Within Whitbread sits Group Operations and the Change Delivery function. We deliver high performance change across the breadth of the IT function, managing and successfully executing all ranges of pro...

Role:   PMO Manager

Salary: Competitive, plus bonus % and other benefits

Employment Type:   Full-Time and Permanent

Location: Whitbread Court, Dunstable - hybrid working with coming into the office twice a week

We are the UK's leading hospitality company, a FTSE 100 organisation with over 35,000 employees worldwide, and for the last 10 years running have been recognised as a ‘Top Employer’ by the Top Employers Institute. Owning successful brands such as Premier Inn, we have over 850 hotels - which is over 80,000 bedrooms - across the UK, Germany and the Middle. We’re also proud to own over 420 restaurants across the UK including Beefeater and our newer brands Bar + Block and Cookhouse & Pub. With exciting plans to innovate and grow our core UK and international business, we’re always keeping our customers at the heart of what we do and there has never been a more exciting time to join Whitbread!

Within Whitbread sits Group Operations and the Change Delivery function. We deliver high performance change across the breadth of the IT function, managing and successfully executing all ranges of projects and programmes, aligned to Whitbread’s strategic priorities and Architectures' technology roadmap.

Within Change Delivery sits the PMO, who is accountable for upholding the highest of governance standards across our IT projects & programmes. This team plays an integral part within the organisation owning Workforce Planning & Resource Management, Portfolio Planning & Reporting, owns the project/programme Delivery Framework including all processes & toolkits, as well as being responsible for overall Assurance to delivery.

We are looking for someone with impeccable stakeholder management skills, is an excellent communicator, enjoys assurance and although no line management is currently required for this role, they should have leadership and general management qualities.

The PMO Manager works alongside Delivery Managers and Project Managers to agree the best approach for a project based on scale, complexity and risk and then sets clear expectations upfront for how the project will be delivered. They will ensure the project/programme remains true to this throughout,  providing a key assurance role, overseeing change control as needed and overseeing project stage gates. They will support the Delivery Manager in upholding standards through coaching and guiding the PMs, and is a true partner to the Delivery Manager, working alongside each other day to day ensuring they have a focused & engaged delivery team. They are required to support multiple projects, managing their own work activities and meeting deadlines in a timely and effective manner.

Alongside the other PMO Managers in the team, they’ll be responsible for the project delivery framework development. As the subject matter experts of all PMO processes, they are always looking for efficiencies on how to make project delivery simple yet controlled and effective

Inside the role:

• Oversee key governance gates, providing challenge as to whether the proposals are realistic and meet business objectives, and where costs and delivery dates would render projects not viable to proceed 
• Provide challenge and assurance around the project & programme priorities and delivery dates with the Delivery Manager
• Support Delivery Managers in timely and accurate programme dashboard reporting, covering aspects (Budget, Timelines and Quality) of scope, outcomes and performance against agreed critical success factors, KPIs and benefits.
• Drive continuous efficiencies across the delivery lifecycle
• Oversee that the financial forecasting activities with the Project Managers & Delivery Managers adhere to Whitbread standards
• Ensure project & programme governance meetings are established and performing to agreed standards
• Monitor & review issues and risks across projects & programmes, and ensure the correct application of escalation criteria when needed
• Ensure application of planning best practice
• Assure & participate where needed in on-going management of project & programme plans through regular planning meetings / workshops across programmes
• Assure critical path and milestone monitoring in order to highlight issues / impacts of slippage to plan
• Monitor cross project/programme/portfolio dependencies

• Conduct health checks when commissioned to
• Promotes process compliance, standardisation and continuous improvement across the organisation
• Ensures that the core processes meet the needs of the stakeholders and proactively provides input to the PMO Frameworks and processes in response to project & programme

Open to you: 

• Deep project background with more than 5 years programme and project management
• Demonstrable experience of PMO management of multiple large technology integration projects from concept through to operational use
• Strong understanding of the underlying business processes required to trade, operate and support a Hotel business or equivalent business
• Proven experience of directing and motivating project teams
• Relationship Management – ability to build, establish and maintain all stakeholder relationships
• Proficient in using MS Office and Project Management tools

In return for your commitment, we’ve got some great benefits to offer:

ʉۢ A market competitive base salary + up to 30% annual bonus

• Sharesave scheme

• A collaborative work culture that focuses on supporting your success

• A flexible working policy you can rely on

• Up to Family Cover BUPA healthcare

• Optional contributory pension matched up to 10%

• Up to 25% discount off our brands