Directs the centralized Project Management Office (PMO) function, leading a hybrid team to deliver project and program management services, optimize the Product Lifecycle and annual strategic planning programs, and establish governance and tools for internal customers.
About this role
"}">Hi there, we’re Article. 👋 Since 2013, we have been redefining the furniture industry one sofa at a time, it’s not easy — it requires solving challenging, meaningful problems. This is where you come in, as a Director, PMO, you'll be responsible for building and leading the centralized Project Management Office (PMO function) to help internal customers deliver their objectives by providing both intra- and cross-functional planning and workflow support. We want someone to come in and elevate how PMO operates within the Article ecosystem.
*Please note that there will be required travel to Vietnam at least once a year.
Why We Need You:
The Director, PMO is the leader of the PMO function. You'll oversee the delivery of products and services to internal customers in the following 3 areas:
Company wide operating system methods, tools, governance, and compliance
Program and project delivery support and optimization, with particular attention to our Product Lifecycle (Assortment) program
Annual strategic planning program ownership and delivery
As the main steward of our business-within-a-business operating system, the Director, PMO leads the PMO team to simplify, standardize, apply, and continuously improve the system’s processes and tools, drawing on deep project and program management expertise and proven practices.
As the sole provider of cross-functional project and program management services at Article, your goal will be to make it easy for internal customers to plan, execute, monitor, and manage the successful delivery of their project and program objectives, not just tick a box on a project plan.
Our internal customers are asking for help in delivery with their goals while minimizing cost of administration overheads, to do so, you'll be responsible to help level up the current PMO team so they drive projects and not just coordinate. This includes our Assortment (Product Lifecycle) program (i.e. our Furniture products), that drivers our revenue, and is Article's most complex cross-functional program - and holds a high bar for its predictability and health.
You will directly sponsor the company’s annual Strategic Planning program, ensuring the program planning cadence so the company can meet its top-level goals. This requires identifying overlaps, duplications, resource constraints, ownership gaps, and downstream impacts before and during execution. In essence, acting as air traffic control at a portfolio level.
About the Project Management (PMO) team:
The team currently has 10 Particles (people of Article). 5 are based in Vancouver (1 Manager and 4 Project Managers) and 4 are based in Vietnam (1 Manager and 3 Project Managers). You will have 3 direct reports (2 managers and 1 Particle in Operational Excellence).
We are a hybrid team - you'll be in the office 3 days per week (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday).
This role reports to the VP, People & Culture, who brings strong Change Management expertise. To be successful, you will need to be THE subject matter expert on everything PMO. Your VP will be there to unblock anything and guide you on how to operate within Article, but you will own the function of PMO.
Key Responsibilities
Lead and sustain a high-performance goal-oriented culture within the PMO function, emphasizing internal customer obsession, collaboration, solutioning, and delivery
Establish excellence in delivery of project and program management services
Develop, maintain, and work exclusively within Article’s organizational operating system when delivering PMO’s products and services
Earn high internal customer satisfaction by overseeing (and intervening when necessary) the delivery of PMO's products and services
Establish and reinforce a solution-oriented culture within the PMO team that helps internal customers, and Article overall, improve outcomes
Establish and guide the team to use the right project and program management methodologies, standards, processes, and best practices to maximize successful delivery of internal customer’s projects and programs.
Establish processes and tools that make it easy for internal customers to understand the health of their projects and programs
Monitor and safeguard quality and health of our Assortment program, the PMO team’s work to relentlessly improve it, and contributing directly when necessary
Sponsor delivery of the company’s Annual Planning program, including being partner to senior leadership to optimize the annual portfolio of projects
Manage the PMO's financial targets, maximizing impact for internal customers while minimizing overheads
Skills, Knowledge & Expertise
12+ years in direct project/program/portfolio management or organizational operations, with at least 4+ years managing leaders/teams in a complex, fast-paced environment
Experience contributing to, or directly managing go-to-market or other product commercialization programs is a nice to have.
Has led a PMO - or similar organization - through a major inflection, such as established, scaled it, or led it through major complexity
Demonstrable history of applying a goal-oriented (as opposed to administration-oriented) mindset to project/program/portfolio management
You were in a role that allowed you to see the big picture and understand how multiple processes, tools, functions, and projects fit together and optimize for the company-wide outcome, not just the success of an individual project
Comfortable working with senior leadership (up to CEO), including holding them accountable for project deliverables
Prior experience in project, portfolio, and change management methodologies
Proven success in building and leading high-performance goal-oriented teams
Legally able to work in Canada and a valid passport (Ability to travel to Vietnam at least once per year)
Completion of criminal background check
Benefits
Wealth:
The salary range is $190,000 to $205,000
Starting salary is determined by your transferable skills, knowledge, work experience, and the hiring team’s budget, which is based on business needs, market compensation data, and internal equity
We believe in Winning Together. When Article hits its annual financial goals, eligibleemployees will receive a cash bonus
4% RRSP matched contributions through Wealthsimple
Life:
20 days of vacation*
1 extra day off (Inclusion and Diversity Day)
6 well-being (sick) days
Hybrid work: 3 days a week in the office
Work remotely (anywhere in the world) for up to 3 weeks
Total Health:
Excellent extended health, dental and vision benefits
$1000 health/lifestyle spending account* for your total physical and mental well-being
TELUS Health App
Mental Health Assistance/Counseling
Virtual medical appointments
Office Space:
The Article HQ is a converted warehouse, with an open accessible layout and no offices (even for our founders)
Work from your desk, an Article sofa, collaboration spaces, or a private meeting room
Standup desks can be requested too
Our kitchens are stocked with salty, sweet and healthy snacks, & all the premium coffees and teas to keep you buzzing
Onsite fitness equipment with showers and towel service
Pickleball, badminton, and table tennis matches happen, from very competitive to very casual
A dog-friendly office - well-socialized pups are welcome
Getting here:
Free street parking (first come, first serve; no reserved spots for senior leaders)
Indoor secure bike storage with change rooms and showers
20-minute walk to either Main Street- Science World or VCC Clark Skytrain stations
Extra:
45% discount on our entire product range (15% for friends and family)
