Operations PMO Lead

Totara is a global learning platform trusted by more than 1,500 organizations and 21 million users worldwide. We help organizations build workforce readiness through flexible learning, compliance, and talent development solutions designed to support complex and highly regulated environments across the public and private sectors.

Reporting to the COO, the Operations PMO Lead line manages a small team of Project Managers across the UK, Australia, and the US, providing day-to-day leadership, coaching, and portfolio oversight. Critically, they also carry a personal project load — working hands-on alongside the team to plan and deliver operational, systems, and change projects that enable the business to scale. 

This is a role for someone who leads by example, is energised by getting things done, and has no interest in being above the detail. The person who thrives here is as likely to be found owning a project kickoff or working through a risk register as they are in a team catch-up or a portfolio planning conversation. 

Responsibilities:

Hands-On Project Management & Delivery (40–50%) 

This role delivers projects, not just oversees them. The Operations PMO Lead is expected to personally own and run a project portfolio with the same rigour expected of the wider team. 

• Own and run a portfolio of operational, systems, and change projects from scoping through to BAU handover. 
• Develop and maintain project plans, timelines, risk registers, and stakeholder reporting to a consistently high standard. 
• Manage project risks, issues, and dependencies — escalating where necessary, resolving wherever possible. 
• Coordinate cross-functional teams to align scope, priorities, and delivery requirements across concurrent workstreams. 
• Ensure projects are delivered on time, to scope, with clearly defined ownership and a structured handover into business-as-usual. 
• Be visible and hands-on in delivery — this role is not above the coordination, documentation, or administrative work that makes projects succeed. 

Team Leadership & PMO Development (25–30%) 

Lead a small, globally distributed team of Operations Project Managers — creating an environment where standards are high, support is genuine, and people grow. 

• Line manage Operations Project Managers across the UK, Australia, and US: regular 1:1s, clear expectations, and active coaching. 
• Build and maintain a consistent approach to delivery across the team — methodology, documentation standards, reporting cadence, and quality bar. 
• Maintain visibility of the team's collective portfolio, identifying capacity constraints, sequencing issues, and prioritisation calls. 
• Spot development needs and performance issues early, acting on both with directness and care. 
• Contribute to recruitment and onboarding of future PM hires as the team scales. 
• Lead by example — the standard the team works to should be visible in your own work, not just communicated in words. 

Operational Systems & Process Enablement (15–20%) 

• Support the implementation and embedding of new business systems and tools that improve operational efficiency. 
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to document and refine business processes, ensuring they are scalable, consistent, and measurable. 
• Contribute to capacity and resource planning efforts to ensure operational readiness for key initiatives. 
• Identify operational blockers and work with teams to implement practical, evidence-based improvements. 

Portfolio Reporting & Strategic Operations Support (10–15%) 

• Provide the COO with clear, concise visibility of the team portfolio — progress, risks, capacity, and outcomes — without requiring it to be chased. 
• Develop and maintain a reporting framework that gives stakeholders the right information at the right level, without creating unnecessary overhead for the team. 
• Contribute to post-acquisition integration activities, ensuring aligned processes, systems, and delivery models. 
• Support ad-hoc operational initiatives and special projects at the direction of the COO. 
• Champion continuous improvement by embedding good project management practice across teams and functions. 

Knowledge & Experience 

• Proven hands-on project and programme management experience in SaaS, tech, or digital services — with a demonstrable track record of personally delivering, not just governing. 
• Experience managing or mentoring project managers, with the ability to hold standards high while developing people effectively. 
• Comfortable managing a small, globally distributed team across multiple time zones without sacrificing the pace or quality of your own delivery work. 
• Strong understanding of operational systems, business tools, and scalable process design. 
• Experience coordinating system implementations, migrations, or operational change projects. 
• Experience supporting post-acquisition integration activities is advantageous. 

Skills

• Exceptional project planning, coordination, and risk management — able to run multiple complex projects simultaneously without losing grip on the detail. 
• Strong people leadership: direct, fair, and genuinely invested in developing the capability of the team. 
• Excellent communication at all levels — able to give a COO a crisp portfolio update and a PM clear, actionable feedback in the same working day. 
• High personal standards for documentation, reporting, and process quality — and the ability to instil those standards in others without bureaucracy. 
• Analytical and data-driven approach to decisions, performance tracking, and continuous improvement. 
• Comfortable creating structure in ambiguous environments rather than waiting for it to be provided. 
• Familiarity with delivery and project tools — PMO systems, capacity planning tools, CRM, and operational platforms. 
• A genuine bias toward action: this is a role for someone who gets things done, not someone who manages the process of getting things done. 

Qualifications 

• Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Operations, Technology Management, or a related field — or equivalent professional experience. 
• Project management certifications (e.g. PRINCE2, PMP, Lean Six Sigma, ITIL) are advantageous but not essential. Delivery track record matters more than credentials. 

What Success Looks Like 

• Projects are delivered on time, within scope, and successfully embedded into BAU — by you personally and across your team. 
• The COO has reliable, proactive visibility of the portfolio without needing to request it. 
• The PM team is well-led, well-developed, and operating to a consistently high standard across all three regions. 
• Stakeholders across the business experience the function as organised, accountable, and easy to work with. 
• The team's capability and reputation grows in line with the pace and ambition of the business. 

Perks and Benefits:

• Enhanced Parental Leave
• Private Healthcare
• Life Insurance 4x Salary
• Professional Development Opportunities
• Annual Wellbeing Allowance
• New Joiner home working set-up allowance
• Additional Paid Leave: Birthday off, Working days between Christmas and New Years Eve

At Totara, we believe diverse perspectives make us stronger. We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds and experiences. If you're excited about this opportunity but don't meet every requirement, we'd still love to hear from you. We hire based on skills, leadership, potential and the unique experiences people bring to our team.