Head of Programme Management Office; PMO

Head of Programme Management Office (PMO)

NATS is the UK’s leading air navigation service provider, handling over 2.4 million flights each year. We provide air traffic control services from two control centres and at airports around the UK. We also provide a wide range of commercial products and solutions internationally. Our people are at the heart of our purpose to advance aviation and keep the skies safe.

Salary: Negotiable

Closing Date: Wednesday 21st January 2026

Accountable to the Director of Projects and Programmes for the effective leadership and operation of the Programme Management Office. The purpose of the role is to provide leadership, structure, and oversight to ensure the successful delivery of programs and projects within NATS. This role supports the alignment of projects with NATS strategic objectives and ensures that project management practices are standardised and efficient.

It also supports the Director of Projects and Programmes to ensure effective running of the Directorate, strategic alignment and communication across departments.

The Head of Programme Management Office will play a pivotal role in assuring the successful delivery of projects against time, cost, and quality objectives. They will provide leadership and direction to the PMO team to ensure centralised and consistent assurance of project and programmes, prepare and present executive-level reporting on the status of the change portfolio, working with the programme managers, and ensure that approved project management processes and standards are adhered to.

The Programme Management Office will also lead on the governance of ‘small projects’ and ‘annualised investment’ portfolios.

The Head of Programme Management Office will support the Director of Projects and Programmes and their leadership team to develop and execute strategic initiatives and to undertake business planning across the Projects and Programmes Directorate. They will provide high-level decision support and governance/process guidance to help navigate complex business challenges at a portfolio level. They will act as a liaison between the Director and other leadership team members of the Directorate to ensure effective communication and alignment within the leadership team on key portfolio level decisions.

• Ensure all projects and programmes align with NATS strategic goals and are accountable for the implementation and delivery of programme and project office services.
• Provide guidance & assurance for the delivery of projects and programmes, ensuring adherence to established standards, frameworks and methodologies.
• Enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of project delivery by leading the implementation of best practices, standardising methodologies, and optimising resource use.
• Track the performance of projects and programmes through key performance indicators (KPIs) and provide regular reports to senior management and stakeholders.
• Prepare and present portfolio‑level reports to the executive team, offering insights to enable quick and effective decisions.
• Coordinate Project and Programme governance and processes, ensuring they are up‑to‑date and effectively implemented.
• Enable project and programme resource allocation against programme and small project portfolio demand and project prioritisation (through facilitation of the resource allocation board), working in collaboration with internal supplier functions and external supplier managers.
• Act as one of the “lines of defence” for project and programme delivery, ensuring that risks, issues and dependencies are being appropriately managed, and corrective action plans are in place where required.
• Lead and direct the central PMO team (PMO Managers, PMO Analysts, Resourcing Manager, Planning Lead), ensuring effective line management and professional development of direct reports.
• Collaborate with the capability team to ensure alignment on project and programme standards, practices and quality management.
• Utilise effective PPM tooling to allow insight into project and programme delivery through examination of delivery data and reporting. Collaborate with the capability team…