Programme Delivery Lead (Senior Defence / MOD Programme Manager)

Rowden; Bristol; Hybrid; GBP 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading UK engineering firm in Bristol is seeking a Programme Delivery Lead to manage complex MOD programmes. This role involves leading multidisciplinary teams, ensuring project delivery meets customer expectations and aligns with company objectives. The ideal candidate will have project management experience and a strong understanding of government processes. This position offers a competitive salary and flexible hybrid working arrangements.

Benefits

Flexible working arrangements

Inclusive company culture

Opportunities for personal growth

Qualifications

• Proven experience leading technically challenging programmes or major systems-integration projects.
• Strong understanding of government and MOD commercial processes.
• Demonstrable background in project management.

Responsibilities

• Ensure disciplined, accountable delivery across MOD programmes.
• Manage performance, cost, schedule, and risk across projects.
• Act as point of escalation for delivery challenges.

Skills

Project management

P3M discipline

Agile methodologies

Risk management

Stakeholder engagement

Education

Relevant degree or equivalent experience

Tools

Financial management systems

Job description

Programme Delivery Lead (Senior Defence / MOD Programme Manager)

Department: Engineering

Employment Type: Permanent - Full Time

Location: Bristol, UK

Reporting To: Ellie Steers

Compensation: GBP 80,000 - GBP 100,000 / year

Description

We’re building the UK’s next generation engineering powerhouse, providing critical technology that strengthens national security and resilience. At Rowden, we design and integrate advanced systems that sense, connect, and protect data in challenging environments where quick decisions are vital. Our solutions use intelligent automation to enhance speed and efficiency and are built to be reliable and straightforward for critical operations in remote or high‑pressure settings.

Headquartered in Bristol (UK), we combine modern engineering methods with cutting‑edge commercial technology to create adaptable, mission‑critical systems. We focus on solving the tough challenges that others overlook, ensuring our customers can operate effectively in an ever‑changing world.

About The Role

We’re looking for a Programme Delivery Lead who can ensure complex MOD and wider defence/ resilience programmes run smoothly, while operating confidently in a fast‑paced, evolving business.

The ideal candidate will be comfortable with uncertainty, able to keep teams aligned and moving with purpose, and confident applying solid P3M discipline in a pragmatic, mission‑focused way. You should be an outstanding communicator with a positive, measured approach, passionate about delivering hard things and excited to help shape and deliver some of the most impactful government projects in defence. This is an opportunity to take on meaningful problems, work with a committed team, and help deliver capabilities that make a real difference.

Role Purpose

The Programme Delivery Lead role exists to ensure disciplined, accountable delivery across Rowden's complex government and defence programmes. The role provides governance and control across multiple projects and workstreams, ensuring delivery aligns with contractual obligations, customer expectations, and company objectives. You will work closely with the engineering delivery lead and the wider delivery team – including internal functions, partners, suppliers, and customers – to manage performance, cost, schedule, and risk. This role strengthens overall delivery assurance across a growing portfolio of MOD programmes.

Salary Ranges

GBP 80,000-GBP 100,000 DOE

We're a growing organisation with wider opportunities across the business, so we're keen to hear from candidates who may fall outside of this range and encourage you also to apply.

Key Areas of Responsibility

As Programme Delivery Lead, you will:

• Be accountable for the delivery of complex capability development and systems‑in‑tegration projects working alongside multidisciplinary technical teams
• Form part of the leadership of the business area, taking on a critical role in delivering the team's objectives and its customers' requirements
• Proactively manage technical, commercial, and programme risks, ensuring issues are identified early and mitigated effectively
• Manage internal budgets (resource and non‑resource), ensuring costs, revenue, and margin are tracked, reported, and controlled effectively
• Lead a multidisciplinary delivery team across competing priorities, enabling the team and removing blockers
• Act as the point of escalation for delivery challenges to ensure successful outcomes across performance, cost, and time
• Manage allocation of resources, balancing programme demands with wider business priorities.
• Maintain a clear line between contracted deliverables and evolving customer needs, applying structured change control where required
• Oversee forecasts and financial plans, ensuring robust programme controls and accurate delivery reporting
• Ensure clear, consistent, and timely communication across all stakeholders – internal teams, partners, industry collaborators, and government customers
• Govern risks, dependencies, and issues across the delivery portfolio, escalating decisions where needed
• Provide confidence to MOD and government customers through structured reporting, programme governance, and evidence‑based decision‑making
• Embed consistent delivery standards and mentor project leads to strengthen Rowden's delivery maturity
• Work with the Head of Project Management to refine and improve delivery processes, tooling, and governance frameworks

Key Skills, Experience and Behaviours

Must‑Have Experience

• Proven experience leading technically challenging programmes or major systems‑integration projects.
• Strong understanding of government and MOD commercial processes, approvals, and ways of working.
• Demonstrable background in project, programme, or portfolio management (P3M / APM / MSP), with the ability to apply governance and programme controls effectively

Skills and Experience – In Detail

We don't expect anyone to be a 10/10 in every area, and you don't need to tick every single bullet point to apply. What follows is a list of the skills and experience that we think matter most for this role. Different strengths are welcome, and we recognise that people grow into roles like this – don't let this list put you off!

We are looking for:

• Strong understanding of MOD and government ways of working, including governance, approvals, commercial frameworks, and stakeholder landscape.
• Experience overseeing multiple workstreams or projects within a programme or portfolio environment.
• Background in leading high‑risk, high‑complexity delivery, with clear evidence of managing performance, cost, and schedule.
• Understanding of modern software delivery: Comfortable with Agile and iterative delivery models, and able to work effectively with software teams using practices such as sprints, backlogs, continuous integration, and rapid release cycles.
• Programme and project management (P3M): Strong grasp of programme governance, controls, planning, risk management, and change control.
• Commercial awareness: Understands MOD commercial processes, contract interpretation, cost drivers, and margin protection.
• Financial management: Skilled in budgeting, forecasting, resource planning, and tracking financial performance.
• Risk and issue management: Proactive in identifying, managing, and escalating risks across a portfolio.
• Technical literacy: Comfortable engaging with technical content and testing assumptions without needing to be an engineer.

Characteristics

The ideal candidate combines precision with pace, providing the structure required by defence customers while staying aligned with Rowden's engineering‑led culture and delivery agility.

The perfect person for the role is:

• Structured but flexible. Brings delivery order without stifling innovation or mission‑oriented work.
• Commercially astute. They can spot delivery, cost, or contract risks early and understand MOD commercial processes.
• Technically literate. While they might not be an engineer themselves, they are confident engaging with complex technical material and able to test assumptions.
• Credible with government stakeholders. They understand MOD and wider government governance, assurance, and decision‑making processes.
• Calm under pressure. They operate well in ambiguity and can keep their cool in situations where there are multiple competing demands.
• Trustworthy and decisive. They are recognised as being a measured presence and making informed, well‑thought‑out decisions.
• Curious and continuously developing. They actively seek to learn, adapt, and build new skills, using personal growth to increase impact and strengthen delivery across programmes.

Working at Rowden

We are committed to building a flexible, inclusive, and enabling company. Our aim is to create a diverse team of talented people with unique skills, experience, and backgrounds, so please apply and come as you are!

We also recognise the importance of flexible working and support this wherever we can. We typically operate a flexible, hybrid‑working model, with an average 3 days in the office each week (dependent on the role). We welcome the opportunity to discuss flexibility, part‑time working requirements and/or workplace adjustments with all our applicants.

Rowden is a Disability Confident Committed company, and we actively encourage people with disabilities and health conditions to apply for our roles. Please let us know your requirements early on so that we can make sure you have everything you need up front to help make the recruitment process and experience as easy as possible.

Finally, if you feel that you don't meet all the criteria included above but have transferable skills and relevant experience, we'd still love to hear from you!