The Manager, Transformation PMO leads the establishment and operation of a centralized PMO function for Seaspan's business transformation portfolio. This role is accountable for embedding consistent project management standards, enforcing project governance, and ensuring all transformation projects - whether delivered by internal teams or external vendors - are completed on time, on budget, and to agreed success criteria.
As Transformation PMO is a relatively new function within Seaspan Corporation, this role is central to coaching project owners and teams, building project management capability across the business, and creating a continuous feedback loop that raises the standard of how transformation work is delivered.
The Manager will be measured on their ability to deliver the following:
- Transformation projects delivered on time, on budget and to agreed scope
- Adoption of standard PMO methodology and SOPs across the portfolio
- Quality and timeliness of portfolio reporting to senior leadership
- Year-over-year improvement in project delivery maturity
This role is an on-site position based out of our Vancouver, BC office.
Job Responsibilities:Methodology & Governance:
- Establish, maintain, and enforce standardized project management methodology, governance, processes, templates, and tools across the transformation portfolio
- Coach and train project owners, sponsors, and team members to build PMO capability across the organization
Planning & Budgets:
- Ensure every transformation project has a clearly defined plan, scope, schedule, budget and success criteria before kick-off
- Maintain line-of-sight to every project budget; proactively flag variances and drive corrective action with the relevant project owner
- Track resource allocation across the portfolio and surface bottlenecks early
- Review and approve contractor and vendor time entries on a defined cadence; reconcile against project budgets, SOWs, and approved scope
Project Monitoring & Reporting:
- Track project portfolio progress, monitor key performance indicators, and provide senior leadership with a holistic view of initiatives, facilitating decision-making and identifying potential risks
- Own monthly transformation portfolio governance reporting
Stakeholder Management:
- Build trusted, productive relationships with senior managers, business leaders, technical teams and external vendors
- Influence and hold stakeholders accountable for delivering on commitments
Risk & Issue Management:
- Proactively identify and manage project risks and issues, developing and implementing mitigation strategies to ensure projects remain on schedule, within scope, and meet quality standards
Continuous Improvement & Feedback Loop
- Run regular project retrospectives and lessons-learned sessions
- Translate learnings into updates to PMO methodology, templates, training and SOPs
- Act as the structured feedback loop between project teams, business owners and senior leadership
Team Leadership:
- Mentor and help develop high-performing project teams, fostering accountability, initiative, and skill development within the team
- Manage Transformation PMO resources, ensuring projects are well-staffed
Change Management & Other:
- Work closely with change management personnel to ensure consistent stakeholder engagement and effective communication throughout the transformation process
- Participate in cross-functional teams to identify and document business requirements, workflow, and information sources
- Step in as Project Manager on approved initiatives if required
- Meet regularly with the Project Business Owners to review project progress, identify improvement opportunities, and escalate as required
Qualifications:- The ideal candidate will have at least 10 years relevant work experience, including 3+ years in a PMO or program lead capacity; experience standing up PMO function strongly preferred
- Project Management Professional (PMP) Designation is desirable
- Proven track record managing large, complex transformation programs across multiple business units and external vendors
- Demonstrated experience delivering projects under both Agile/Scrum and Waterfall methodologies.
- Established network of contract agencies and proven track record sourcing PM, QA, and BA contractors for transformation programs
- Strong command of project budgeting, forecasting, variance management, and contractor cost control using tools such as Harvest
- Highly proactive, accountable, and assertive - able to drive outcomes and hold internal teams, senior contractors, and vendor PMs to commitments without relying on formal authority.
- Strong relationship builder and trusted communicator; able to engage clearly and concisely with senior, multilingual stakeholders and represent Seaspan professionally to external partners
- People management experience with a coaching mindset; genuinely enjoys building capability in others and upholding a disciplined, "well-oiled machine" delivery standard.
- Willingness to work flexible hours during critical project phases (including evenings/weekends as needed
Compensation and Benefits Package:Seaspan's total compensation is based on our pay-for-performance philosophy that rewards team members who deliver on and demonstrate our high-performance culture. The hiring range for this position is $145,000 - $165,000 CAD per annum. The exact base salary offered will be commensurate with the incumbent's experience, job-related skills and knowledge, and internal pay equity.
