Head of Project Management Office at Kurtosys Systems

The functions and services of the PMO include:

• Strategic Planning/Portfolio Support: Ensuring focus on doing the right projects by supporting management decision-making.
• Delivery Support: Ensuring doing projects the right way, through the effective delivery of the programme and projects.
• Best Practices: Applying PMO standards in project management, encouraging consistent working practices and ensuring appropriate application.
• The PMO shall ensure that project management policies, processes and methods are followed and practiced according to the organization standards, while acting as the overall Project Assurance capacity.
• The PMO head meets project goals or business transformation objectives. They will oversees the work of Project Managers and works with Centre of Excellence Delivery teams to define, prioritize, develop projects and programs.
• This role reports to the Head of Client Services Delivery

Functional Responsibilities:

Development and planning:

• The PMO provides appropriate levels of programmatic management support to all ongoing project activities, while maintaining and implementing appropriate standards and best practices.
• Provide advice and support to potential and current engagement of high value and/or risk, supporting clients, project managers, internal and external stakeholders.
• Directly contribute to strategic oversight, advice and direction on programme and project management activities in line with service agreements and project documents. Ensure programmes and projects contribute to strategic objectives and targets.
• Develops and establishes resource tracking systems for capacity planning and resource allocation.
• Identifies, and anticipates in a timely manner, potential risks and issues and advises mitigating measures to the head of delivery

Set-up:

• Facilitate the development of high-level programme/project plans, including the collation of lower-level plans into programme/project-level milestones.
• Develop, track and maintain dependencies and provide advice to management to ensure quality of delivery throughout the project lifecycle.
• Liaise closely, supporting the Head of Client Service Delivery and the Head of Client Success on project operational issues, including project assets, finances, and other as required.
• Oversee and coordinate all project activities, working in close collaboration with Project Managers and other key internal & external stakeholders.

Monitoring and reporting:

• Support the regular review of project status, evaluating performance criteria (scope, cost, schedule and quality).
• Maintain progress reports as required.
• Identifies and anticipates in a timely manner, potential risks and issues specific to delivery forecasts, and advises mitigating measures.
• Within the context of monitoring and evaluation, ensure all projects submit and regularly update specific milestones and targets for the duration of projects’ life-cycles, and track progress, or otherwise, against such information.
• Provide editorial support to programmes and projects, ensuring effective and timely dissemination of reports, in line with project documentation and clients’ expectations.

Stakeholder engagement:

• Develop stakeholder profiles and facilitate the formulation of stakeholder engagement strategies.
• Coordinate stakeholder engagement and communication, ensuring effective timing and interdependency management of communications across programmes and projects.
• Coordinate internal programme/project communications.

Quality assurance:

• Support the Kurtosys Head of Client Services Delivery regarding monitoring of projects, carried out regularly in order to ensure accomplishment of set targets and results for projects/portfolios, delivery of services as per the agreed terms and conditions and in a timely manner.
• Support PM’s to ensure there is adequate risk-based internal control system and mechanisms in place which are exercised on regular basis as per the appropriate guidelines and tools, policies and procedures
• Adequate quality management procedures are applied across projects/portfolios.
• Identify threats and opportunities, and evaluate implications of at the organizational level.
• Provides scrutiny, challenge and support for the programme and projects boards.
• Coordinate quality reviews of programme/project documents and deliverables

Training and capacity building:

• Provide advice and support to project management practitioners on how to embed best practices of project and programme governance, risk management, project and programme management
• Support and provide training and internal consulting in project and programme management and provide project and programme development advice.
• Strengthen the knowledge, skills and career development of project management practitioners
• People and skills – identify skills and competence shortages to deliver the portfolio of changes and recommend suitable development.
• Extend project management advice and support to hosted entities and other relevant partners to promote high quality project delivery
• Agile capability and establishment is key to this role. An experienced agile practitioner with focus on delivery for PM/Scrum masters and team based approaches in delivery.

Role Responsibilities:

• Project Management Governance
• Establish the PMO and operating model
• Set standards for project management capabilities, certifications and qualifications for Project Managers, success measurement criteria, methodologies, tools to be used, etc.
• Create a ‘Centre of Excellence’ to nurture project management practitioners and share knowledge of industry best practices.
• Project Management Team Leadership
• Establish the PMO organization structure, hiring and managing staffing requirements
• Set Oversee the delegation of work to Project annual performance targets for
• Oversee Project Managers for the delivery of projects/programs on time, within the scope and budget provided
• Provide strategic recommendation to enhance the success of program/projects

Desired Skills, Competencies and Personal Traits:

• Minimum of 12 years running medium to large size projects
• Expert-level knowledge of project and change management, associated methodologies, techniques, processes and approaches (Project and Portfolio Management Methodology – PPM)
• Display strategic thinking capabilities, with abilities to juggle multiple goals and deadlines in the context of the big picture
• Team Leadership & Development: Ability to mentor, coach and effectively transfer expertise to others
• Facilitation, Negotiation & Problem Resolution Skills: Ability to build a strong network and relationships at executive levels with technology and solutions, customers and vendor groups. Ability to identify problems and be effective in problem resolution.
• Ability to make a strategic recommendation to enhance the success of the projects and report to senior management on progress and development of projects with a clear indication of issues risks mitigation and dependencies.
• Resilience and resourcefulness
• Budgeting management skills
• Knowledge of Jira, confluence, salesforce and smart sheets advantageous.
• Knowledge of Project Office, MS Office essential

Education:

• A degree in Project Management, Business Administration or related field (e.g. International Relations) is preferable.
• Information technology qualifications would be advantageous.
• Fintech & digital experience advantageous
• Managing SAAS projects is mandatory for this role.

Certifications:

• PRINCE2 Practitioner Certification is highly desirable.
• Agile certification (Practitioner) is an advantage.