Portfolio and Governance Manager

To support the development of the Parole Board’s Portfolio Office by providing practical portfolio, governance and assurance support across the organisation. The postholder will help colleagues apply clear project and programme management expectations, use proportionate tools and templates, and ensure projects and programmes are governed effectively and subject to appropriate oversight, constructive challenge and escalation.

The role will help develop and maintain portfolio management arrangements, support business planning, performance reporting and benefits realisation, coordinate governance and assurance activity, and build organisational capability by giving colleagues the skills, tools and confidence to manage projects and programmes consistently. The postholder will use data and insight to test whether projects and programmes are being governed effectively, identify gaps or risks in controls and reporting, and support timely challenge, escalation and corrective action where needed. They will help ensure senior leaders have reliable information on progress, risks, dependencies, benefits, affordability and organisational capacity, supporting prioritisation, resilience and decision-making across the portfolio.

Scope of duties and responsibilities:

• Work collaboratively with project and programme leads to establish clear governance, delivery plans, reporting arrangements and proportionate project documentation.
• Develop and maintain practical project and programme management frameworks, expectations, templates, tools and guidance, ensuring they are proportionate, easy to use and appropriate to the organisation’s needs.
• Provide practical advice, coaching, guidance and hands-on support to colleagues so they have the skills, confidence and tools to manage projects and programmes consistently.
• Provide assurance that programmes and projects are governed effectively, with clear decision-making routes, roles and responsibilities, risk management, milestones, dependencies and reporting arrangements.
• Review portfolio information with strong attention to detail, identifying where governance, controls, reporting or delivery confidence may be weak, incomplete or off track, and escalating issues through agreed routes where needed.
• Provide clear reporting and assurance to the Portfolio Board and senior leaders, supporting timely decisions, prioritisation, escalation and corrective action.
• Support project initiation, governance review and lessons learned sessions to strengthen effective governance and continuous organisational improvement.
• Work proactively with teams across the organisation to improve the quality, consistency and completeness of portfolio data and reporting.
• Support project and programme leads to develop proportionate business cases, identify resource and funding requirements, and report against agreed budgets, benefits and value for money commitments.
• Use and analyse portfolio data to support governance, assurance, reporting and evaluation, working with relevant performance and data colleagues to measure progress, benefits, risks, dependencies, capacity and organisational resilience., This role is hybrid. You will be required to spend 20% of your time in person contact. For some SLT meetings as well as team away days, you will be required to attend in person in London., A sift based on the lead behaviour, Managing a Quality Service, may be held if a large number of applications are received. If a large number of applications remain after the initial sift, your application will be progressed to a full sift, where all behaviours will then be considered. Behaviours Application Form Question Word Limit 250 Managing a Quality Service Communicating and Influencing Changing and Improving Working Together Experience We will assess your experience for this role via the following methods Statement of Suitability Statement of Suitability Guidance for the Statement of Suitability Please evidence how you meet the essential and desirable criteria within the job description. Evidence of Experience Statement of Suitability

Interview stage assessments

Interview Dates Expected week commencing 23/11/26 Behaviours Managing a Quality Service Communicating and Influencing Changing and Improving Working Together Strengths Strengths will be assessed but these are not shared in advance. To learn more about Strengths and how they are assessed please click here. Level of security checks required Baseline Personnal Security Standard (BPSS)

We are looking for someone who is organised, proactive and governance-minded, with strong attention to detail and the confidence to work constructively with colleagues across the organisation. You do not need to have been a project manager or data specialist, but you should be comfortable helping others bring structure to their work, use clear tools and templates, and provide reliable information for decision-making. You will enjoy bringing clarity to complex information, spotting gaps or risks, and providing constructive challenge in a way that builds trust and supports better outcomes., * Experience of supporting projects, programmes, governance work, reporting, assurance activity or organisational change.

• A strong governance mindset, with the ability to understand expectations, follow processes and help others apply them consistently and proportionately.
• Excellent attention to detail and the ability to identify gaps, inconsistencies or poor-quality information and take appropriate action to improve it.
• A proactive approach, with the confidence to follow up actions, identify risks early and support timely escalation where needed.
• Ability to build positive relationships, provide practical support and constructively challenge stakeholders using evidence and sound judgement.
• Strong organisational skills and ability to manage competing priorities independently, knowing when to seek guidance or escalate.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to present information clearly and draw out key messages from data, reports or other evidence.

When applying, you should use your statement of suitability to show how your experience meets the essential criteria. We welcome examples from a range of backgrounds, including governance, business support, project or programme support, operational delivery, risk, assurance, reporting, administration or organisational improvement.

Desirable

• Experience of project, programme or portfolio management support.
• Experience of developing or improving processes, guidance, templates or reporting frameworks.
• Experience of governance, assurance, risk, audit, business planning, performance reporting or benefits realisation.
• Confidence using Microsoft 365 applications, including Excel, PowerPoint, Teams or SharePoint.
• Interest in digital tools, automation or AI solutions that support organisational effectiveness.

Behaviours

We will assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Managing a Quality Service (Lead Behaviour)
• Communicating and Influencing
• Changing and Improving
• Working Together

The national salary range is £32,483 - £37,265 London salary range is £34,281- £41,836 salary will be dependent on your base location, For nationally advertised campaigns, candidates will be appointed to their nearest Justice Collaboration Centre or Justice Satellite Office. This will be discussed and agreed with the successful candidate(s) on the completion of pre-employment checks.

The Parole Board offers a flexible working system in many offices. Standard full time working hours are 37 hours per week. Parole Board welcomes part-time, flexible and job-sharing working patterns, where they meet the demands of the role and business needs. All applications for part-time, flexible and job-sharing working patterns will be considered in accordance with the Parole Board’s Flexible Working policy.

Annual Leave

Annual leave is 25 days on appointment and will increase to 30 days after five years’ service.

There is also a scheme to allow qualifying staff to buy or sell up to three days leave each year. Additional paid time off for public holidays and 1 privilege day. Leave for part-time and job share posts will be calculated on a pro-rata basis.

Pension

The Civil Service offers a choice of pension schemes, giving you the flexibility to choose the pension that suits you best.

Training

The Parole Board is committed to staff development and offers an extensive range of training and development opportunities.

Networks

The opportunity to join employee-run networks that have been established to provide advice and support and to enable the views of employees from minority groups to be expressed direct to senior management. There are currently networks for employees of minority ethnic origin, employees with disabilities, employees with caring responsibilities, women employees, and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender employees.

Support

• A range of ‘Family Friendly’ policies such as opportunities to work reduced hours or job share.
• Access to flexible benefits such as voluntary benefits, retail vouchers and discounts on a range of goods and services.
• For moves to or from another employer or moves across the Civil Service this can have implications on your eligibility to carry on claiming childcare vouchers. You may however be eligible for alternative government childcare support schemes, including Tax Free Childcare. More information can be found on www.GOV.UK or Childcare Choices. You can determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/.
• Paid paternity, adoption and maternity leave.
• Free annual sight tests for employees who use computer screens.

A Great Place to Work for Veterans

The “Making the Civil Service a Great Place to work for veterans” initiative includes a guaranteed interview scheme to those who meet the minimum criteria to provide eligible former members of the Armed Forces with opportunities to secure rewarding jobs. Allowing veterans to continue to serve their country, and to bring highly skilled individuals with a broad range of experience into the Civil Service in an environment, which recognises and values your previous service in the Armed Forces. For further details about the initiative and eligibility requirements visit: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/making-the-civil-service-a-great-place-to-work-for-veterans

Redeployment Interview Scheme

Civil Service departments are expected to explore redeployment opportunities before making an individual redundant. The MoJ are committed, as part of the Redeployment Interview Scheme, to providing opportunities to those who are ‘at risk of redundancy’.

Whilst the Parole Board office is principally located in London, and, for the purposes of organisational management and administration, it is not required to conduct business in Welsh. However, the Parole Board welcomes applications from candidates who speak Welsh and English as part of its commitment to treat both languages on a basis of equality in the conduct of public business and administration of justice in Wales, as far as is both appropriate and reasonable, and to reflect the community it serves.