Position Overview

The Principal PMO Consultant is a senior subject matter expert responsible for assessing, designing, establishing, and maturing Project Management Offices (PMOs) that support capital programs, grid modernization initiatives, regulated delivery environments, and operational transformation across the utility and energy sector.

 

This role serves as a trusted advisor to utility executives, program sponsors, and regulatory-facing leaders, providing both strategic guidance and hands-on leadership to improve delivery discipline, governance, transparency, and regulatory confidence. The Principal PMO Consultant brings deep experience navigating increasingly complex capital portfolios and long-duration programs with diverse stakeholders.

 

The ideal candidate is highly skilled at leading cross-functional teams, optimizing resource allocation, and driving operational excellence across pre-construction, construction, and project management phases. This role requires expertise in grid modernization, smart grid technologies, and renewable energy integration, complemented by a strong understanding of utility financial management, contractor oversight, and stakeholder collaboration.

Responsibilities

• Serve as a trusted advisor to utility executives and senior leaders on capital project PMO strategy, governance, and delivery maturity.
• Align PMO operating models with regulated utility requirements, including capital planning, rate cases, compliance, and audit readiness.
• Partner with leadership to ensure PMOs support critical business objectives such as reliability, safety, affordability, resilience, and decarbonization.
• Advise on PMO structures that integrate generation, transmission, distribution, and corporate functions.
• Lead the end-to-end establishment or transformation of PMOs supporting:
  • Capital investment portfolios
  • Grid modernization and reliability programs
  • Renewable integration and energy transition initiatives
  • Regulatory or compliance-driven programs
• Develop and implement PMO methodologies, frameworks, and intellectual capital.
• Collaborate with PIMS specialists to define technical requirements aligned with functional delivery needs.
• Design and implement PMO processes, standards, and controls, including:
  • Project lifecycle and stage-gate governance
  • Portfolio prioritization and capital planning
  • Risk, issue, and dependency management
  • Forecasting, cost control, and earned value management (as applicable)
• Define roles, responsibilities, and decision authorities across internal stakeholders and external partners.
• Ensure governance frameworks balance delivery rigor with practical execution in field-based and operational environments.
• Drive consistency and transparency across pre-construction, construction, and execution phases.
• Anticipate and mitigate delivery risks related to permitting, supply chain constraints, outages, regulatory timelines, and workforce availability.
• Support PMOs in meeting regulatory, audit, and compliance expectations.
• Design controls and documentation practices that withstand scrutiny from PUCs, ISO/RTOs, and internal audit functions.
• Embed risk management practices appropriate for safety-critical, infrastructure-heavy programs.
• Enable traceability between business cases, approved funding, execution activities, and realized outcomes.
• Lead cross-functional teams to improve resource allocation, delivery efficiency, and operational performance.
• Build sustainable internal capabilities through playbooks, procedures, training, and transition planning.
• Enable adoption of standardized PMO practices across traditionally siloed utility functions.
• Provide expertise in contractor oversight, financial controls, and stakeholder coordination to ensure successful program execution.
• Apply deep knowledge of grid modernization, smart grid technologies, and renewable energy integration to guide program delivery.
• Support utilities in navigating evolving regulatory and technology landscapes associated with energy transition.
• Contribute to the firm’s utilities PMO methodologies and intellectual capital.
• Support business development through solution shaping, client presentations, and proposal development.
• Share lessons learned and best practices across utility and energy sector engagements.

Minimum Qualifications

• Minimum of 15 years of experience in utility project delivery, PMO consulting, and project management, with direct experience assessing or implementing PMOs.
• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, business, construction management, or related field.

Physical Requirements

• While performing the duties of this job, the employee will be required to stand, walk, sit, reach with hands and arms, talk, and hear.
• The employee frequently uses computers, mobile devices, and collaboration tools.
• Must be able to travel to client sites and attend on-site workshops or interviews.
• Must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds.
• Vision requirements include close vision, distance vision, and the ability to adjust focus.

Benefits & Compensation

Qualus benefits offered include Medical, Dental, Vision, Life Insurance, Short and Long-Term Disability, 401(k) match, Flexible Spending Accounts, EAP, Parental Leave, Paid time off, and Holidays, for those who qualify.

 

The final salary awarded for this role may vary from the above range based on several factors including, but not limited to, relevant education, qualifications, certifications, experience, skills, seniority, geographic location, performance, and business or organizational needs. The salary range provided in this job posting may be subject to change for business purposes.