Lead Project Manager

Leonardo; Luton; Hybrid; GBP 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid working

Competitive pension

Employee discounts

Job summary

Leonardo UK is seeking a Lead Project Manager for the A400M IDAS, based in Luton with hybrid working. You will lead cross-functional teams, drive schedule and risk management, and act as the main customer contact to deliver critical defensive capability.

Success requires experience in complex defence programmes, strong leadership, and the ability to coordinate across engineering, business functions, and customers. The role emphasizes governance, performance reporting, and continuous improvement.

Qualifications

• Experience delivering projects in engineering, aerospace or defence.
• Ability to lead cross-functional teams and coordinate stakeholders.
• Strong planning and execution with data-driven decision making.
• Experience managing customer relationships and contractual commitments.
• Knowledge of Defensive Aids Systems or A400M/airborne survivability is advantageous.

Responsibilities

• Provide PM support to the IDAS Programme Manager and lead the IDAS IPT.
• Drive performance with schedule adherence, risk management and milestones.
• Act as the primary customer contact coordinating timely responses.
• Champion PM practices including financial control, risk governance and reporting.
• Identify improvements to boost efficiency, resilience and customer satisfaction.

Skills

Project management

Cross-functional leadership

Data-driven decisions

Customer relationship management

Defence/airspace domain knowledge

Job description

Your Impact:

Do you want to play a vital role in delivering advanced defensive systems to one of Europe’s most advanced air mobility platforms? As a Lead Project Manager for the A400M Integrated Defensive Aids System (IDAS), you will be instrumental in the delivery of critical defensive capability for the A400M fleet.

What you will do as Lead Project Manager – A400M IDAS:

• Provide Project Management support to the IDAS Programme Manager and help lead the cross-functional IDAS Integrated Project Team (IPT), ensuring alignment across engineering, business functions, and customer stakeholders.
• Drive performance across the A400M IPT, with a focus on schedule adherence, risk management, and milestone delivery.
• Act as the primary point of contact for the customer coordinating timely and effective responses.
• Champion best-in-class project management practices, including robust financial control, risk management, governance and performance reporting.
• Identify and implement continuous improvement opportunities to enhance efficiency, resilience, and customer satisfaction.

What You’ll Bring

To succeed in this role, you will bring strong leadership capability, a collaborative mindset, and a proven ability to deliver within complex defence programmes.

Essential Skills And Experience Include

• Demonstrated experience in project management within complex engineering, aerospace, or defence environments.
• Proven ability to lead and influence cross-functional teams and coordinate across multiple stakeholders and organisations.
• Strong planning and execution skills, underpinned by data-driven decision-making and performance management.
• Experience managing customer relationships and delivering against contractual and operational commitments.
• Knowledge of Defensive Aids Systems, A400M platform, or airborne survivability systems is advantageous but not essential.

This is not an exhaustive list, and we welcome applications even if you don’t meet every requirement. A proactive attitude, strong leadership qualities, and a desire to learn are key to success in this role.

Leonardo UK operates a grade-based salary framework with broad bands. The salary range shown reflects the approved grade band for this role, or a narrower hiring range published within that band, and is benchmarked against the external market. Exceptions above the standard range are managed through governance controls to protect internal equity.

Security Clearance

This role is subject to pre-employment screening in line with the UK Government’s Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS). An additional range of Personnel Security Controls referred to as National Security Vetting (NSV) may apply, this could include meeting the eligibility requirements for The Security Check (SC) or Developed Vetting (DV). For more information and guidance please visit: https://careers.uk.leonardo.com/gb/en/security-and-vetting

Why join us

At Leonardo, our people are at the heart of everything we do. We offer a comprehensive, company-funded benefits package that supports your wellbeing, career development, and work–life balance. Whether you're looking to grow professionally, care for your health, or plan for the future, we’re here to help you thrive.

• Time to Recharge: Enjoy generous leave with the opportunity to accrue up to 12 additional flexi-days each year.
• Secure your Future: Benefit from our award-winning pension scheme with up to 15% employer contribution.
• Your Wellbeing Matters: Free access to mental health support, financial advice, and employee-led networks championing inclusion and diversity (Enable, Pride, Equalise, Armed Forces, Carers, Wellbeing and Ethnicity).
• Rewarding Performance: All employees at management level and below are eligible for our bonus scheme.
• Never Stop Learning: Free access to 4,000+ online courses via Coursera and LinkedIn Learning.
• Refer a friend: Receive a financial reward through our referral programme.
• Tailored Perks: Spend up to £500 annually on flexible benefits including private healthcare, dental, family cover, tech & lifestyle discounts, gym memberships and more.
• Flexible working: Flexible hours with hybrid working options. For part time opportunities, please talk to us about what might be possible for this role.

For a full list of our company benefits please visit our website.

Leonardo is a global leader in Aerospace, Defence, and Security. Headquartered in Italy, we employ over 53,000 people worldwide including 8,500 across 9 sites in the UK. Our employees are not just part of a team—they are key contributors to shaping innovation, advancing technology, and enhancing global safety.

At Leonardo we are committed to building an inclusive, accessible, and welcoming workplace. We believe that a diverse workforce sparks creativity, drives innovation, and leads to better outcomes for our people and our customers. If you have any accessibility requirements to support you during the recruitment process, just let us know.

Primary Location:

GB - Luton - Cap. Green 300

Contract Type

Permanent

Hybrid Working

Hybrid