Job Title:PMO Lead (Consultant) - R&D

Location:London (Hybrid - 3 days per week on site)

Duration: Permanent

Start: ASAP

At Pace, our consultants genuinely care about the impact our work has on our customers and their customers alike. We are ‘problem solvers’ who call on our collective experience, knowledge and skills to support customers to access benefits early.

Our mission is to create environments that thrive for our customers; we enable this by providing transformation, process optimisation, and automation services, all with the aim of enabling our customers to harness human autonomy.

Who we are:

We’re a boutique management consultancy with a difference. We're values-driven and passionate about creating a supportive, open culture. Our team is tight-knit, diverse, and committed to delivering big results without losing sight of the human touch. We believe in thinking differently, taking ownership, and being open, and we want these values to shine through in everything we do.

We are reimagining how transformation services are delivered, taking a human-centred approach, and our work is having a material impact on people's lives. If this resonates with you, we would love to hear from you.

The role:

We’re on the hunt for PMO Lead with experience in managing programme delivery within highly dynamic scientific environments or consultancy engagements. In this role, you’ll be a key player in steering our programmes to success, ensuring that timelines, budgets, and client expectations are not just met but exceeded.

You’ll be managing project governance, spotting risks, and keeping everyone aligned so we can consistently deliver outstanding results to our customer.

Key responsibilities:

• Develop and maintain project management methodologies, templates, and practices tailored to the unique needs of the client’s R&D initiatives (e.g., stage-gate processes, risk management framework).
• Provide training and coaching to Programme Specialists (Project Managers) on project management principles, tools, and best practices, ensuring client-specific challenges and opportunities are effectively navigated.
• Provide oversight of project data and reporting across the programme portfolio, ensuring clarity on project status, risks, issues, and KPIs that align with strategic priorities.
• Identify and implement process improvements that accelerate innovation and enhance the delivery of the programme portfolio.
• Develop and maintain quality control processes that integrate into the client’s lean and adaptive operating model.
• Champion the selection and effective use of project management tools, fostering collaboration and data-driven decision-making.
• Collaborate across leadership and functional teams, contributing to a cohesive approach to funding and governance.
• Lead and support a small team (2 people)

Skills and attributes required:

• Extensive experience in project management and governance ideally within R&D, consultancy or similarly dynamic environments, with a focus on enabling high-impact outcomes.
• Deep understanding of flexible project management methodologies (e.g., Agile, hypothesis-driven research) and familiarity with experimental design in R&D contexts/
• Exceptional analytical and problem-solving skills, with a focus on finding pragmatic solutions in complex, fast-paced settings.
• Proficiency in modern project management and data-sharing tools (e.g., Airtable, Tableau), ensuring operational clarity and efficiency.
• Excellent management skills to own and drive PMO processes (as opposed to simply administering them)
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills to effectively interact with diverse stakeholders, including research scientists, engineers, and funding agencies.
• Strong attention to detail and accuracy in handling project data, research data, and documentation.
• A proactive mindset and comfort with ambiguity.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a multidisciplinary team.
• Excellent organisational and time management skills in a dynamic and often fast-paced environment.

What’s in it for you?

• An opportunity to join a high-growth, scale-up consulting firm; we see an opportunity to make a material difference to how clients are served, and are on a mission to create environments that thrive for our clients.
• A dedicated focus on your individual personal development: managed through annual performance appraisals, individual personal development plans, and our bi-weekly ‘continuous conversations’ programme.
• Additional professional development is available through a personal training budget (subject to approval of a relevant business case)
• A competitive salary plus additional benefits including:
• 25 days’ annual leave, plus an additional days’ leave for your birthday
• Annual leave purchase: buy up to 10 additional days of leave per annum
• Reservist leave: up to 10 days of paid leave to fulfil reservist commitments
• Private health insurance
• AVIVA workplace pension scheme
• AIG life assurance
• Save 30-60% on an electric car through The Electric Car Scheme

Your Pace team:

Harnessing Human Autonomy is putting the needs of humans above all in process and system design.

We are a consultancy that helps organisations become aware of the human needs and behaviours within their operations, so that systems and processes can be designed and implemented to match. We automate the basics and empower the human to achieve more in the beckoning age of AI and automation. The results are a more engaged, agile and motivated workforce capable of greater efficiency and innovation.

Imagine If... you worked for a business that has integrity at its core, one that truly cares about its People, Corporate Social Responsibility and delivering real value to its customers.

At Pace, we recognise that we are only as good as our people. Apply today to find out about the great things we’re achieving together and the fun we have as a team.

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