Director Project Management Office

Head of PMO / PMO Director

Chairman’s Private Office | London with Extensive International Travel

The Opportunity

An exceptional opportunity has arisen to join the leadership environment surrounding the Chairman of a major international industrial enterprise and one of the world's most significant current mining and metals development projects.

The Chairman is seeking an exceptionally capable Head of PMO / PMO Director to establish and lead the Project Management Office responsible for overseeing a US$15 billion Mine-to-Steel project in the USA .

This is a senior, high-impact position working directly with the Chairman and alongside major functional heads and senior external stakeholders. The successful candidate will bring structure, discipline and accountability across a complex portfolio of projects, ensuring strategic priorities are translated into clear actions and delivered effectively.

The project spans mining, mineral processing and advanced iron ore pellet production, bringing together complex engineering, construction, commissioning, operations, finance, commercial, legal, regulatory and stakeholder workstreams.

You will operate at the intersection of project delivery, strategic execution and executive management, providing the Chairman with a clear, accurate view of progress, risks, dependencies and decisions requiring attention.

This is not a role for someone who simply maintains project trackers. It requires a commercially minded project leader who takes ownership, understands complex organisations and is comfortable engaging directly with senior leadership to drive delivery.

Key Responsibilities

Project Management & Delivery

• Establish and lead the PMO function supporting the US$15 billion Mine-to-Steel project.
• Manage and oversee multiple concurrent projects and workstreams.
• Develop and maintain project plans, milestones, deliverables, dependencies and critical paths.
• Monitor progress against agreed objectives, timelines and budgets.
• Identify delays, risks, dependencies and emerging issues at an early stage.
• Establish clear ownership and accountability for key deliverables.
• Develop effective project governance, reporting and tracking structures.
• Maintain a live project tracker, ensuring actions, decisions and requirements are updated and followed through on a daily basis.

Executive Support

• Work directly with the Chairman to translate strategic priorities into actionable workstreams.
• Provide concise and accurate updates on project status, risks, issues and required decisions.
• Prepare executive briefings, dashboards and reports.
• Distil complex technical and operational information into clear, commercially relevant conclusions.
• Identify matters requiring executive intervention and provide appropriate recommendations.

Cross-Functional Coordination

You will work closely with senior leaders across:

• Engineering and Construction
• Mining and Operations
• Commissioning
• Procurement and Supply Chain
• Finance and Commercial
• Legal
• HR
• Health, Safety & Environment
• Government and Regulatory Affairs

You will not necessarily be the technical expert in each discipline, but must understand objectives, dependencies, timelines and risks sufficiently well to coordinate effectively and challenge where appropriate.

Risk, Issues & Accountability

• Maintain visibility of key project risks and issues.
• Ensure mitigation plans and ownership are clearly established.
• Escalate significant issues promptly and appropriately.
• Track decisions and actions arising from meetings and project reviews.
• Follow up with stakeholders to ensure commitments are delivered.
• Identify potential problems before they become material.
• Drive accountability and momentum across multiple workstreams.

Special Projects

Take ownership of specific strategic, commercial, operational or organisational projects on behalf of the Chairman, moving comfortably between high-level strategy and detailed execution.

About You

You will be an accomplished project professional with significant experience managing complex, multi-disciplinary projects within an industrial, engineering, infrastructure, energy, mining, metals or similarly complex environment.

You will combine strong project management discipline with commercial intelligence, analytical capability and executive presence.

You will be comfortable operating with significant autonomy and engaging directly with senior leaders and functional heads. You will know how to ask the right questions, identify what is falling behind and, importantly, make sure actions are followed through.

A strong "get it done" mentality is essential.

Essential Experience

• Significant experience in project management, programme management, project controls, management consulting or a comparable discipline.
• Demonstrated experience establishing and managing a PMO function.
• Experience managing multiple concurrent projects or workstreams.
• Experience working within complex, large-scale projects or organisations.
• Strong understanding of project planning, governance, risk, dependencies and reporting.
• Proven ability to coordinate senior stakeholders across multiple functions.
• Exceptional analytical, organisational and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Experience preparing executive-level reports, dashboards and presentations.

Desirable Experience

Experience within one or more of the following would be highly advantageous:

• Mining
• Metals / Steel
• Iron Ore / Mineral Processing
• Heavy Industry
• Energy
• Infrastructure
• EPC / EPCM
• Major Construction
• Natural Resources
• Large-Scale Capital Projects

International experience and exposure to geographically dispersed teams would also be highly beneficial.

Professional qualifications such as PMP, PRINCE2, APM or equivalent are advantageous but not essential where substantial practical experience can be demonstrated.

Key Attributes

• Exceptional project management capability
• Strong commercial awareness
• Outstanding analytical and problem-solving skills
• Strategic thinking
• Exceptional organisation and attention to detail
• Strong understanding of project governance and controls
• Outstanding written and verbal communication
• Executive maturity and presence
• Sound judgement and decision-making
• Ability to influence and coordinate without direct authority
• Proactive risk identification and mitigation
• Strong stakeholder management skills
• Ability to drive accountability and follow-through
• Ability to perform under pressure
• Commitment to teamwork and collaboration

Travel

This position is based in London but will involve extensive international travel throughout the year in connection with the Chairman, project and stakeholder requirements.

The successful candidate must be comfortable travelling internationally and operating across multiple jurisdictions, time zones and project locations.

Flexibility, mobility and the ability to adapt quickly to changing priorities are essential.

Key Details

Location: London, UK, with extensive international travel

Salary: Exceptional package commensurate with experience

Hours: Full-time

Start Date: ASAP

Interviewing: ASAP

This is a rare opportunity to establish and lead a PMO at the centre of a major international industrial development, working directly with the Chairman and senior stakeholders to drive one of the most significant projects of its kind.