About

• As a Portfolio Planning & Assurance Manager you will play a pivotal role in delivering strategic, data-informed and independent portfolio planning and assurance services. You will be a trusted partner, enabling the Bank to achieve its strategic priorities by setting up projects and programmes for success. You will ensure the Portfolio Planning & Assurance team delivers effective portfolio management, ensuring all changes are traceable, accountable and deliver measurable benefits.
• You will be responsible for monitoring projects throughout their lifecycle to ensure adherence to agreed-upon plans and standards. This role involves conducting periodic reviews, ensuring quality, managing risks, auditing compliance, facilitating learning, supporting transparency, and maintaining accountability across all project activities.
• The Bank values diversity and inclusion – we want to reflect the society we serve better; we want the best people to work for us and we want our workplace to be inclusive. We value all forms of diversity, including but not limited to age, disability, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, race, religion and sexual orientation. One way we support diversity and inclusion is through our staff run networks.

Primary Outcomes and Accountabilities

• Delivery Assurance: Deliver independent assurance across projects and programmes, providing objective oversight, identifying risks, and ensuring alignment with governance and delivery standard
• Facilitate Learning: Provide feedback to project teams to promote a culture of continuous improvement and sharing of lessons learned.
• Support Transparency: Ensure leadership has a clear view of the portfolio health and progress. Identify any portfolio-wide challenges through consistent reporting.​
• Maintain accountability: Act as an impartial body to uphold accountability across all project and programme activities.
• Support Strategy & Business Planning: ensure that activities are aligned with the overall strategic goals of the organisation.​
• Being a role model and ambassador for the Division, committed to the purpose of the Bank and providing a supportive, diverse and inclusive team environment
• Assure projects: Monitor projects through their lifecycle to ensure adherence to agreed-upon plans and standards.​
• Ensure quality: Validate that the projects are delivering the expected outcomes and benefits within agreed parameters of time, cost and scope.​
• Risk assurance: Proactively identify and escalate risks that could compromise the success of the projects, programmes or the portfolio.​
• Audit compliance with standards: Verify that projects are complying with the governance frameworks, policies and standards set by the Governance & Standards team.​

Role Requirements

Minimum Criteria

• Proven experience in project management, preferably within the banking or financial services sector, with the ability to think ahead and to be innovative in meeting business needs.
• Proficiency in project management software and tools with proficiency in making informed decisions and solving complex problems, often with incomplete information.
• Strong experience working with or developing assurance frameworks as they apply to project and programme delivery.

Essential Criteria

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to communicate complex and technical information effectively in written and oral form with a style that is moderated according to the audience.
• Ability to work collaboratively with cross-functional teams, with the ability to think holistically and work collaboratively to solve business decisions
• Resilience, with the ability to demonstrate resilience when delivering difficult messages or when they are met with resistance to ideas or messages

Desirable Criteria

• Experience within a similar organisation in supporting portfolio definition and executing successful delivery, understanding business priorities, supporting business change and managing successful business partnerships.
• Proven experience of successful delivery of complex change in the Financial Services industry.
• Experience of Planview and Oracle PPM tools
• Our Approach to Inclusion
• The Bank values diversity, equity and inclusion. We play a key role in maintaining monetary and financial stability, and to do that effectively, we believe we need a workforce that reflects the society we serve.
• At the Bank of England, we want all colleagues to feel valued and respected, so we're working hard to build an inclusive culture which supports people from all backgrounds and communities to be at their best at work. We celebrate all forms of diversity, including (but not limited to) age, disability, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, race, religion, sexual orientation and socioeconomic status. We believe that it’s by drawing on different perspectives and experiences that we’ll continue to make the best decisions for the public.
• We welcome applications from individuals who work flexibly, including job shares and part time working patterns. We've also partnered with external organisations to support us in making adjustments for candidates and employees in the recruitment process where they're needed.
• For most roles where work can be carried out at home, we aim for colleagues to spend half of their time in the office, with a minimum of 40% per month. Subject to that minimum requirement, individuals and managers should work together to find what works best for them, their team and stakeholders.
• Finally, we're proud to be a member of the Disability Confident Scheme. If you wish to apply under this scheme, you should check the box in the ‘Candidate Personal Information’ under the ‘Disability Confident Scheme’ section of the application.
• Salary and Benefits Information
• We encourage flexible working, part time working and job share arrangements. Part time salary and benefits will be on a pro-rated basis as appropriate.

Salary details

• Leeds circa £59,520 – £66,000
• London circa £66,160 - £74,000

In addition, we also offer a comprehensive benefits package as detailed below

• Currently a non-contributory, career average pension giving you a guaranteed retirement benefit of 1/80th of your annual salary for every year worked. There is the option to increase your pension (to 1/65th) or decrease (to 1/105th) in exchange for salary through our flexible benefits programme each year. The Bank has the discretion to vary standard accrual rates and dial up and dial down rates at any time and to withdraw dial up and dial down options at any time.
• A discretionary performance award based on a current award pool.
• An 8% benefits allowance with the option to take as salary or purchase a wide range of flexible benefits.
• 26 days’ annual leave with option to buy up to 12 additional days through flexible benefits.
• Private medical insurance and income protection.
• National Security Vetting Process
• Employment in this role will be subject to the National Security Vetting clearance process (and typically can take between 6 to 12 weeks post offer) and the passing of additional Bank security checks in accordance with the Bank policy. Further information regarding the vetting and security clearance requirements for the role will be provided to the successful applicant, and information about how the Bank processes personal data for these purposes, is set out in the Bank's Privacy Notice.
• The Bank of England welcomes applications from all candidates, but as a UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) approved sponsor, we have a responsibility to comply with the Immigration Rules and guidance. As such, our ability to employ individuals who require sponsorship for immigration purposes is limited. The Bank cannot guarantee that you and / or the role you are applying for will be eligible for sponsorship and that any application made to UKVI will be successful. Eligibility will therefore be considered on a case by case basis.
• The Application Process
• Important: Please ensure that you complete the ‘work history’ section and answer ALL the application questions fully. All candidate applications are anonymised to ensure that our hiring managers will not be able to see your personal information, including your CV, when reviewing your application details at the screening stage. It’s therefore really important that you fill out the work history and application form questions, as your answers will form a critical part of the initial selection process.

• The assessment process will comprise of two interview stages.

• This role closes on 19th August.

• Please apply online, ensuring that you complete your work history and answer ALL the application questions fully and in detail as your application will not be considered if all mandatory questions are not fully completed.