Portrait Of The PMO, The Conductor Of All Your Projects

What Is A PMO Or Project Management Officer?

At the crossroads of management and project teams, the PMO orchestrates all projects, portfolios, and programs. This professional therefore has more than one string to his bow, which is why it is sometimes difficult to grasp the nature and extent of his missions. But the good news, this article presents the complete job description of the PMO. Bonus: we also offer a toolbox and a White Paper to support PMOs in structuring their activity and selecting their software, as well as some advice to make the task easier for HR teams wishing to recruit such a profile.

The PMO Job Description

What Is The Role Of A PMO?

First of all, note that PMO refers to a department ( Project Management Office ) and a professional ( Project Management Officer ). What is the latter’s role? Businesses today, especially larger ones, often juggle hundreds of projects while ensuring timeliness and profitability. This is where the PMO is in charge of overall project management. With a strategic position, the Product Management Officer has a transversal vision of all projects and portfolios to guarantee their operational and economic alignment with the general objectives of the organization. He must therefore be able to:

1. coordinate projects,
2. prioritize projects,
3. provide the best support to the business teams to always satisfy the company’s vision.

At the same time, the PMO monitors the progress and performance of projects to provide management with an inventory of the situation if necessary. Depending on the structures and their size, the Project Management Officer can contact the project teams or work through project managers.

The Daily Tasks Of The Project Management Officer

1. Coordinate, prioritize, and plan all of the company’s projects by its overall objectives and taking into account the various internal and external constraints,
2. Support the project teams in carrying out their daily missions and in compliance with the roadmap,
3. Ensure the proper execution and success of projects,
4. Anticipate and manage technical and operational risks,
5. Define processes and repositories to industrialize and standardize the company’s practices in terms of project management,
6. Manage the resources and budget allocated to all projects,
7. Ensure compliance with the company’s strategic vision and specifications,
8. Analyze project performance by defining KPIs and developing reports,
9. Contribute to the establishment of an authentic project culture within the company and support the management of change,
10. Establish a link between management and project managers.

What Is A Good PMO?

Here are the skills expected of a good PMO:

1. overall project management (prioritization, planning, resource allocation, budget management, etc.),
2. great rigor and ability to organize and anticipate,
3. relational, communication, and pedagogical skills to best support project teams,
4. adaptability and flexibility to best deal with unforeseen events and emergencies,
5. mastery of tools ( Gantt chart, WBS, etc.) and project management software,
6. intellectual curiosity to stay abreast of innovations in methodologies or software solutions,
7. Spoken and written English.

Prospects For The Evolution Of The PMO

According to a study carried out by OP TEAM, PMOs tend quite naturally towards supervisory and management positions for the rest of their career (the role of PMO remains by nature more advice and support oriented).

What Training To Become A PMO?

There needs to be dominant training to exercise the profession of Project Management Officer. Nevertheless, a level of studies at Bac +5 is generally requested. On the other hand, the nature of the projects for which the PMO will work determines the desired course. Par exemple :

1. Bac +5 in engineering school for technical projects,
2. Bac +5 in business school for business and marketing-oriented projects.

In all cases, additional training in the DESS type project management is appreciated. Working as a PMO at the start of your career remains entirely possible. However, most job offers mention the justification of a first successful experience, particularly in project management.

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