Pmo Lead

Role & responsibilities

The Europe PMO team supports the delivery of projects and business case benefits across various functions and regions in LKQ Europe.

Reporting to the Central PMO Manager & Head of Portfolio Management, the employee will assume the role of a Subject Matter Expert (SME) for Project Assurance. This is a designated project role independent of the Project/Program Manager and Project Steering Committee responsible for quality control during the project delivery.

In addition to the SME role, the employee will also contribute to Central PMO team activities.

Key Responsibilities and Activities:

Pan-Europe SME Project Assurance

- Compliance Checks: Project Assurance ensures that projects adhere to EPMO policies and procedures. This involves verifying compliance with the tollgate process, confirming the use of appropriate artifacts, and ensuring relevant approvals are documented.

- Artefact Reviews & Checks: Project Assurance reviews key project documents, including RAG ratings, risks, and issues reported by the project team, to confirm alignment with EPMO guidelines. It also ensures that any challenges are appropriately escalated to the relevant governance body. Additionally, Project Assurance oversees the proper preparation, storage, and maintenance of essential project documents, such as tollgate documents, risk and issue registers, and highlight reports, following EPMO standards.

- Reporting: Project Assurance reports findings from compliance checks and document reviews to the Project Manager, requesting corrections within an agreed timeline. It monitors the completion of corrections and escalates overdue items to EPMO management. Project Assurance maintains a status report, keeps EPMO management informed, and facilitates communication between the project team and EPMO.

- Project Delivery Playbook:

- Schedule and conduct meetings with the working group (WG) to review the playbook as per the agreed timeline.

- Collaborate with relevant stakeholders to gather necessary updates and present them for WG review.

- Incorporate approved changes into the playbook, conduct a final review with the WG, and publish the updated document.

Central PMO team activities

(1) Provide direct project support to PM teams:

- Support PMs in business requirement gathering.

- Support PMs in testing activities.

- Provide support for coordination of meetings.

- Support other project delivery activities including project communications and stakeholder management.

(2) Provide regional portfolio governance and reporting support:

- Maintain regional project delivery roadmap.

- Track regional projects across tollgates.

- Consolidate and track regional projects RAG and progress.

- Support PMs to maintain project and resource tracking.

- Provide support for governance reporting meetings.

- Create and deliver governance reports as required.

(3) Maintaining standardization of project delivery process and reporting:

- Champion the Europe PMO ways of working and ensure relevant project delivery processes are followed.

- Ensure best project management and reporting practice are shared, and standards are used consistently across the different projects, functions and forums.

- Provide guidance and support to the PMs and business on the tollgate process.

- Provide guidance and support to the PMs and business on the change control process.

Leadership & Teamwork:

- Build trusted advisor relationships with internal customers at Europe and Regional level to understand their objectives.

- Understand and manage stakeholders’ requirements and expectations to ensure internal customer satisfaction.

- Accept overall responsibility and accountability for deliverables as required.

- Work collaboratively and in support of the wider PMO team.

- Demonstrate effective teamwork.

- Provide line manager with good visibility as to progress and issues.

- Ensure effective communication and knowledge sharing.

- Identify training and development requirements and propose solutions.

Key Stakeholders:

- Head of European Projects

- Head of Portfolio Management

- Project / Program Managers / Delivery Leads

- Central PMO team

- Senior European, Functional and Regional Leadership teams

- Regional and Europe Finance teams

- Regional and Europe IT teams

- Regional and Europe business and functional teams

- Regional and Europe Project teams

- Strategy team

Major Challenges:

- Balance competing demands from different stakeholders (Regional vs Europe vs Functions), considering portfolio and project objectives, senior management expectations, regulations, process standards, business and geographical diversity.

- Remain attuned to the strategic, management, operational, regulatory, reputational implications of decisions and courses of action.

- The high-profile and sensitive nature of the Project Delivery activities will bring challenges in terms of stakeholder engagement and communications, and in the handling of highly confidential information and materials.

Key and Desired Skills, Experience and Qualifications:

Requirements:

- 8 to 11 years of professional experience in project delivery/ PMO with at least 2-3 years in Project Assurance.

- Foundation level PRINCE2. Practitioner level is an advantage.

- Knowledge of Project Life Cycle and its relevance to Project Assurance.

- Able to manage and analyze data volumes (mid to advanced level MS Excel user).

- Able to produce reports and output via clear and concise papers or PowerPoint Presentations (mid to advanced level MS PowerPoint user).

- Proven ability in roles requiring experience in interpreting evidence and solving complex issues.

- Proven experience and skills in effective communications and stakeholder engagement.

- Experience in working with stakeholders across diverse geographies and cultures.

- A Team player and able to manage stakeholders with competing priorities.

- Experience in developing/delivering standardized process improvement.

- Ability to work effectively under pressure with competing and rapidly changing priorities.

- Knowledge of Portfolio Project Management tools (e.g. Planisware, Clarity, Jira, Confluence, Smartsheets)

Advantage:

- Project testing experience.

- Experience of planning process for large and complex projects and programs.

- Proven ability in roles requiring strong analytical skills, experience interpreting evidence and solving complex issues.

- Experience in developing process improvements and training programs.