Why should you hire PMO jobs in Australia

Article

What you need to know about PMO jobs in Australia

How can your company benefit from hiring PMO jobs?
Myths about PMO roles and what functions a PMO serves
Roles and responsibilities of a PMO
Considerations for hiring PMO jobs in Australia

The Project Management Office (PMO) is a department within an organisation that establishes and maintains guidelines and standards for projects.

Depending on the organisation and its goals and requirements, these projects can be either long-term or short-term.

What’s more, as you’ll see from our Job Directory, the scope for PMO jobs, especially in tech, is vastly varied.

In tech, PMO roles can help expedite and streamline IT projects, while keeping them within budget and restricted to tight deadlines.

Again, depending on how your tech ecosystem works and your organisational goals and needs, this can happen through a variety of ways.

1. Consistent, improved results - Through standardising goals, project lengths, budgets, standard operating procedures, and more, PMO roles identify areas for improvement and help implement them. Subsequently, organisational goals are met consistently.

2. Reduced costs - As a result of the above, organisational goals and projects are streamlined, and costs are reduced, too.

3. Better, more informed decision-making for the organisation - Through intersectional experience and coordinating projects across departments, the PMO provides extensive valuable insight to leaders, management, and stakeholders.

4. Training and upskilling - The PMO can identify areas for improvement and help leaders within the organisation develop their talent through training and upskilling. This will help the overall health of the organisation, where leaders feel valued by their company and employees are subsequently under better leadership.

In other words, hiring PMO roles is an investment for any employer in Australia looking for consistent and long term results.

Although hiring for PMO roles – especially in tech here in Singapore, where tech is booming – a PMO isn’t a one-stop-shop for all your organisational solutions.

What PMOs are not

A temporary solution: PMOs are an extensive set up within the organisational infrastructure. For this reason, they take time and effort to set up; however, their role is largely long-term, since PMOs keep adapting and evolving to meet your organisation’s needs.

A one-size-fits-all approach to project management: There is a common misconception that PMOs work best when implemented through a top-down approach, and that there is a simple or formulaic way in which to implement a PMO. In truth, PMO jobs require thoughtful consideration, since every PMO – just like every organisation – is different.

A process cost involvement: As we mentioned earlier, PMOs are an investment. Given the right circumstances and time, a PMO can save your organisation money and possibly even help maximise income.

Related: Why is there a skills shortage in Australia and what can be done about it?

Additionally, it is important to note that while a PMO is a team of specialists within an organisation who work together to handle and facilitate projects, a PMO Manager (sometimes called a Project Management Officer) is an individual within the PMO who handles the execution of a specific project or set of specific projects.

This is not to be confused with a Project Manager who is responsible for the planning and overseeing of a project or set of projects from start to finish – a PMO and its subcategories simply facilitate this.

Roles and responsibilities of a PMO Manager within a PMO include (but are not limited to) the following:

Audit existing projects to identify where projects stand with regards to finances, deadlines, and efficiency

Find and implemented PMO strategy where required

Monitor reporting and logging of existing systems and assist the team in reporting to senior management and stakeholders

Establish frameworks and standards for project management

Update and maintain a risk log and issue register

Track financial reporting while ensuring that the project(s) remain within budget

Build a cohesive PMO team and motivate the team to produce consistently high-quality work

Related: Why do we need more women in tech?

An ideal candidate in a PMO role in tech has the following qualities:

An advanced degree in IT, Computer Science, or Science

4 to 6 years’ worth of work experience

Ability to adapt to changing demand and priority of work

Strong analytical skills, positive attitude, proven quick learner with great attention to detail

Strong familiarity with management software tools and organisational best practices

Most importantly, however, says Bernice Lim, Robert Half technology Division Director, prospective candidates in PMO roles have a proven track record of out-of-the-box thinking. “You want someone who is capable of working independently, but you also need someone who’s able to think on their feet,” explains Lim. “It’s important that the PMO Manager knows to course-correct when things are maybe not going the way one might expect.”

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