Head of Performance and Planning

£700 per day
Contract
Hybrid / Leeds
Ref - 1581087

• Overview

  We are seeking an Interim Head of Performance and Planning to join an Enterprise PMO function, driving strategic alignment, performance, and planning excellence across the organisation. This high-impact role requires a strategic thinker with the ability to communicate complex information clearly to senior leadership, including the Board, CxO community, and other key stakeholders.

  As the Interim Head of Performance and Planning, you will act as a critical link between projects, programs, and the organisation's strategic objectives. You'll be responsible for distilling multi-project reports into consumable insights for decision-making, leading programme triage sessions, assessing business cases, and prioritising resources to ensure successful project delivery and alignment with business goals.

• Key Responsibilities

  Strategic Planning & Performance Management

  • Develop and implement performance management frameworks to track, measure, and report on the progress of strategic initiatives.

  • Drive performance improvement initiatives to enhance project and program delivery across the organisation.

  • Ensure consistency and alignment in planning, prioritisation, and resource allocation.

  Programme & Portfolio Management

  • Lead programme triage sessions to assess, prioritise, and drive decision-making on key projects and programs.

  • Review, validate, and challenge business cases to ensure alignment with strategic objectives and value delivery.

  • Establish and maintain a clear view of the enterprise-wide project portfolio, ensuring effective prioritisation and resource allocation.

  • Facilitate portfolio governance and provide insights on risk management, dependencies, and interdependencies.

  Reporting & Communication

  • Develop clear, concise, and impactful reports that communicate complex project and portfolio information to Board, CxO, and senior leadership.

  • Translate detailed multi-project reports into strategic insights for decision-making.

  • Present and articulate complex data to various stakeholders with clarity and confidence.

  Stakeholder Engagement & Leadership

  • Act as a trusted advisor to senior stakeholders, influencing strategic decisions and priorities.

  • Build strong relationships across the business to ensure seamless coordination between PMO, project teams, and business units.

  • Drive a culture of collaboration, transparency, and continuous improvement.

• Competences

  Essential Experience & Skills:

  • Proven experience in a senior leadership role within a PMO, Portfolio, or Programme Management function.

  • Strong track record of presenting to Board, CxO, and senior leadership on complex multi-project portfolios.

  • Exceptional ability to distill complex, detailed reports into executive summaries that drive strategic decision-making.

  • Expertise in programme triage, business case assessment, and prioritisation.

  • Experience in leading portfolio governance, performance management, and strategic planning.

  • Ability to balance strategic thinking with hands-on delivery.

  • Strong communication, stakeholder management, and influencing skills.

  • Deep understanding of project and portfolio management methodologies (eg, PRINCE2, MSP, PMI, Agile).

  • Experience in enterprise-wide resource planning and management.

  Desirable:

  • Experience in transformation and change management.

  • Professional certifications such as PMP, MSP, MoP, or equivalent.

  • Experience within large-scale, complex organisations.

  • Knowledge of enterprise PMO tools and systems.

  To arrange an interview please contact Philip Fanthom.

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