PMO: Job profile and Role

A PMO, also known as Project Management Officer or PMO employee, works within an Project Management Office (PMO). A PMO is an employee within a company or organization that supports, controls and directs the various projects of the institution. As such, a PMO supports the increase in productivity and influences the corporate strategy. There are different branches of PMO so the requirements and responsibilities are widespread. This article, however, gives you a first idea of the different types of PMOs, the educational requirements and social skills expected as well as information on potential career paths and salaries.

Short Summary

• PMOs support, control or direct projects within the institution.
• As a PMO you are expected to possess numerical, communication, organization and project management skills.
• PMOs either specialize within the PMO or strive to become head of PMO, who is the superior of all PMOs within the institution.

Job description

Within a Project Management Office, all projects that are dealt with in the institution are supported, controlled and directed. As a Project Management Officer, you either specialise in one of these fields or oversee a certain number of projects by supporting, controlling and directing the Project Managers. As such, a PMO manager is responsible for the success of the company’s projects. A PMO is the consultant and the supervisor of every Project Manager in the specific institution.

Responsibilities

• Planning or supporting the planning of projects
• Project monitoring
• Project reporting to the stakeholders
• Managing the resources that are required for all projects within the institution
• Supplying best practices
• Risk Management
• Providing training for project managers
• Quality management

Different types of Project Managers

• PMO assistants
• Agile Coach
• Project Manager
• Project Assistants

Salary

The salary you can expect to earn as a PMO depends on the industry you are employed in and the level you are working at. On an entry level, you are likely to earn about £25,000 a year. PMO Managers can expect to be paid about £55,000 whereas a Head of PMO will be able to earn £75,000 up to £80,000 per year.

Working hours

As the job of a PMO is an office-based job, you will usually work regular office hours and start at 9 am and end at 5 pm from Monday to Friday. Around deadlines or in case of issues occurring, you are expected to work overtime. Working hours also might vary depending on the industry you work in and the career level you are at.

Employers

As a PMO, you can work in a wide range of institutions from both private and government fields. Employers come from different industries such as tech, health, media and many more. As a PMO officer is only needed in companies and institutions which deal with a multitude of different projects at the same time, employers will mainly be group companies, multinational companies and other major institutions.

In multinational group companies, PMOs have a wide range of career opportunities as you could start at an entry level and work your way up by taking over responsibilities for projects in different branches of the company group and counties.

Qualifications

From a formal point of view, there are no specific requirements that a PMO has to fulfil. The educational background employers expect from candidates varies between the different industries, and they depend on the level you would want to work at a PMO.

On entry-level, mainly the PMO assistants, often enough hold undergraduate degrees in business studies, management or related fields. A master’s degree helps to stand out among the candidates and is required if you intend to move up the career ladder to become a PMO officer or even head of PMO.

Skills

PMOs can be found in a wide range of industries and on different management levels, from PMO assistant to PMO director. Therefore, the skills that a candidate is expected to provide depend on the above-mentioned aspects. Candidates that plan to start a career in PMO and want to climb the career ladder need a profound skill set that includes the following aspects.

Analytical Skills

One of the main tasks that PMOs are responsible for is the controlling of all projects within the institution. Analytical skills are crucial to fulfil this task. Analytical skills refer to the ability to collect, analyse and interpret data and information to draw conclusions. It demands the ability to break down complex problems into smaller components, analyse those, find patterns and develop a solution to solve the problems or even foresee risks before they occur.

Communication Skills

PMOs interact with colleagues from different departments and management levels. Therefore, they need to possess exceptional communication skills. These skills include both the ability to express their own statements and also the ability to actively listen and ask the right questions.

These are some of the key components of communication skills:

• verbal and non-verbal communication
• active listening, including empathy
• negotiation skills and conflict resolution

Attention to Detail

PMOs support, control and direct Project Managers within their institution. Therefore, a PMO has to pay close attention to all details and make sure to keep track of all interfering projects at the same time. Minor problems within one project might have a huge influence on another project further down the line. PMOs have to pay attention to details and keep the general conspectus at the same time.

Career Path

If you want to start a career as a PMO and intend to climb the career ladder within a PMO you will need at least a bachelor’s degree. PMO officers and PMO directors are expected to possess a master’s degree, profound experience and be committed to continuous learning.

Educational Background

On paper, there are no formal educational requirements mandatory to enter a PMO career. But most employers seek candidates that hold at least a bachelor’s degree in business, management or project management. To successfully climb the career ladder, you might consider gaining a master’s degree in a relevant field.

In addition to this academic education, taking courses that can help you to improve the core techniques required as a PMO helps to enter this career path.

Gaining Experience

Depending on the degree you hold, you will either enter PMO as a PMO assistant or as a PMO officer. It is also possible to start your career path as a Project or Product Manager and then apply for a senior job in a PMO.

Either way: Gaining professional experience in a relevant field is crucial for anyone that strives to become Head of PMO or even a PMO director, which are the highest career levels you can achieve within PMO.

Continuous Learning

To climb up the career ladder as a PMO, you are expected to ongoing learning. This includes both PMO related knowledge as well as the trends, risks and developments within the industry your company or institution is focussed on.

PMOs oversee various projects within the institution they are employed. Being eager to learn about the issues of these projects is crucial as it is rather unlikely for you to be an expert on every project that you will support, control or direct.

Commitment to continuous learning refers to widening your horizon by taking courses and gaining certifications, as well as building your network. Common ways to gain professional qualifications are reading articles, attending conferences and networking with other PMOs.

A Day in the Life of a PMO

There is no such thing as a typical day of a PMO, as there are so many different career levels and tasks to be fulfilled within a PMO. Typical tasks of a PMO, on all career levels, more often than not are supporting Project Managers, controlling projects and directing projects. As such, you are responsible for multiple tasks. In the following, you will get a more profound insight into three of the main aspects, that are typical for a day in the life of a PMO.

Reporting and presenting to stakeholders

Strategic decision-making is a crucial aspect of product management, allowing you to determine the most effective approach to achieving long-term goals and objectives for your product. This process takes into account the company’s overall mission and strategic objectives, ensuring that your product is in alignment with the company’s goals.

By mastering strategic decision-making, you can guide your product’s development and ensure its success in the market.

Develop best practices

PMOs support Project Managers by developing best practices. This involves creating guidelines, procedures and standards that help Project Managers to fulfil their tasks in the most effective and efficient ways. Best practice has to be revised over time to make adjustments where and when necessary.

Research and analysis

PMOs oversee one or several projects from start to finish, as well as analysing them in the context of interfering projects. By researching trends, shifts in the market’s needs, and identifying potential risks and issues, PMOs have a huge impact on the successful outcome of projects with respect to budget, deadlines and quality.

Tips for Thriving as a PMO

Depending on the career level and the industry a PMO is in they are expected to possess different qualifications and skills. Most important for every PMO are the following three skills:

• project management skills
• numerical skill
• communication skills

Therefore, you might want to focus on these skills.

Project Management skills

PMOs, especially senior PMOs, need profound project management skills to oversee the success of the various projects within the institution they support, control and direct. As project management skills are applicable across various industries, they are a universal tool every PMO has to be able to operate.

Numerical skills

Numerical skills can be improved by practice, regular exercise, and exposure to real-world scenarios that require mathematical thinking. Numerical skills refer to the ability to work with numbers effectively and accurately. This includes data interpretation, critical thinking and financial literacy as well.

Communication skills

PMOs need to possess excellent communication skills as they interact both with project managers and stakeholders. Communication skills refer to the ability to express information, ideas, thoughts and emotions as well as listening actively and having an open mindset as well as empathy. Communication skills can be learned through workshops, courses and self-awareness.

Frequently Asked Questions