Location: China Mainland
State/Province/City: Shanghai
City: Shanghai
Business Unit: Store Support Centre (SSC)
PMO Manager
Description & Requirements
Who we are
lululemon is a yoga-inspired technical apparel company up to big things. The practice and philosophy of yoga informs our overall purpose to elevate the world through the power of practice. We are proud to be a growing global company with locations all around the world, from Vancouver to Shanghai, and places in between. We owe our success to our innovative product, our emphasis on our stores, our commitment to our people, and the incredible connections we get to make in every community we are in.
About this team
We are seeking a highly skilled and experienced PMO Manager to lead critical project support functions within our Project Management Office (PMO). This role will be pivotal in ensuring projects are delivered on time, within budget, and to the required quality standards. The PMO Manager will be responsible for overseeing project budget management, developing and maintaining accurate project reporting, and effectively managing
vendor relationships. The ideal candidate will be a seasoned project professional with strong analytical, communication, and leadership abilities, as well as a deep understanding of project management methodologies and best practices. This role requires close collaboration with project managers, stakeholders, and finance teams to ensure successful project outcomes and contribute to the overall strategic goals of the organization.
A day in the life:
The PMO Manager acts as the central figure in ensuring lululemon’s applications run smoothly and any problems are addressed efficiently.
Project Governance & Support:
• Develop and implement PMO standards, processes, and procedures, aligning with overall organizational goals and project methodologies (Agile, Waterfall, etc.)
• Provide guidance and support to project managers on project planning, execution, and control.
• Ensure projects are following PMO best practices.
• Oversee the project initiation process, ensuring that all projects are correctly scoped, and aligned with business priorities.
• Facilitate project kick-off meetings and stakeholder alignment.
Budget Management:
• Develop and implement project budget templates and processes, working collaboratively with finance and project managers.
• Work with project managers to create detailed project budgets and financial forecasts, ensuring alignment with project scopes and resource allocations.
• Monitor project expenditures against approved budgets, identifying variances, and working with project managers to implement corrective actions.
• Ensure accurate tracking of all project costs (labor, materials, equipment, etc.).
• Collaborate with Finance to reconcile project expenses, resolve discrepancies, and ensure accurate financial reporting.
• Conduct budget variance analysis and provide recommendations for cost optimization and improved budget planning.
• Contribute to the annual budgeting processes and strategic financial planning within the PMO.
Reporting Management:
• Establish, maintain, and continuously improve a standardized project reporting framework for all active projects.
• Design and develop regular project status reports, dashboards, and key performance indicators (KPIs) to effectively track project progress, identify risks, and highlight successes.
• Ensure the accuracy, consistency, and timeliness of project data across all reporting channels and communication tools.
• Collect, analyze, and synthesize project data to identify trends, potential risks, opportunities, and areas for improvement.
• Distribute project status updates, key findings, and critical alerts to relevant stakeholders in a timely and effective manner.
• Develop and maintain a central project repository and reporting tools.
Vendor Management:
• Establish and maintain vendor selection criteria, evaluation processes, and performance metrics.
• Manage vendor contracts, ensuring compliance with terms and conditions, deliverables, and agreed-upon service levels.
• Negotiate contracts and pricing with vendors, securing favorable terms and maximizing value for the organization.
• Act as the primary point of contact for vendor communications, addressing issues, resolving disputes, and maintaining positive relationships.
• Monitor vendor performance against SLAs, conducting periodic reviews and providing feedback to vendors to ensure continued quality service.
• Develop and maintain a comprehensive vendor management framework to ensure consistent process and improve vendor performance.
General PMO Responsibilities:
• Contribute to the development and implementation of PMO policies, procedures, and best practices.
• Support the PMO director or other senior leadership with strategic planning, portfolio management, and resource allocation.
• Facilitate project reviews, lessons learned sessions, and post-project evaluations to promote continuous improvement.
• Participate in continuous improvement initiatives to enhance PMO efficiency and overall project delivery success.
• Mentor and train project managers and team members on budget management, reporting, vendor management, and PMO best practices.
Qualifications:
1. Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Project Management, or a related field; a Master’s degree is a plus.
2.10+ years of progressive experience in project management, with at least 5+ years of direct experience in a PMO environment.
3. Demonstrated experience managing project budgets, including developing budgets, forecasting, and variance analysis.
4. Proficient in developing and maintaining accurate project reports, dashboards, and performance metrics.
5. Proven expertise in vendor management, including contract negotiation, relationship management, and performance monitoring.
6. Solid understanding of project management methodologies (Agile, Waterfall, etc.) and best practices.
7. Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to interpret financial and project data.
8. Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to effectively present information to all levels of stakeholders.
9. Proficiency in project management tools and software (e.g., MS Project, Jira, Confluence), and strong MS Office suite skills (especially Excel).
10. Exceptional organizational and time management skills with the ability to prioritize tasks and meet deadlines.
11. Ability to work independently and collaboratively within a team environment.
12. PMP, PRINCE2, or other relevant project management certifications are required.
Only those applicants under consideration will be contacted. Please accept our utmost appreciation for your interest. lululemon is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer. Employment decisions are based on merit and business needs, and not on race, color, creed, age, sex, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, religion, marital status, medical condition, physical or mental disability, military service, pregnancy, childbirth and related medical conditions or any other classification protected by federal, state or provincial and local laws and ordinances. Reasonable accommodation is available for qualified individuals with disabilities, upon request. This Equal Employment Opportunity policy applies to all practices relating to recruitment and hiring, compensation, benefits, discipline, transfer, termination and all other terms and conditions of employment. While management is primarily responsible for seeing that lululemon equal employment opportunity policies are implemented, you share in the responsibility for assuring that, by your personal actions, the policies are effective.
lululemon is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities. If you would like someone from our team to contact you for individualized support, email us ataccommodations@lululemon.com. In your email, please include the position title, the location of the position and the nature of your request.