portfolio update and a PM clear, actionable feedback in the same working day.
• High personal standards for documentation, reporting, and process quality — and the ability to instil those standards in others without bureaucracy.
• Analytical and data-driven approach to decisions, performance tracking, and continuous improvement.
• Comfortable creating structure in ambiguous environments rather than waiting for it to be provided.
• Familiarity with delivery and project tools — PMO systems, capacity planning tools, CRM, and operational platforms.
• A genuine bias toward action: this is a role for someone who gets things done, not someone who manages the process of getting things done.

• Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Operations, Technology Management, or a related field — or equivalent professional experience.
• Project management certifications (e.g. PRINCE2, PMP, Lean Six Sigma, ITIL) are advantageous but not essential. Delivery track record matters more than credentials.

• Projects are delivered on time, within scope, and successfully embedded into BAU — by you personally and across your team.
• The COO has reliable, proactive visibility of the portfolio without needing to request it.
• The PM team is well-led, well-developed, and operating to a consistently high standard across all three regions.
• Stakeholders across the business experience the function as organised, accountable, and easy to work with.
• The team's capability and reputation grows in line with the pace and ambition of the business.