Junior Project Manager

G&H (Gooch & Housego); Ilminster; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

26 days holiday

Company pension

Company bonus scheme

Health Cash Plan

£500 referral bonus

Job summary

Gooch & Housego (G&H) in the UK is seeking a Program Manager within the Program Management team to deliver multi‑million projects on time and within budget, enabling new programmes with costed proposals.

The role works with Engineering, Supply Chain and Operations across the Innovation Hub and Ilminster sites, chairs customer programme meetings and drives profitability while adhering to company processes and standards.

Qualifications

• Minimum 5 years of management experience on multi-million programs.
• Degree level in technical, science, engineering or business discipline.
• Experience driving defence programs and interactions with customers.

Responsibilities

• Manage and deliver project portfolios with fiscal and schedule accountability.
• Create and maintain plans and SOWs with cross-functional teams across the matrix.
• Coordinate with Engineering, Supply Chain and Operations to meet timelines and budgets.
• Ensure programmes align with governance requirements and customer needs.
• Lead program meetings with customers and drive profit improvements.

Skills

Program management

Communication skills

Defence programs

Mechanical design

Optics

Electronics

Education

Bachelor's degree

Job description

Job Type: Full-time

ABOUT US

G&H is a world leader in optical designing, testing and manufacturing. As experts in the technology of light, G&H works with customers to provide optical systems, assemblies, and components for demanding applications. Headquartered in Ilminster Somerset, UK with primary operations in the USA and Europe, G&H is recognised for the breadth of their acousto‑optic, electro‑optic, crystal‑optic, fiber‑optic, and precision optic products. G&H is recognized as the preferred source for OEMs in the life sciences, industrial, and aerospace and defence industries, with a history of quality and excellence that dates back over seventy‑five years.

ROLE

Working within the Program Management team, the Program Manager has accountability of programmes running in our Innovation Hub and Ilminster, responsible for the delivery of projects on‑time and under budget, and is responsible for enabling new programmes with costed proposals.

LOCATION

This role can be based at either of our South West sites within our Optical Systems division – Ilminster, Somerset or Plymouth, Devon.

RESPONSIBILITIES & PERFORMANCE MEASURES

• Responsibility for management and delivery of project portfolio with accountability for programmatic, technical and financial performance.
• Work closely with the General Manager OS Division, Head of Defence Programs, Program Management team and Sales & Business Development to create, execute and maintain project plans and statements of work (SOW), detailing task descriptions, deliverables, project schedules through liaising with specialist areas across a matrix organisation in line with company processes, procedures and standards.
• Work closely with Engineering, Supply Chain and Operations to deliver programmes on time and under budget in all phases, from Design & Development to full scale Production.
• Deliver programmes in line with G&H or customer‑driven processes, standards and project governance requirements.
• Manage and coordinate proposals from concept to contract award, working through the direction of Business Development and Engineering.
• Schedule and lead periodic customer program meetings.
• Take responsibility for identification and realisation of profit improvement on projects.
• Good understanding of contractual requirements.
• Maintain project action plans and drive internal team meetings.
• Apply change, risk and resource management.
• Interface and prepare reports for the GM OS Division, Lead Program Manager and Site Lead.

MANDATORY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Adherence to all Company policies, management systems and standard operational procedures, including legal responsibilities in relation to Health, Safety, Environmental and Quality.
• Working positively to develop and foster good working relationships with colleagues and contracted personnel in order to maintain a culture of mutual respect and dignity.
• Promote and display the G&H values: Customer focus, Integrity, Action, Unity, Precision.

QUALIFICATIONS & SKILLS

• Minimum 5 years (or equivalent experience) of management experience in multi‑million programs.
• Educated to degree level in a relevant technical, science, engineering or business discipline.
• Technical knowledge in at least one of Mechanical Design, Optics or Electronics.
• Knowledge of commercial aspects of Optics desirable.
• Proven track record in driving and executing on Defence programs.
• Strong communication and presentation skills.

BENEFITS

• 26 days holiday plus bank holidays.
• Company pension (6% contribution).
• Company bonus scheme.
• Health Cash Plan.
• £500 referral bonus for successful employee referrals (T&Cs apply).

EEO STATEMENT

The Company is committed to providing equal employment opportunities for all employees and applicants for employment. The Company does not discriminate in employment opportunity or practices on the grounds of gender, race, religion or belief, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by national laws under which the Company operates.

SECURITY & COMPLIANCE

Potential candidates should be aware that many of the employment roles at Gooch & Housego are subject to government security and export control restrictions. These restrictions mean that factors such as your nationality, any nationalities that you may have previously held and your place of birth, could restrict the roles you are eligible to perform within the organisation. All UK applicants must, as a minimum, be able to successfully complete security vetting to the UK government’s Baseline Personnel Security Standard, which includes a criminal record check being performed. Many roles may also require higher levels of security vetting to be completed, where applicants must typically have been continuously resident within the UK for the past five to ten years.