Head of Programme Management Office

The Transformation and Change Directorate (TCD) Programme Management Office (PMO) Manager defines and maintains project management standards within the Directorate and organisation. This includes implementing and sharing best practices, and developing and applying project procedures, tools, and techniques to standardise methodologies and achieve efficiencies. The PMO Manager leads the TCD PMO Hub and provides expert guidance, support, and insight on programmes and projects, acting as the source and second line assurance of project information, metrics and reporting.

The Crown Prosecution Service is based in England and Wales. If you’re applying for this role and live in Scotland or Northern Ireland, you must let us know when accepting this offer as you need permission to work from your home address if hybrid working is part of your role. There’s no guarantee that we will grant this approval.

You must be aged 16 or over at the point of starting in this role. The expected start date is approximately 8–12 weeks after the application closing date. Candidates are expected to commence employment as soon as possible following the expiry of their notice period. Requests for significantly later start dates may not be accommodated.

As part of this role, you are expected to undertake direct line management responsibilities.

Your key roles and responsibilities are:

• To lead the PMO to support projects in achieving business case benefits and outcomes. Championing the use of best practice project management standards and processes.
• To manage the PMO team and assist Programmes and Projects within TCD in identifying, recruiting, developing, deploying, and reassigning resources throughout Programme and Project lifecycles.
• To ensure that appropriate governance and reporting is in place for TCD Programmes and Projects and arranges reviews at key points in their lifecycles. Monitoring control effectiveness and ensuring any external review recommendations are implemented.
• To establish and operate effective project controls on behalf of the Directorate, reporting progress and status to appropriate bodies. Identifying opportunities for collaboration, reuse, and sharing methods and reporting between, and on behalf of, Projects and Programmes. Ensuring learning from experiences is shared across the Directorate/wider organisation.
• To identify, develop, and share best practices for project management processes, tools, templates, reporting and benchmarks against industry standards. Providing direction and guidance to PD professionals within the Directorate and wider organisation and supporting the Head of Project Delivery Profession enhance and embed the Profession.

A copy of the full job description is attached.

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Strengths and Experience.

Recruitment process

The recruitment process consists of an online application, interview and assessment. These are expected to take place on 21st and 22nd September 2026 at 102 Petty France, London SW1H 9EA

A member of our recruitment team will be in touch with guidance. If you have any queries about this, contact Rachel.Seagraves@cps.gov.uk

You should keep these dates free or notify us if you're not available. We'll make every effort to accommodate your date preferences but we can't guarantee it.

Assessment

We ask you to complete an assessment as part of the recruitment process for this role. We will provide details immediately before your interview on the day and you will be invited to attend our office so you have suitable time to complete the assessment prior to your interview.

Behaviours

You are asked to complete a statement of no more than 250 words for each of the following behaviours, setting out how you consider your personal skills, qualities and experience match the specified behaviours and requirements:

• Managing a Quality Service - Lead Behaviour
• Changing and Improving
• Making Effective Decisions
• Communicating and Influencing
• Working Together

In addition, you need to demonstrate the following experience/technical skills required for this role:

• have a recognised project delivery accreditation at foundation and practitioner levels e.g. APMG, Government Projects Academy etc.
• demonstrate a proven track record of successful project organisation and delivery.
• Have previous Team and Line Management experience

You also need to demonstrate the Crown Prosecution Service or Civil Service values.

The panel has the right to assess the lead behaviour ‘Managing a Quality Service’ first. If the standard on this behaviour isn’t met, the other behaviours won’t be considered and your application won’t progress. The panel also has the right to raise the minimum standard pass mark. The panel may also refer to the lead behaviour at the interview stage to determine merit order.

Interview/Assessment

We use behaviours to help us understand your experience, to see if you're a good fit for the role. You are assessed against Grade 6 level in the Civil Service success profiles behaviours framework. We are assessing five behaviours at interview / assessment stage:

• Managing a Quality Service – application and interview
• Changing and Improving – application, assessment and interview
• Making Effective Decisions – application, assessment and interview
• Communicating and Influencing – application and interview
• Working Together – application and interview

Essential Experience/Technical Skills - assessed at interview

• have a recognised project delivery accreditation at foundation and practitioner levels e.g. APMG, Government Projects Academy etc.
• demonstrate a proven track record of successful project organisation and delivery.
• Have previous Team and Line Management experience

CV

You’re not required to upload your CV. However, when submitting your application there is a ‘CV section’. You are required to provide information about your employment and/or academic history for the past three years. The CV section will be used as supporting evidence, it won’t be assessed.

It’s your responsibility to provide the specified information in the requested format to ensure that you're considered for the post.

If you're unable to cover three years through employment or academic history, you must provide a character reference for clearance purposes.

Strengths

Strengths are tested at interview stage - the strengths tested are not shared before the interview.

Other

This is a full-time post. We do consider requests for flexible, part-time working and job share, always considering the operational needs of the department.

Please note that the CPS is unable to offer visa sponsorship. Therefore, if you require visa sponsorship to work in the UK, you will not meet the eligibility criteria for this role.

Clearance

If successful, you are required to secure a Disclosure and Barring Service check and Security Check clearance, for which you must have a current valid UK address.

If successfully appointed, we ask you to complete a character enquiry form, and nationality and immigration questionnaire, and national security vetting form.

If you're a Crown Prosecution Service member of staff, you won’t need to do a Disclosure and Barring Service check as you already hold this clearance.

The job you’re applying for is covered by Article 3(a) of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975, consequently Section 4(2) of that Act doesn’t apply. You’re required to disclose all previous convictions and cautions including spent convictions. Failing to make a full declaration will result in withdrawing your offer of employment if our checks reveal convictions that haven’t been disclosed.

To be cleared to Security Check clearance level, you have to be able to meet the residency requirement in the Cabinet Office guidance. For the Crown Prosecution Service, this is three years within the last five years.

Reserve list

If you're recommended by the selection panel but not appointed to the current vacancy, you’re put on a reserve list for 12 months. You may be offered another Head of Programme Management Office post in the CPS if a vacancy comes up during this period. We may also approach candidates on the waiting list to fill other roles that require similar knowledge and experience.

Fraud check

The Crown Prosecution Service provides a Fair Processing Notice to all new applicants after they’ve been successful at interview. These candidates are informed that, as one aspect of pre-employment screening, their personal details – name, National Insurance number and date of birth – are checked against the Internal Fraud Database. We won't employ anyone included on the database unless they can demonstrate exceptional circumstances.

The Strategic Resourcing team in the Crown Prosecution Service will, on behalf of the vacancy holder, inform applicants when they are refused employment because of their inclusion in the Internal Fraud Database.

Civil Service Commission

If you’re dissatisfied with the recruitment process and wish to make a complaint, please contact Strategic.Resourcing@cps.gov.uk with your concerns.

If you remain dissatisfied and wish to make a further complaint, please click on the following link to the Civil Service Commission complaints page Recruitment Complaints - Civil Service Commission

Civil Service Commission Recruitment Principles can be found at https://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk/recruitment/

Details of the Civil Service Nationality Rules are located at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/nationality-rules

Candidates are subject to UK immigration requirements. For the most up-to-date information on the requirements of working in the UK, please go to the UK Visas and Immigration website at https://www.gov.uk/browse/visas-immigration/work-visas

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.