Project Manager – Programme Delivery & Control

Job Requirements

Job Summary:

We are seeking an experienced Project Owner/ Manager to take ownership of a complex programme, from initial assessment and baseline establishment through governance implementation and transition into controlled delivery.

The Project Owner will be accountable for establishing a clear programme baseline, developing and maintaining the integrated delivery plan, implementing effective governance and reporting, and providing strong control across scope, time, cost and quality.

As this is a combined role, the successful candidate will also provide hands-on project controls covering schedule management, budget and forecast tracking, risk and issue management, change control, reporting, documentation and critical-path monitoring.

Objectives:

- Establish a clear and agreed programme baseline , covering scope, objectives, deliverables, budget, constraints, assumptions and dependencies.
- Update the Programme Charter in alignment with the customer's internal S9 process .
- Develop and maintain a detailed, integrated programme plan with clear milestones, dependencies and critical-path visibility.
- Establish and manage a 4-week Kanban/work programme for the project team.
- Implement effective programme governance, including clearly defined roles, responsibilities, escalation routes and decision-making arrangements .
- Establish regular and accurate reporting covering financials, progress, risks, issues, milestones and benefits .
- Maintain effective financial control through monitoring of budgets, actual costs, forecasts and variances .
- Transition the programme from assessment and mobilisation into controlled delivery .
- Monitor progress against the programme's critical path and key milestones , identifying deviations at an early stage.
- Proactively manage risks, issues and changes , ensuring appropriate mitigation and recovery actions are established and tracked.
- Maintain accurate programme records, plans, logs, registers, dashboards and governance information.
- Provide clear and timely escalation of risks to delivery, schedule or budget .
- Establish effective relationships and communication channels with key stakeholders.
- Provide stakeholders and management with accurate, timely information to support informed programme decisions.

Work Experience

Key Skills & Experience

- Demonstrable experience successfully delivering complex projects or programmes , with end-to-end ownership from mobilisation through delivery.
- Strong project management capability across Scope, Time, Cost and Quality .
- Strong programme planning, scheduling and project controls experience, including development and maintenance of integrated project plans.
- Ability to establish and monitor critical paths, milestones, dependencies and delivery forecasts , identifying and escalating deviations at an early stage.
- Strong financial management experience, including management of project budgets, actual costs, forecasts, variances and cost-control reporting.
- Experience establishing and operating effective project governance and reporting frameworks , including roles, responsibilities and escalation routes.
- Strong risk and issue management capability, including identification, assessment, mitigation planning, ownership and escalation.
- Experience managing change control , including assessment and documentation of impacts on scope, schedule, cost, quality and delivery.
- Ability to prepare clear and concise status reports, dashboards and management presentations covering programme progress, financials, risks, issues and milestones.
- Strong project documentation and control capability, maintaining accurate plans, logs, registers, actions and programme records .
- Excellent stakeholder management, influencing and communication skills , with the ability to work across project teams and senior stakeholders.
- Strong analytical, problem-solving and decision-making capability.
- Ability to work independently and take end-to-end ownership and accountability for programme delivery .
- Previous MoD / UK Defence programme experience .
- Knowledge or experience relating to DEFCON 658 .
- Previous IT project or programme delivery experience .
- Experience working within secure or regulated environments .
- Experience using recognised project planning, scheduling, reporting and project-control tools .