Program Manager, PMO Optimization

Company Profile

At Sand Cherry Associates, we excel in the design and delivery of strategic customer-centric initiatives through digitally-native, data-empowered solutions. Our client’s confidence in us is centered on exceptionally skilled, high-energy talent working with the support of the full Sand Cherry team. Finding the right match for this role is a critical aspect of continuing that success.

Overview

We’re seeking an experienced Program Manager, PMO Optimization leader to join our team. In this role, you will be responsible for efforts to build out a Project Management Office (PMO), focusing on optimizing processes, methodologies, and overall project delivery capabilities. The ideal candidate will have extensive experience with Project/Program Management, PMO creation, PMO Maturity Assessment and Change Management. As the Program Manager for PMO Optimization, you will collaborate with cross-functional teams, senior leaders, and stakeholders to assess, refine, and implement best practices to strengthen the PMO’s capabilities, tools and templates. You will play a critical role in ensuring alignment between PMO operations and organizational objectives while fostering a culture of continuous process improvement. This is a remote consulting engagement. Qualified candidates must live in the United States to be considered for this role.

Responsibilities

• PMO Creation and Maturity Assessment:
• Lead comprehensive PMO maturity assessment to evaluate the current state of the PMO, identifying strengths, weaknesses, and areas for improvement.
• Develop actionable recommendations for enhancing PMO processes, tools, and governance structures to align with industry best practices.
• Create, implement, and manage roadmaps for PMO transformation and continuous improvement based on maturity assessment findings.
• PMO Process Optimization:
• Design and implement improvements to PMO processes, frameworks, tools, and methodologies to enhance project delivery performance and efficiency.
• Facilitate the standardization of project management practices, including risk management, resource allocation, and reporting.
• Work closely with senior leadership and cross-functional teams to ensure alignment with organizational objectives and strategic goals.
• Change Management:
• Lead change management initiatives for PMO-related projects, ensuring smooth transitions and stakeholder buy-in and adoption.
• Develop and execute communication and training plans to ensure adoption of new processes and tools across the organization.
• Provide guidance on managing resistance to change, offering solutions to overcome obstacles and ensuring sustainable change.
• Stakeholder Management:
• Collaborate with key stakeholders, including senior leaders, department heads, and project managers, to ensure alignment and continuous feedback throughout the optimization process.
• Build relationships and act as a trusted advisor to stakeholders regarding PMO improvements, project management best practices, and performance metrics.
• PMO Reporting and Metrics:
• Develop and maintain dashboards and reporting mechanisms to track PMO performance, including project success rates, resource utilization, and PMO maturity progress.
• Conduct regular performance reviews and assessments to ensure that PMO goals and optimization initiatives are on track.
• Continuous Improvement:
• Foster a culture of continuous improvement within the PMO and the wider organization by promoting the use of lessons learned and post-project reviews.
• Stay up to date with the latest trends and advancements in project management, PMO best practices, and change management methodologies.

Requirements

Experience

• Minimum of 5-7 years of strong project or program management experience
• Direct experience with building, leading and/or managing PMO operations, with direct experience in PMO optimization
• Demonstrated experience with conducting PMO Maturity Assessment and identifying key improvement areas within PMO functions.
• Proven track record of change management planning, particularly in PMO-related initiatives with a focus on stakeholder engagement and adoption.
• Experience in implementing or enhancing project management methodologies, frameworks (Agile, Waterfall), and project governance structures.
• Strong understanding of Project/Program Management and PMO processes, tools, and methodologies.
• Expertise in Prosci change management principles and their application to PMO transformations.
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to effectively prese