The PMO Manager plays a crucial role in International, driving effective project and programme management through adept governance practices. This role involves setting up and maintaining governance structures for both Waterfall and Agile methodologies and overseeing the tracking and management of deliverables across all initiatives. The PMO Manager excels in facilitating project health checks, risk and issue workshops, ensuring comprehensive reporting, and translating technical details into plain English for senior business stakeholders.
We’re all about people | We win together | We strive for better | We enjoy the everyday | We think further
Who we are:
Markel International underwrites a diverse portfolio of property, casualty, and marine insurance and reinsurance business on a world-wide basis. We are a division of the Markel Corporation, which markets and underwrites speciality insurance products and programmes to a variety of niche markets. In each of these markets we seek to provide quality products and excellent customer service so that we can be a market leader.
Change Delivery is an international function that works with the Board and executive management to shape and deliver critical initiatives. The International portfolio comprises initiatives across a wide range of regions and types including but not limited to: product launches, new distribution channels, setting up new functions / teams, acquisitions, and operational efficiency programmes.
Part of Markel Group (NYSE – MKL) a Fortune 500 company with over 60 offices in 20+ countries, is a holding company for insurance, reinsurance, specialist advisory, and investment operations around the world.
What you’ll be doing:
- Day-to-day management of the PMO in International, reporting to and supporting the Head of Change Delivery
- Lead the PMO to implement processes and governance to align with the end to end planning and delivery process for all projects from initial idea, feasibility assessment through to financial approval, build, delivery and completion, to ensure projects are delivered on budget, on time and to a high standard of quality
- Develop positive relationships with a broad range of key stakeholders to ensure the PMO provides effective support of strategic planning, financial analysis, stage gate reviews/sign off
- Ensure the successful implementation of the PMO’s strategy, responsibilities, services and deliverables
- Build strong working relationship with the programme and project managers to inform and adopt best practice change standards
- Develop and implement project controls and governance across the International portfolio, working in collaboration with Divisions to adopt the Markel change standards and controls
- Prepare portfolio level status reporting - providing clarity and consistency of RAG reporting, simple and clear language is used to explain often technical and complex issues, their root cause and actions to remediate
- Work with the Finance Business Partner to support the production of financial reporting
- Collation and production of Change Leadership Group meeting material on a monthly basis
Key Skills:
- Experience of leading or mentoring PMO team member/s.
- Proven experience in a PMO Manager/Lead role within Financial Services
- Expert in project management methodologies (agile and waterfall) and a wide range of reporting and management tools.
- Experience leading or supporting the development and roll out of PPM software to automate reporting and streamline other project management processes
- PMO/PMP/PRINCE2 certification is an advantage..
- Ability to translate technical information into easily understandable language.
- Experience working in Portfolio Office and maturing its capabilities
- Awareness of the specialty insurance processes (preferably worked in specialty insurance sector)
- Ideally experience of ‘lean’ management
What’s in it for you?
- A great starting salary plus annual bonus & strong benefits package…
- Up to 16% company pension scheme,
- Private medical and dental cover, Menopause plan, emergency care benefit (children/Pets/dependants)
- Income protection, Life assurance, electric car scheme, travel insurance
- 25 days paid holiday plus Bank Holidays, with the opportunity to buy/sell extra leave
- As well as other great benefits on offer there are countless opportunities to learn new skills and develop in your career!
Are you ready to play your part?
If you’re looking for a place where you can make a meaningful difference, you’ve found it. The work we do at Markel gives people the confidence to move forward, reach their full potential and seize opportunities. You’ll find your fit amongst our diverse global community of optimists and problem-solvers. We’re always pushing each other to think further because we believe that when we strive for better and realise our potential, we can help others reach theirs.
Join us and play your part in something special!
Choose ‘Apply Now’ to fill out our short application, so that we can find out more about you.
At Markel we are all about the people, celebrating the value of a diverse workforce that brings experience and expertise from a wide variety of backgrounds and life circumstances. Whatever your background, if you feel you meet the requirements of this role then we want to hear from you. We are also happy to consider candidates who are looking for flexible working patterns.
We will ensure that individuals are provided with any reasonable accommodations to be able to participate in the job application or interview process and to perform essential job functions if successful. Please contact us via email at [email protected] or call us at 0161 507 5827 to request any accommodations or adjustments that may be needed, including alternative formats of documents or information on how to apply offline.
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Top Skills
What We Do
At Markel, we believe in hard work, a zealous pursuit of excellence, and fairness in all our dealings.
Markel Corporation (NYSE: MKL) is a global Fortune 500 company headquartered in Richmond, Virginia. We seek to be a leader in each of our pursuits, with insurance being our primary business. As a market leader for specialty insurance, reinsurance, and investment operations around the world, Markel embodies integrity, commitment, teamwork, and innovation in every day operations. We are encouraged to look for a better way to do things. Since our founding in 1930, we have sought to know our customers’ needs and to provide quality products and service.
Markel specializes in providing coverage for hard-to-place risks for a variety of niche markets including:
• Agricultural and equine risks
• Reinsurance for large risk enterprises such as oil rigs
• Event cancellation insurance for weddings, concerts, and sporting events
• Inland marine coverage for fine art collections
• Environmental pollution
• Yachts, ATVs, and motorcycles
At Markel we provide an atmosphere in which people can reach their personal potential. We are results-oriented, and we continually strive for a better way to do things. The Markel approach is one of spontaneity and flexibility.
Markel helps employees balance work and social activities. Markel gives you the keys to success! Keeping an open mind and learning new skills allows our associates to stay ahead of the marketplace. Above all, we enjoy what we are doing. There is excitement here that comes from innovating, creating, striving for a better way, sharing success with others…winning.
That is the Markel Style.







