[Hiring] PMO Lead @Thesis

Role Description

Thesis is looking for a PMO Lead to cover a period of maternity leave. This is someone who can take the reins of our implementation portfolio, lead the Project Management team, and still roll their sleeves up on the projects that matter most. This is a genuinely dual role.

• Own the governance, standards, reporting, and resource planning for concurrent Thesis SM implementations across the UK and North America.
• Personally project manage a small number of strategic or complex implementations, working directly with senior stakeholders at significant institutions.
• Line manage and develop a team of Project Managers across UK and North American time zones.
• Set expectations, decision rights, and ways of working for consistent delivery.
• Report to the VP of Customer Experience, providing the leadership team with insights on portfolio health.
• Manage stakeholder relationships, both externally with client sponsors and executives, and internally with colleagues in Support, Product, Solutions Consulting, and Sales.
• Quickly land, build trust, and take ownership from a standing start, leaving the function in better shape than found.

Qualifications

• Experience leading a PMO or delivery function accountable for a portfolio of concurrent client implementation projects.
• Line management, coaching, and development of project managers across multiple countries or time zones.
• Hands-on senior project management of full lifecycle SaaS implementations (e.g., Student Information System, ERP).
• Track record of building portfolio governance that drives outcomes (e.g., stage gates, delivery assurance, portfolio RAID, steering committees, executive reporting).
• Strong resource forecasting and capacity planning across a multi-project delivery book.
• Commercial delivery discipline (e.g., change control, scope protection, effort and margin management).
• Experience leading escalation and recovery on projects that have gone off track.
• Confidence managing senior client stakeholders, including resetting expectations and rebuilding confidence.
• Track record of working effectively across internal functions you depend on but do not control.
• Confident with PSA or portfolio tools (e.g., Projector, Kantata, Certinia), plus Smartsheet, MS Project, Excel, and PowerPoint.
• Formal project or programme management certification (e.g., PRINCE2, APM PMQ, PMP) or portfolio certification (e.g., P3O, MSP, MoP) is desirable.
• Higher education, EdTech, or public sector delivery experience is desirable but not essential.

Requirements

• Experience leading a PMO or delivery function accountable for a portfolio of concurrent client implementation projects.
• Line management, coaching, and development of project managers across multiple countries or time zones.
• Hands-on senior project management of full lifecycle SaaS implementations.
• Track record of building portfolio governance that drives outcomes.
• Strong resource forecasting and capacity planning across a multi-project delivery book.
• Commercial delivery discipline.
• Experience leading escalation and recovery on projects that have gone off track.
• Confidence managing senior client stakeholders.
• Track record of working effectively across internal functions.
• Confident with PSA or portfolio tools and MS Office applications.
• Formal project or programme management certification is desirable.
• Higher education, EdTech, or public sector delivery experience is desirable but not essential.