Head of Portfolio Office

Job Introduction

We’re looking for an exceptional Head of Portfolio Office to help us make a difference to our planet. 

As our Head of Portfolio Office, the job may be suitable for hybrid working, which is where an employee works part of the week in the office and part of the week from home. This is a voluntary, non-contractual arrangement and the location advertised will be your contractual place of work. 

Our opportunity is full time, 37 hours per week, but we would also consider applicants wishing to work a minimum of 30 hours per week and we will also try our best to consider those intending to work a job share.  Our people are at the heart of what we do and we'll do our best to agree a working pattern that works for everyone. 

World changing work 

From science to technology, from meteorology to management, and from planning to communication, our expertise helps us stand out as the authority on weather accuracy and climate prediction. We help individuals, industries and government to make better decisions to stay safe and thrive. This is the Met Office. This is who we are. 

• We’re a force for good - focusing on our environmental and social impact
• We’re experts by nature - always learning and developing to do things better
• We live and breathe it - putting our purpose at the heart of decision-making
• We’re better together - understanding partnerships and inclusivity make us greater
• We keep evolving - pushing boundaries to make tomorrow better for our customers

Your world of expertise 

We are looking for a dynamic and experienced individual to join our team as the Head of Portfolio Office. This key leadership role aligns with the PMO Manager 2 role on the PDCF and is essential for driving the successful delivery of our portfolio of projects and programmes.

Your key duties:

• Lead the Portfolio Office, ensuring effective governance, reporting, and oversight of all projects and programmes.
• Develop, implement and mature P3M processes, tools, and techniques.
• Collaborate with senior stakeholders to align the portfolio with organisational strategy and objectives.
• Monitor and report on portfolio performance, providing insights and recommendations for improvement.
• Provide a comprehensive package of support and training to project delivery and non-project delivery professionals across the Met Office., fostering a culture of excellence and continuous improvement.
• Ensure compliance with relevant standards, policies, and regulations.
• Shape and deliver the Project Delivery maturity plan
• Support the development of the Project Delivery Profession

Why join us 

Our work is life-changing, often life-saving and always life-enhancing. The Met Office is Great Place to Work UK certified. We are also featured on their ‘Best Workplaces in Tech’ 2023 and 2024 lists, as well as their ’54 Best Workplaces for Women’ 2023 list.

As our Head of Portfolio Office, your total reward package will be up to £89,943 annually, which includes: 

• £64,846 base pay
• An outstanding Civil Service pension, with an average employer contribution of 28.97%
• Annual Leave starting at 27.5 days (plus Bank Holidays) rising to 32.5 days (plus Bank Holidays) after 5 years and option to buy or sell up to 5 days per year of annual leave

Essential Criteria, skills and experience: 

1. Proven, extensive experience of building and leading teams at a strategic level in a diverse and complex P3M environment. (Expert By Nature)
2. Demonstrate expert knowledge of project, programme and portfolio management, including governance, assurance and project controls.(Expert By Nature)
3. Strong leadership and interpersonal skills with the ability to influence and engage stakeholders at all levels. (Keep Evolving, Better Together)
4. Excellent analytical and problem-solving abilities with the ability to deliver relevant and timely reporting up to an executive level audience. (Keep Evolving, Better Together)
5. Knowledge and proficiency in project delivery tools and software.(Keep Evolving, Better Together)
6. A strong understanding of change management and experience of leading continuous improvement of a capability. (Keep Evolving, Better Together)

How to apply 

If you share our values, we’d love to hear from you! Click apply to begin your application. Please complete your career history and provide evidence against each of the essential criteria in the supporting statement questionnaire. We recommend candidates use the CARL method (Context, Action, Result and Learning) for presenting evidence of experience and skills. 

Closing date: 01/06/2025 at 23:59 with first stage interviews commencing from 09/06/2025. You will hear from us once the closing date has passed. 

Using AI in your application

We welcome applications that use AI tools for support in drafting or refining, as long as they accurately reflect your own skills and experience. All hiring decisions at the Met Office are made by people, not AI. For more details, visit our approach to recruitment 

How we can help 

If you have any questions or would like to discuss this opportunity further, please contact us at careers@metoffice.gov.uk. 

If you’re considering applying and need support to do so, please get in touch. You can request adjustments either within your application or by contacting us. Should you be offered an interview, please be aware there may be a selection exercise which could include a presentation, written test or a scenario-based activity. You can select in your application to be considered under the Disability Confident Scheme. To be invited to interview/assessment under this scheme, your application must meet the essential criteria for the role. 

We understand that great minds don’t always think alike and as an equal opportunities employer we welcome applications from those with all protected characteristics. We recruit on merit, fairness, and open competition in line with the Civil Service Code. 

We can only accept applications from those eligible to live and work in the UK - please refer to GOV.UK for information. We require Security clearance, for which you need to have resided in the UK for at least 3 of the last 5 years to be eligible. You will need to achieve full security clearance within your first 6 months with us.