Portfolio Office Leader

About the Role

The Portfolio Office provides integrated oversight, governance, assurance and insight across NPL’s internal and external project portfolios. It operates as the strategic Centre of Excellence for project delivery, ensuring that the right change is delivered at the right time, in the right way, with the right support.

We are seeking an experienced and credible leader to shape and lead this function at enterprise level.

The Portfolio Office Leader sets the direction for how projects are governed and supported across NPL. The role ensures that portfolio oversight is proportionate, effective and strategically aligned, enabling confident leadership decision-making on delivery feasibility, sequencing and risk exposure.

This is a senior leadership role requiring strategic judgement, organisational influence and the ability to balance independent assurance with practical enablement.

Key Responsibilities

Governance & Assurance

• Own and evolve the governance model, so it remains proportionate and effective.
• Set the assurance strategy and operating rhythm, ensuring independence and consistency across the portfolio.
• Provide oversight and constructive challenge to ensure projects meet agreed governance, quality and assurance standards.
• Maintain visibility of major portfolio risks, ensuring appropriate escalation and leadership visibility.
• Ensure lessons learned and good practice are captured and embedded across the portfolio.

Strategic Leadership

• Set a clear vision for the Portfolio Office as a recognised strategic enabler of delivery.
• Build and lead a high-performing team operating within a Hub-and-Spoke model.
• Develop organisational capability in programme and portfolio management.
• Provide visible leadership that promotes clarity, discipline and confidence in delivery.
• Contribute to wider departmental leadership priorities and cross-functional collaboration.

Risk, Value & Insight

• Maintain a consolidated view of cross-portfolio risks and interdependencies.
• Ensure reporting is accurate, timely and decision-focused.
• Provide trusted advice to senior leadership on portfolio health and strategic risk exposure.
• Champion value realisation and benefits-led delivery.

Continuous Improvement

• Lead the ongoing evolution of governance, assurance, reporting and prioritisation.
• Benchmark against recognised best practice to ensure standards remain credible and effective.
• Embed a culture of learning and continuous improvement across the portfolio.

About You

Essential

• Significant senior experience in portfolio or enterprise PMO leadership roles.
• Proven experience establishing or leading governance and assurance frameworks in complex organisations.
• Strong strategic judgement with the ability to influence senior stakeholders.
• Ability to balance independence of assurance with pragmatic delivery support.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.

Highly Desirable

• Experience operating within a Centre of Excellence or hub-and-spoke model.
• Professional qualification or equivalent experience in portfolio or programme management (e.g. APM, MSP, P3O or equivalent).
• Experience within complex, matrixed or public sector environments.
• Familiarity with enterprise portfolio reporting and performance insight.

We actively recruit citizens of all backgrounds, but the nature of our work in specific departments means that nationality, residency and security requirements can be more tightly defined than others. You will be asked about this throughout the recruitment process. To work at NPL, you will need to obtain BPSS security clearance.

Please note: Applications will be reviewed, and interviews conducted throughout the duration of this advert therefore we may at any time bring the closing date forward. We encourage all interested applicants to apply as soon as possible.

About Us

The National Physical Laboratory (NPL) is a world-leading centre of excellence that provides cutting-edge measurement science, engineering and technology to underpin prosperity and quality of life in the UK. Find out more about what it is like working here - The measure of us - Overview