PMO Manager

About AARNet

Australia’s Academic and Research Network (AARNet) was established in 1989 and is widely regarded as the founder of the Internet in Australia and renowned as the architect, builder and operator of world-class network infrastructure for research and education. 

As Australia’s National Research and Education Network (NREN). We connect over one million users — researchers, faculty, staff, students, hospitals, vocational training providers, schools and museums — across Australia.

We are an organisation of innovators, doers, and courageous thinkers. We don’t settle for the status quo; instead, we anticipate the future needs of our customers and build solutions today. If you share our imagination, foresight, and drive to shape the future, why not come and join us?

https://www.aarnet.edu.au/

The Role

The PMO Manager role strengthens the organisation by setting clear delivery standards, maintaining the project delivery framework and providing assurance that work is being managed in a consistent and well governed way. 

This role supports the long-term uplift of the PMO by improving structure, supporting quality practices and ensuring teams understand what good delivery looks like. It requires someone who operates confidently in a hybrid delivery environment and can balance the structure of traditional project planning with modern delivery practices used across technology and product teams. 

The PMO Manager role works closely with executives, technology teams and product teams to align priorities and establish a unified approach to delivery across the organisation.

This role has two direct reports - the PMO Coordinator and the PMO Reporting Officer.

Key Responsibilities

Framework and Standards Management

·      Maintain the project delivery framework and ensure it remains practical and relevant

·      Develop and update PMO standards, templates and supporting guidance

·      Ensure the framework supports both projects and modern delivery practices

·      Promote consistent use of artefacts and quality expectations across teams

·      Review and refine framework components in response to feedback and delivery trends

Governance and Assurance Activities

·      Coordinate assurance activities that review the health and quality of projects and programs

·      Provide guidance to teams on meeting governance expectations

·      Identify common gaps or recurring issues and recommend improvements

·      Maintain documentation that supports internal and external audit readiness

Gating and Approval Processes

·      Manage the preparation and operation of PMO gates including artefact checks and review scheduling

·      Ensure submissions meet PMO requirements before advancing to approval

·      Track gate outcomes and follow up on actions or conditions placed on projects

Risk, Compliance and Quality Oversight

·      Support consistent risk, issue and dependency management across the portfolio

·      Monitor delivery controls and highlight areas that require uplift

·      Provide quality checks on core PMO artefacts to support reliable decision making

·      Help teams strengthen their ways of working through coaching and guidance

Organisational Alignment and Uplift

·      Support long term PMO maturity uplift through improved processes and clearer guidance

·      Help align delivery approaches across executive, technology and product teams

·      Contribute to training and onboarding activities that build capability

·      Provide feedback and practical insights that improve PMO practices

Expertise, Experience and Qualifications

• 5+ years experience in project governance, assurance or PMO standards development
• Practical experience working in hybrid delivery environments across both traditional and contemporary delivery models
• Strong understanding of project delivery frameworks and governance practices
• Experience working with enterprise artefacts, templates and structured delivery documentation
• Exposure to telecommunications or complex technical organisations is desirable
• Tertiary qualifications in project management, business or a related discipline are preferred

Important Skills

• Experience with Jira, Confluence on premises or Microsoft Teams environments, or brings skills that can uplift PMO tooling and governance capability
• Strong communicator who can work confidently with senior leaders and delivery teams
• Critical thinker who can identify risks, patterns and systemic issues across the organisation
• Able to influence without authority and guide teams toward better delivery practices
• Patient, supportive and capable of teaching others how to use the framework effectively
• Organised and detail focused with a commitment to improving quality and consistency