Director of Project Management Office (PMO)

Overview

As the Director of the Project Management Office at PowerPlan, you will be entrusted with managing a portfolio of up to 150 simultaneous enterprise software projects for customers in the energy and utility sectors. You will have the authority to independently evaluate the status of projects, question unsubstantiated forecasts, and enforce corrective strategies when required. Your role is to reinforce the operational framework, establish trust in Certinia as the primary system of record, resolve cross-functional challenges that threaten project success, and cultivate PM Managers and their teams to achieve consistent, predictable execution.

This executive role involves active involvement in project reviews and recoveries alongside your team, with the authority to propose staffing, governance, or commercial adjustments when results are jeopardized.

About PowerPlan

PowerPlan develops enterprise-grade software focused on tax, accounting, reporting, and workflow automation for energy industry organizations, emphasizing financial integrity, regulatory compliance, and dependable operations. The Professional Services group works closely with clients through implementations, upgrades, SaaS migrations, and optimization engagements, delivering concrete outcomes for CFOs.

Key Performance Objectives (First 12 Months)

• Establish Portfolio Truth and Delivery Control: Within 90-120 days, form an evidence-based health baseline across all active projects through direct field engagement, ensuring reported statuses accurately reflect reality. Initiate recovery governance and escalation protocols for at-risk engagements.
• Harden the Delivery Operating Model: During the first quarter and ongoing to six months, enforce consistent standards, stage gates, and governance mechanisms tailored by project size and risk, reducing low-value processes while enhancing delivery predictability.
• Establish Trustworthy Portfolio Data and Forecasting: In the first 90 days and ongoing, make Certinia PSA the definitive system of record. Resolve data quality issues, eliminate shadow tracking mechanisms, and provide leadership with credible visibility into financial and project health.
• Build Durable Cross-Functional Operating Interfaces: Within 30 days to six months, identify and mend breakdowns in handoffs among Sales, Product, Engineering, Support, and Finance, focusing first on Sales-to-delivery and delivery-to-Support transitions, establishing sustainable collaboration frameworks.
• Develop PMO Talent by Leading from the Field: Starting immediately, work closely with PM Managers and their teams to coach, diagnose systemic challenges, address underperformance promptly, and foster leadership succession to reduce reliance on individuals.

Leadership & Transformation Experience

• Minimum 10 years of progressive leadership within project-oriented environments such as enterprise software, consulting, Professional Services, system integration, or technology outsourcing.
• Proven record of leading PMO turnarounds, realignments, or capability transformations.
• Experience managing portfolios of concurrent enterprise software or Professional Services engagements with responsibility for customer satisfaction, revenue, margin, and delivery outcomes.
• Skill in leading and developing Project and Program Managers.
• Expertise in delivery methodology, governance, assurance, and accountability frameworks.
• Ability to analyze systemic delivery challenges and distinguish underlying causes.
• Experience recovering operationally or financially troubled customer programs.
• Capacity to make challenging decisions regarding portfolio, staffing, customers, and performance.

Professional Services Commercial Acumen

• Strong grasp of Professional Services financial metrics including revenue forecasting, project gross margin, estimates to complete, backlog conversion, change control, and revenue leakage.
• Experience with fixed-fee and time-and-materials engagements.
• Ability to link delivery decisions with financial performance.
• Knowledge of contractual commitments, statements of work, acceptance criteria, milestone billing, and change-order processes.

PMO Methodology and Operations

• Proven ability to select, customize, implement, and maintain project management practices over complex software engagements.
• Experience establishing tiered governance by risk and complexity.
• Expertise in delivery assurance, financial and scope management, risk mitigation, change control, escalation, and reporting standards.
• Skill in streamlining or removing low-value processes.
• Experience managing portfolios with over 50 concurrent projects.
• Deep understanding of resource management, demand planning, capacity constraints, and sequencing.
• Experience owning or optimizing Professional Services Automation platforms, with preference for Certinia PSA (formerly FinancialForce).

Enterprise Software Delivery Knowledge

• Strong understanding of enterprise software implementation life cycles including configuration, data migration, integration, testing, cutover, training, customer readiness, deployment, and adoption.
• Ability to differentiate between project management failures and product, technical, commercial, or readiness issues.
• Familiarity with complex enterprise technology ecosystems; SaaS migration and solutions for ERP, accounting, tax, financial management, utilities, or CFO offices preferred.

Talent and Performance Leadership

• Experience assessing organizational capabilities and designing PMO team structures.
• Proven success in developing Project and Program Managers.
• Ability to identify and accelerate high-potential leaders.
• Readiness and capability to address performance issues decisively.
• Experience minimizing key-person dependency and building succession strength.
• Skilled at fostering cultures of ownership, transparency, constructive challenge, and continuous improvement.

Strategic and Cross-Functional Capability

• Ability to translate strategic plans into operational execution.
• Experience collaborating across Sales, Finance, Product, Engineering, Support, Customer Success, and Professional Services.
• Demonstrated success improving cross-functional handoffs and delivery readiness.