Head of Portfolio Management Office

What you’ll be responsible for

Reporting into the Planning Director, the Head of Portfolio Management Office is accountable for providing a single, coherent view of Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water’s investment and change portfolio. The role ensures that portfolios are prioritised, governed and delivered in line with strategic objectives, regulatory commitments and affordability constraints. The postholder provides confidence to the Executive and Board that investment decisions are robust, risks are understood and managed, and delivery is controlled, transparent and outcome focused.

Key responsibilities of the role

1.    Lead the development and operation of the Portfolio Management Office, establishing consistent portfolio governance, standards and controls.
2.    Own the end-to-end portfolio management framework, including prioritisation, sequencing, assurance, reporting and benefits tracking.
3.    Provide a single, integrated view of portfolio performance, risks, dependencies and delivery confidence across capital and change portfolios.
4.    Support Executive and Board decision-making by providing clear, evidence-based insight on affordability, capacity, risk and investment trade-offs.
5.    Coordinate portfolio prioritisation and re-prioritisation in response to regulatory requirements, performance issues and emerging risks.
6.    Oversee portfolio assurance activity, ensuring appropriate challenge, escalation and intervention where delivery confidence is at risk.
7.    Align portfolio delivery with business plans, AMP commitments and regulatory requirements through close working with Asset Planning, Capital Delivery, Finance, Operations and Strategy.
8.    Lead and develop the Portfolio Management Office team, including portfolio analysts, planners and assurance specialists, building capability and consistency.
9.    Drive continuous improvement in portfolio management processes, tools and reporting, promoting transparency, accountability and performance focus.
10.    Act as a senior advocate for portfolio discipline, governance and delivery excellence across Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water.

About you

The following are essential requirements for the recruitment of the role:

Qualifications
•    Degree or equivalent professional qualification in business, engineering, finance, project management, or a related discipline.
•    Recognised portfolio, programme or project management qualification (e.g. MSP, MoP, PRINCE2, APM, PMI) desirable.
•    Leadership or senior management qualification desirable.

Experience
•    Significant senior-level experience leading portfolio, programme or enterprise PMO functions within a complex, asset-intensive or regulated organisation.
•    Proven experience of establishing and operating portfolio management frameworks, governance arrangements and controls across large investment programmes.
•    Demonstrable experience of managing prioritisation, sequencing and assurance of capital and non-capital portfolios.
•    Experience of advising Executive teams and Boards on portfolio performance, delivery confidence, affordability and risk.
•    Experience of working across multiple business units to resolve dependencies, capacity constraints and delivery risks.
•    Proven experience of leading and developing multidisciplinary PMO, portfolio or assurance teams.

Knowledge & Skills
•    Strong understanding of portfolio, programme and project management principles, governance and best practice.
•    Excellent understanding of investment planning, affordability, risk management and benefits realisation.
•    Strong analytical capability, with the ability to provide clear insight on portfolio performance, risk exposure and delivery confidence.
•    Ability to translate complex data into concise, decision-ready reporting for senior leaders and governance forums.
•    Excellent stakeholder management and influencing skills at Executive and Board level.
•    Strong leadership capability with a track record of building high-performing teams.

Benefits

 
As well as a market competitive salary, 34 days annual leave (pro rata, including public holidays), we offer a range of employee benefits and rewards including:

•    Variable pay schemes 
•    Enhanced employer pension contributions – Up to 11% employer contributions
•    Several internal employee networks including Embrace, LGBT+, Neurodiverse, Disability, Women of Welsh Water, Parents, Wellbeing and many more...
•    Enhanced family friendly policies
•    Progression opportunities, including the ability to apply for funded training and coaching and mentoring programmes
•    Reduction on high street & online shopping
•    Cycle to work scheme/Car-leasing scheme
•    Online GP service
•    Voluntary private healthcare
•    Free mortgage brokering service
•    An employee assistance programme for employees and their immediate family
•    Free Headspace App to support your wellbeing
•    Colleague matched fundraising scheme up to the value of £500 per year for your chosen charity
•    20% off all Welsh Water visitor attraction centres and gift shops
•    Flexible working patterns
•    We also recruit our own volunteer Wellbeing Champions (on an annual basis) - successful recruits will receive full i-act and StRaW training

 
Whilst also working for a not-for profit company that truly cares about earning the trust of customers everyday, and about looking after our beautiful environment.
 

Who we are