PMO job profile /
Project Management Office (M/F/D)

Project Management Office: What is it? And what does PMO stand for? 

The abbreviation PMO stands for Project Management Office, and is an in-house department which helps to define and maintain company-specific project standards. In other words: The PMO helps to ensure that projects are organized and run smoothly. Whereas a small business might be able to do without a PMO, a project management office is essential for companies that carry out multiple projects simultaneously.  

Because as the number of projects increases, so does the need for a control centre where all of the coordination threads come together. This is where the PMO comes in. In the PMO, tasks from controlling and strategic planning converge with project management, quality assurance and coaching. By combining all of these elements under one roof, the PMO ensures that projects are completed efficiently and effectively. 

The tasks in the PMO 

 As a rule, the tasks of the Project Management Office mainly include: 

• supporting stakeholders in the planning and tracking of projects,
• developing and implementing project controlling and
• maintaining an overall view of all projects.

The PMO also often develops and maintains a standardized reporting system with your project managers in order to track project management progress and communicate the results to all project participants in a nutshell. By supporting efficient project management and providing regular reports on project progress, the PMO is instrumental in ensuring that projects are completed on time and within budget. 

PMO salary: You can expect the following: 

At junior level, employees in the PMO can earn up to EUR 43,000 gross per annum. As a manager in the Project Management Office, you will earn between EUR 55,000 and EUR 77,000 gross per annum. However, the salary can vary considerably in Germany. In the German metropolitan areas, the salaries are EUR 20,000 higher than those in rural regions. The industry, the size of the company and the number of managed projects also play a decisive part. 

Training as an employee in the Project Management Office 

Due to the increasing need for quality and sustainability in project management, there has been a considerable increase in the number of training opportunities in recent years. Many educational institutions and media houses offer basic courses for the PMO, training to become a PMO master and master class workshops.  

There isn't a classic training course for becoming a specialist in the Project Management Office, but the majority of companies and organizations want technical training with qualification as a technical project manager for this important position. If you have succeeded in starting a career in controlling, technical training and quality assurance, you also have the best prerequisites for getting a job in a PMO.  

PMO jobs: These are your career prospects in the Project Management Office 

With the increasing number of projects in companies and organizations, the need for a PMO is also on the increase – and with it the need for well-trained specialists and managers in the project management area.  

The exact job title varies in German companies and organizations. However, there is no doubt about the career prospects. Because they are very good for a PMO manager, consultant or director. However, the need for specialists in the PMO is greater in large companies and corporations than it is in small organizations. Whether such a control centre is set up there permanently in project management and the form that it takes depends on the project portfolio as a whole, as well as the specific size and complexity of the project. 

Is there such as thing as the perfect PMO team? 

Not only do we believe so, but we are convinced that a suitable match exists for every vacancy and every company.  

In order to meet the demands and needs of both specialists and executives in the PMO as well as companies and organizations, we use our innovative "Find & Engage" concept: To do this, we store extensive profiles for our customers and our applicants, and add all of the information about profile requirements, hard skills and soft skills, but also very individual requirements. In the search for the perfect person, we compare the company profiles with those of our candidates very carefully and contact both parties if the respective criteria are met. 

We then find out together whether cooperation is feasible during an interview. If a considerable amount of interest is shown, we at Hays will design the contractual framework for a collaborative partnership. PMO employees can sign a contract directly with the company or as part of temporary employment at Hays.