Job Description

A member of the senior team within the Estates Directorate, the Head of PMO will hold a pivotal role in ensuring successful delivery of the capital programme through monitoring and challenging programme and project deliverables, providing financial assurance, ensuring reporting is aligned with the requirements of the programme and governance, and reporting to senior management on the progress of all projects. The Head of PMO will provide effective management of risk and issues, providing assurance to senior governance boards. The holder of this role will be integral in the shaping of future capital programmes.

Main Duties and Responsibilities

1. Lead the shaping and ongoing development of the Estates Programme Office to ensure it provides highly effective control, insight, performance measurement and value across the capital programme, enabling effective delivery of the £1bn capital plan.

2. Support the delivery of a suite of effective controls to manage the capital programme, ensuring transparency across the lifecycle of all projects, clearly establishing the critical path at both programme and project level.

3. Support in partnership with others Heads of Service a quality assurance process to test and provide high-quality challenge to project and programme plans, costs and risk and management issues. Certify that all programmes, costs and risks can be escalated to inform overall programme reports. Establish consistency of approach to all project and programme management between the University, consultants and contractors. Certify all reporting aligns with University standard reports and can be escalated to a University Programme Office as necessary

4. Ensure accurate and effective data and metrics are developed and measured across all projects and programmes, respond to any audit findings, and provide guidance on best practice to the Directorate.

5. Develop an effective reporting system which allows individual project managers to have confidence in delivering individual projects, whilst also being able to inform governance boards on progress, trends and risks. Challenge and give assurance to all financial reporting working closely with the Head of Estates Finance. Ensure reporting simplifies complex projects and programmes so that critical matters are highlighted to governance boards and Court committee members, identifying risks and trends to enable governance members clarity on areas of priority.

6. Develop the effective management of risk, ensuring all risks are identified, thereby reducing spend on delays. Lead appropriate workshops, Post Project reviews and discussions to identify risks, maintain a departmental risk register and ensure adequate mitigation for successful delivery, escalating when an identified risk may impact on success.

7. Provide financial assurance across all projects and work closely with finance colleagues to ensure accurate monitoring and reporting of cash flow and total budget spend. Prepare feasibility studies and assist the Finance Office/Colleges with the development of Business Cases and Option Appraisals. Ensure all data and capital plan information is available to support the annual budget process and the annual review of the capital plan.

8. Lead a programme office which ensures that the construction process is seamless and adheres to soft landings methodology. Ensure an effective lessons learned approach is adopted to ensure continuous improvement in project delivery.

9. Develop the strategy for the University’s adoption of digitized information management in respect to BIM etc., taking into consideration value for money, effectiveness and Government expectations. Lead the development and adoption of BIM across the department, ensuring effective implementation and is working on projects and programmes.

10. Develop, coordinate, maintain and distribute all Estates and Buildings project reporting systems and processes including health and safety reporting and financial reporting. Ensure that everyone across the department understands the importance of and need to comply with project reporting procedures and is using the tools provided, such as RAID Logs. Provide oversight and assurance of reporting into University-wide programme reporting.

11. Provide programme management analytical advice and expertise to Project Boards and Executives, ensuring that programme and project plans are produced to a high standard and that the programme delivers the financial, activity, workforce and quality outcomes defined.

12. Contribute to the preparation of funding bids relating to Estates Development Projects and to the coordination of fundraising activities and campaigns, including contribution to the preparation of grant applications and the administration and management of grants. Prepare reports for outside agencies and bodies in relation to external funding grants.

13. Prepare project programmes and reports for estate development projects and coordinate development activities, taking cognizance of University events, key Committee and Project Governance dates and deadlines. Provide specialist technical advice and support to user departments to help them to identify their requirements, thereafter, advise and support them to develop any required business cases so that any emerging projects have a clear and justifiable rationale and supporting plans are achievable and represent best value. Work with the Head of Projects, Project Director and Heads of Operations to review and manage resource allocation and alert them to risks associated with under-resourcing.

14. Develop and test effective KPls, monitor and report against the KPls, provide timely and appropriate information to other parts of the University with regards to KPls, including benchmarking and leading the delivery of HESA returns.

15. Procure, appoint and manage the services of external professional consultants and contractors to provide professional project monitoring, tracking, reporting, and acting as one interface between the University and the construction industry.

Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

Ability to demonstrate the necessary strategic competencies required to undertake the duties associated with this level of post having acquired the necessary professional knowledge and leadership experience in a similar or number of different specialist roles; Or: Scottish Credit and Qualification Framework level 9,10 or 11 (Ordinary/Honors Degree, Post Graduate Qualification), or equivalent including being professionally qualified in relevant discipline , with a broad range of professional leadership experience in strategically important specialist areas. A depth of knowledge of the finances of capital projects and financial reporting in relation to project and programmes in construction. Qualified to Degree level and Chartered Membership of CIOB, RICS, or other relevant Professional Body. Project Management certification. Working knowledge of Health and Safety legislation.Knowledge of NEC Contracts and partnership working on refurbishment or new build projects An understanding of the construction of key maintenance and legislative requirement priorities in relation to the existing estates Knowledge of H&S within the construction industry; Knowledge of Higher Education and Public Sector Procurement, including Treasury Guidance economic appraisals. Excellent leadership and management abilities with the ability to lead change in programme management across the Directorate. Excellent skills in influencing and an ability to effectively challenge and test across a diverse stakeholder group with varied subject matter knowledge. Proven ability to deliver strategic oversight whilst also undertaking detailed analysis and assurance on projects. Proven ability to working effectively to timescales and to be able to deliver under pressure. Proven problem-solving ability and decisive decision maker. Politically sensitive and an ability to understand awareness of the environment in which the programme office operates. Ability to liaise and co-operate with people across organizational boundaries to achieve effective delivery. Knowledge and experience of using Project Online. Knowledge and experience of using PowerBI. Experience of managing and developing complex projects and programmes across a large organization, public or private sector, with a demonstrable track record in strategic estate management and delivery of large capital development programmes and projects. Experience of working with matrix managed professional teams, successfully influencing without line management control. Experience of service delivery and building and managing customer relationships. Significant experience of working in a Programme and Project Management role on a major capital programme Experience of developing and maintaining effective governance frameworks. Experience of implementing and maintaining appropriate systems to enable effective planning, scheduling and reporting. Proven experience of working co-operatively with people across organizational boundaries to achieve effective delivery. Experience of managing large project budget, and analyzing and reporting on these. Previous experience working in a HE, Government or Public Sector. Experience of working with historic properties.