Portfolio Manager

AWE plc; Reading; On-site; GBP 58,000 - 71,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Market-leading pension scheme

9-day fortnight

270 hours annual leave

Life Assurance (4 x annual salary)

Employee assistance programme

Job summary

AWE plc in Reading seeks a WUT Portfolio Lead to steer a portfolio of warhead programmes and projects, ensuring governance, prioritisation and sufficient resourcing to deliver capability benefits. You will lead cross-functional teams, collaborate with senior stakeholders, and apply robust P3M approaches while driving delivery excellence and enabling technical innovation.

The role requires security clearance readiness and offers a starting package with a 9-day fortnight and 270 hours of annual

Qualifications

• Experience in Project, Programme or Portfolio delivery.
• Experience leading cross-functional teams, including coaching, developing and motivating others.

Responsibilities

• Lead portfolio governance, planning and scheduling.
• Manage risk, opportunities and benefits across the portfolio.
• Oversee budgets, dependencies and resources; provide insight for decisions.

Skills

Portfolio management

Leadership

Stakeholder management

Governance

Budget management

Risk management

Change management

Communication

APM/MoR/MoP

Education

GCSE English & Maths

P3M qualification

Professional accreditation (APM/MoP/MoR)

Job description

AWE is currently recruiting for a WUT Portfolio Lead, reporting to the Warhead Portfolio Director. This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced P3M professional to lead a portfolio of programmes and projects that support our warhead capability. You'll lead teams through transformation, ensuring programmes and projects are effectively prioritised, governed and resourced while maintaining high-quality delivery. You'll bring strong project and portfolio management expertise, alongside a pragmatic and innovative approach, helping translate technical innovation and strategic objectives into tangible capability benefits. Working with technical leads, specialist teams and senior stakeholders, you'll oversee portfolio performance across delivery, risk, budgets, benefits, dependencies and resources, providing clear insight to support effective decision-making. As a leader, you'll coach and develop others, build strong relationships and create an inclusive environment, while managing competing priorities and driving successful delivery.

We are looking for an individual with a proven track record in leading within complex projects, programmes or portfolios; someone who can build strong relationships, inspire teams, navigate ambiguity, and drive positive change. The ability to tailor P3M approaches to suit the needs of the portfolio and maximise value will be critical to success in this role. If you are passionate about leadership, delivery excellence, and enabling technical innovation to achieve meaningful outcomes, we would be delighted to hear from you. We do need you to have the following:

• Experience in Project, Programme or Portfolio delivery.
• Experience leading cross-functional teams, including coaching, developing and motivating others.

Whilst not to be considered a tick list, we'd like you to have experience in some of the following:

• Portfolio governance, planning and scheduling.
• Risk, opportunity and benefits management.
• Managing people, budgets and competing priorities.
• Building relationships and influencing senior stakeholders.
• Turning strategy and portfolio information into clear plans and priorities.
• Business cases, assurance and change management.
• Working in a complex or highly regulated environment.
• Confident communication at all levels.
• Managing ambiguity and changing priorities.
• GCSE English and Maths, or equivalent.
• Relevant professional accreditation, or willingness to achieve this within 12 months.
• A recognised Project, Programme or Portfolio Management qualification.
• Membership of APM, CaSA or an equivalent professional body.
• Qualifications such as MSP, MoR, MoP, APM Project Planning, Monitoring & Control or APM PMQ would be beneficial.

All candidates must be willing and able to obtain and maintain the security clearance required for the role.

Package: Starting from £64,780 (depending on your suitability, qualifications, and level of experience), 9-day working fortnight - meaning you get every other Friday off work, in addition to 270 hours of annual leave.

• Market leading contributory pension scheme (we will pay between 9% and 13% of your pensionable pay depending on your contributions).
• Family friendly policies: Maternity Leave - 39 Weeks Full Pay and Paternity Leave - 4 Weeks Full Pay.
• Opportunities for Professional Career Development including funding for annual membership of a relevant professional body.
• Employee Assistance Programme and Occupational Health Services.
• Life Assurance (4 x annual salary).
• Discounts - access to savings on a wide range of everyday spending.
• Special Leave Policy including paid time off for volunteering, public service (including reserve forces) and caring.