Online Education Services (OES)→
PMO Manager at Online… · Cape Town
Skills
Job Description
Location: Cape Town
Working Practices: Hybrid | Mondays and Thursday in office and remaining days remote
Contract Type: Permanent
Working Hours: 10H00 - 18H30 SAST
Reports to: Head of Project Management
Position Summary
The PMO Manager oversees a portfolio of Project Managers, ensuring projects are delivered on time, on budget, and to the highest standard. This is a leadership role within the PMO function, responsible for governance, strategic alignment, and portfolio oversight.
The role requires someone with deep delivery expertise who can balance operational rigour with client-centric outcomes. The PMO Manager drives consistency, fosters collaboration across teams, and ensures that delivery excellence scales with the business. They also provide coaching and guidance to Project Managers, empowering them to grow while maintaining accountability for portfolio-level outcomes.
Key Responsibilities
Portfolio & Delivery Oversight
Oversee a portfolio of Project Managers, providing leadership, guidance, and oversight across multiple concurrent projects
Govern and drive portfolio-level delivery outcomes, ensuring consistency in standards and processes
Act as escalation point for complex client or project challenges, supporting Project Managers in resolution
Lead portfolio-level reporting on delivery health, risk, and outcomes for senior leadership
Strategic & Financial Management
Drive strategic alignment between delivery, client expectations, and business objectives
Monitor and manage utilisation trends, resource forecasting, and financial performance across the delivery portfolio
Ensure portfolio delivery supports broader organisational strategy and growth objectives
Team Leadership & Development
Provide coaching and mentorship to Project Managers, building their capability and leadership presence
Support Project Managers in professional growth, performance development, and delivery excellence
Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement
Cultivate a positive and collaborative team community culture that promotes retention, alignment with company values, and active engagement.
Cross-Functional Collaboration
Collaborate with cross-functional leaders (e.g., Sales, Learning, Production, etc.,) to ensure seamless delivery handovers and client satisfaction
Act as a trusted partner in client engagements, supporting relationship-building and expectation management
Champion continuous improvement in delivery practices, tools, and systems
Innovation & Continuous Improvement
Advocate for innovation in delivery models, processes, and methodologies
Lead initiatives that enhance efficiency, scalability, and quality of delivery outcomes
Identify and mitigate systemic delivery risks while implementing best practices across teams
What does success look like?
Within 3 months: Establishes strong working relationships with Project Managers and implements clear reporting cadence on delivery health
Within 6 months: Portfolio-level delivery outcomes consistently meet agreed client and business standards (scope, time, budget, quality)
Within 9 months: Measurable improvements in client satisfaction and cross-functional alignment are evident
Within 12 months: 80%+ of direct reports meet or exceed their individual delivery performance objectives
Beyond 12 months: Recognised as a trusted delivery leader who enables scale, improves client relationships, and strengthens delivery culture across the organisation
Experience
7–10 years’ experience in project or programme management, including 3+ years in a leadership role
Proven track record of leading teams of Project Managers and delivering complex, multi-workstream projects
Strong portfolio management and governance experience, with a focus on risk management and resource optimisation
Experience in client-facing consultancy, communication, and executive stakeholder management
Financial management capability, including forecasting, utilisation monitoring, and budget oversight
Proficiency with delivery/project management tools (e.g., Kantata, Jira, Monday.com, Asana)
Experience in digital, media, or creative delivery environments (preferred)
Skills & Competencies
Delivery governance and portfolio oversight
Financial and resource management with strategic forecasting ability
Executive-level communication and client engagement skills
Strong cross-functional collaboration and influence
Coaching, mentoring, and leadership presence to grow Project Managers
Problem-solving and risk mitigation in complex delivery contexts
Systems thinking and change advocacy, driving continuous improvement
Growth mindset and innovation in delivery practices
Company Information
OES is a vibrant and values-led organisation, and we are passionate about enhancing lives through education. We work with university partners, training institutes, and professional bodies worldwide, to develop and enable immersive and engaging learning experiences. We empower our teams to be student-focused, innovative, and embrace change with a growth mindset to ensure we achieve our vision of being the world’s most impactful enabler of education. We encourage our people to grow and develop through teamwork and a diverse range of projects, programs and challenging work. We trust our people to deliver, so when you work with OES, you will join a team who are empowered to impact every day.
Company Culture & Values
We are a people-focused organisation with a culture built around collaboration, connection, and working together toward one common goal. Our vibrant, values-led culture is grounded in four core principles that guide everything we do:
Passion and Perseverance: We love what we do (even though it’s not always easy) and take pride in creating transformative learning experiences. We bring a ‘can-do’ attitude to our work, tackling challenges and inspiring others.
Teamwork: We operate as cross-functional teams globally with trust and respect, celebrating success. We have fun while we work and enjoy collaborating with each other and OES partners.
Agility and Innovation: We are innovative, lateral thinkers who use our skills to do things better for our students. We thrive in ambiguity, embrace change and challenge conventional thinking.
Integrity: We do what’s right, and what we say we will do, every time. We value a culture of respectful feedback and believe that respect trumps harmony.
These are some of the benefits you can expect when you join the team:
- Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
- Medical allowance
- Commute allowance
- Flexible work for genuine career-life fit
- A healthy and supportive company culture
- Generous annual leave
- Paid maternity and paternity benefits
- Study leave
- Professional development and mentoring
- Construct Culture Club events
- Company funded lunch and drinks every 8 weeks
*Policy T&Cs apply for certain benefits