Assurance Manager

Assurance Manager

The West of England Mayoral Combined Authority (MCA) is seeking to appoint an experienced and strategic Assurance Manager to join our Corporate PMO team.

This is an exciting opportunity to lead and shape the assurance function across our portfolio of projects and programmes, helping to ensure that our work is well-governed, deliverable and aligned with our priorities for the West of England.

Reporting directly to the Head of Corporate PMO, you will provide senior leadership and oversight across project and programme assurance. You will lead the development and continuous improvement of our assurance processes, including gateway reviews and project health checks, while providing constructive challenge and clear escalation where required.

You will maintain a clear, evidence-based view of delivery confidence across the portfolio, identifying risks, trends and systemic issues to support timely and informed decision-making. Working closely with senior leaders, project sponsors and delivery teams, you will help strengthen delivery and ensure that lessons are learned and embedded across the organisation.

We're looking for someone with significant experience in PMO, assurance or governance who can operate confidently in a highly visible senior role. You'll be an excellent communicator and relationship builder, with the ability to provide independent challenge while working collaboratively with colleagues and stakeholders at all levels.

The role

As our Assurance Manager, you will lead and own the portfolio-wide assurance function, ensuring consistent, proportionate and effective oversight across projects and programmes.

Your key responsibilities will include:

• Leading and continuously improving the PMO assurance process, including gateway reviews and project health checks.
• Leading assurance activity at key decision points, ensuring projects are viable, affordable and deliverable.
• Providing clear assurance outcomes, recommendations and escalation to support governance and decision-making.
• Maintaining a portfolio-wide view of delivery confidence, identifying risks, trends and systemic issues across projects and programmes.
• Providing independent challenge and oversight to ensure projects are well-governed and aligned with MCA priorities.
• Overseeing and quality assuring assurance activity across the Corporate PMO to ensure consistency, quality and robustness.
• Acting as a senior escalation point for assurance findings and delivery concerns, working proactively with stakeholders to address issues.
• Providing oversight of portfolio-level risk management and ensuring risks are clearly identified, escalated and considered within assurance activity.
• Ensuring assurance activity considers intended outcomes, strategic alignment and value for money.
• Leading and supporting the coordination of gateway reviews and governance processes to ensure activity is timely, well-structured and aligned to PMO standards.
• Ensuring assurance outputs, reporting and findings are clear, consistent and accessible to support leadership decision-making.
• Driving continuous improvement in assurance practices, embedding learning and strengthening delivery across the portfolio.
• Ensuring the consistent and proportionate application of PMO governance, controls and lifecycle standards.
• Acting as the MCA's client for projects delivered by external partners, providing clarity on MCA requirements and supporting successful delivery.
• Line managing and developing Portfolio Leads and the Portfolio Coordinator, supporting their professional development and performance.

About you

We're looking for an experienced assurance, PMO or governance professional who can bring strategic oversight, sound judgement and a constructive approach to challenge.

You will be comfortable working across a complex portfolio and able to see the bigger picture, identifying patterns, risks and opportunities to improve delivery performance.

You will have experience of leading or delivering project assurance and working with senior stakeholders and governance boards. You'll be confident analysing complex information and turning it into clear, practical insights that support effective decision-making.

You'll also bring strong people management skills and experience of developing teams, creating an environment where colleagues can learn, grow and deliver their best work.

What we're looking for

You will have:

• A degree-level qualification or equivalent professional experience in a relevant sector.
• Knowledge and experience of working within a Corporate PMO and using assurance frameworks.
• Significant experience operating in a senior PMO, assurance or governance role.
• Experience of leading or delivering project and programme assurance.
• Experience of overseeing delivery across multiple projects or programmes.
• Experience of working with senior stakeholders and governance boards.
• Experience of managing, mentoring and developing teams.
• Experience of working within a local authority, combined authority or wider public sector environment.
• Strong analytical skills and the ability to synthesise complex information into clear insights.
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to communicate clearly and concisely with a range of audiences.
• The confidence and credibility to provide constructive challenge and influence colleagues and stakeholders.
• Excellent organisational and time management skills, with the ability to manage changing and competing priorities.
• Strong attention to detail and a commitment to consistency and quality.
• The ability to work accurately and effectively under pressure and adapt quickly to changing circumstances.
• Experience using a range of PMO and project management software, including Microsoft Project, Visio, Project Online and Power BI.

Working with others

You will work closely with a wide range of colleagues and stakeholders, including:

• Head of Corporate PMO
• Portfolio Leads across Risk, Assurance, Outcomes and Benefits
• Portfolio Coordinator for Gateway Reviews and Secretariat
• Project Sponsors, Senior Responsible Owners and Project Managers
• Finance, Governance and Strategy teams
• External delivery partners, including Unitary Authorities

Why join us?

At the West of England Mayoral Combined Authority, we're working together to deliver real change for the region. From improving transport and creating new homes to supporting businesses and tackling the climate emergency, our work makes a difference to the lives of people across the West of England.

This is an opportunity to play a key role in strengthening how we deliver our ambitious portfolio of projects and programmes. You'll work with colleagues across the organisation, providing the assurance, insight and challenge needed to give our leadership confidence in delivery and help ensure we achieve the best possible outcomes for our communities.

Real change happens together.

Our offer

We are based in a new bright and airy office, with all the latest technology, close to Bristol Temple Meads Train Station.

Alongside the opportunity to make a real difference to the people who visit, live and work in the West of England, we offer an excellent benefits package including:

• 26 days annual leave, plus bank holidays, rising to 31 days after 5 years continuous service. There is also the option to increase your annual leave with our annual leave purchase scheme.
• 2 days of paid leave each ye