Our client is seeking a Head of Portfolio Office to head three strategic group-wide initiatives for a contract of three months, with the option for a month-by-month extension up to a maximum of six months. The role is full-time for the initial two weeks, transitioning to three days per week thereafter. This position will play a critical role in the establishment and operation of the portfolio office function, ensuring effective governance, reporting, and delivery. You will be actively engaged in day-to-day projects, focusing not just on oversight but on practical execution and support to stakeholders. The successful candidate will work within a progressive environment, leading initiatives and influencing governance processes while leveraging project and portfolio management expertise. Your responsibilities will encompass both high-level reporting and hands-on project execution, fostering a cohesive and productive team dynamic.
JOB DUTIES:
- Lead the day-to-day operations of the Strategic Transformation Office (STO) in line with the agreed framework, maintaining a comprehensive log of document evaluations.
- Rework and obtain agreement on the three pilot Initiative Cards with their Executive Sponsors, including timelines, costs, and deliverables.
- Build and sustain a consolidated status report and risk log that provides a single portfolio view using established templates and status schemes.
- Prepare and distribute the monthly portfolio pack for the relevant Committee session, detailing required decisions and recording them for accountability.
- Facilitate weekly working groups for the three initiatives, tracking progress, addressing challenges, and ensuring actions are followed up and escalated as necessary.
- Establish and record the benefits measures for each initiative in collaboration with sponsors and Finance and report progress against these metrics.
- Document the operational costs associated with the role, including resource allocation and decision-making for evidence-based assessments.
- Deliver a familiarisation and sponsor briefing as delineated in the project framework, alongside coaching an internal counterpart for independence in operations.
- Generate the quarterly Board report for the Managing Director summarising progress and outcomes.
- By the contract’s end, provide a detailed evaluation of the framework's efficacy, recommending adjustments necessary for alignment with the firm's size and resource availability.
JOB REQUIREMENTS:
- Experience running a portfolio office, project management office (PMO), or transformation office within regulated financial services, particularly in trust, fiduciary, fund administration, or wealth management sectors.
- Proven ability to set up or reset governance structures and benefit tracking from a predefined framework, including hands-on experience in documentation and reporting.
- Credibility with senior management and boards, with a history of ensuring senior sponsors remain accountable for their initiatives.
- A track record of empowering internal staff to assume responsibilities post-engagement, avoiding dependency on interim support.
- Familiarity with anti-money laundering (AML) and regulatory changes in a Guernsey Financial Services Commission (GFSC) context is advantageous but not necessary.
- Preferred qualifications include Projects IN Controlled Environments (PRINCE2), Managing Successful Programmes (MSP), Management of Portfolios (MoP), Portfolio, Programme and Project Offices (P3O), Association for Project Management (APM ChPP), or Portfolio Management Professional (PMI PfMP), although these are not mandatory.
WHAT YOU’LL LOVE:
This role offers the opportunity to work with dynamic teams in a friendly environment, focused on significant strategic initiatives. You will be engaged in varied responsibilities, providing insights and making impactful contributions from day one. The position is not just about governance; it is a hands-on role that promises personal development and the chance to shape operational frameworks while ensuring quality outcomes in alignment with broader organisational goals.
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