JOB SUMMARY

Are you able to build strong relationships that will enable you to influence and challenge at all levels?
Do you have experience working in a PMO or portfolio role where things move fast, challenges are complex, and strategic delivery really matters?
If so, we have an exciting opportunity for you to join Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) and we’d love to hear from you!
MHCLG is central to the mission-driven government, from fixing the foundations of an affordable home to handing power back to communities and rebuilding local government. We have an ambitious agenda that has a tangible impact on people across the United Kingdom, which means that working at MHCLG provides an interesting, exciting experience to help support, lead and deliver on one of the Government’s core agendas.
This is a strategic and high-impact role leading the Portfolio Management Office (PMO) for the Director General (DG), Corporate, whose remit spans Finance, Digital, AI, Commercial, Analysis and People Capability and Change . You will provide senior leadership and delivery discipline across a complex portfolio of cross-cutting priorities, ensuring that the DG and senior team are supported by clear governance, high-quality performance data, and effective planning structures.
You will lead a small, high-performing PMO team and task-manage the G7 Head of Office, ensuring coordination between programme delivery, senior engagement, and corporate strategy. A key part of the role will be to bring consistency and coherence to how priorities are planned, monitored, and reported across multiple corporate functions.
This role is ideal for someone who is delivery-focused, thrives in complexity, and enjoys building capability and culture in a central enabling function.
We particularly welcome candidates from an ethnic minority background and other underrepresented groups to apply, as we work to continually improve our ability to represent the places and communities, we support through our work.

ESSENTIAL EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS

• Substantial experience leading or supporting high-performing PMO or portfolio functions in complex organisational settings.
• Strong understanding of programme and project delivery disciplines, including planning, governance, risk, benefits, and performance management.
• Ability to design and embed delivery frameworks that enable visibility, accountability, and action across a diverse portfolio.
• Skilled at engaging and influencing senior stakeholders with confidence and credibility, including Directors and Executive Teams.
• Experience managing multidisciplinary teams, with a collaborative and developmental leadership style.
• Excellent problem-solving and analytical skills, able to distil complex delivery issues and drive evidence-based decisions.

DESIRABLE EXPERIENCE

• Experience in corporate centre roles or working across enabling functions such as finance, commercial, digital, or people.
• Familiarity with working across central government or large-scale public sector environments.

AT SIFT, THROUGH YOUR CV AND COVERING LETTER WE WILL BE ASSESSING:

Your covering letter should be no more than 1 page referencing how you meet the criteria set out in the job description.

THE INTERVIEW WILL BE OF A BLENDED NATURE CONSISTING OF THE FOLLOWING SUCCESS PROFILES ELEMENTS:

Behaviour: Leadership, Changing and Improving, Seeing the Big Picture, Communicating and Influencing, Managing a Quality Service
Experience: Experience questions will be based around the essential skills and criteria as listed in the job description
Candidates will be asked to prepare a 5 - minute presentation, further details will be provided on invitation to interview.

IN THE FULL CAMPAIGN WE WILL TEST THE BELOW SUCCESS PROFILE ELEMENTS:

Experience: Yes - Experience questions will be based around the essential skills and criteria as listed in the job description
Behaviours: Yes - Leadership, Changing and Improving, Seeing the Big Picture, Communicating and Influencing, Managing a Quality Service

SECURITY CLEARANCE REQUIREMENTS:

SC (Security Check):

NATIONALITY REQUIREMENTS

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements

AS THE HEAD OF PMO AND OFFICE YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES WILL INCLUDE:

• PMO Leadership, lead the PMO function for DG Corporate, overseeing planning, delivery assurance, and performance tracking across all major workstreams.
• Build and maintain governance structures and delivery frameworks to support effective decision-making and strategic alignment.
• Develop and embed tools and approaches for risk, milestone, and dependency management across the portfolio.
• Drive a continuous improvement culture in portfolio planning and reporting, promoting high standards and learning from delivery.

There may be opportunities for candidates to work flexibly depending on the business needs. This will be discussed with the vacancy manager on a case-by-case basis if you are successful for the role.

• Please note: The Darlington Economic Campus is a pioneering new cross-government hub which will bring together people across departments and public organisations to play an active role in the most important economic issues of the day. The work of the Campus will make a real difference to people both across the UK and internationally. There will be substantial career opportunities and exciting prospects - a career at the Campus means you will be working at the heart of Government, with access to the benefits and fantastic opportunities offered by the civil service