Programme Director Opportunities (Defence & Nuclear)

KBR Careers; Glasgow; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 140,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Belong.

Connect.

Grow.

Job summary

KBR is seeking a Programme Director in Scotland to lead complex defence and nuclear engineering initiatives across FEED and detailed design. Locations include Glasgow, Warrington, Reading, Bristol, and Plymouth.

This permanent role requires senior leadership, strategic thinking, and accountability for cost, schedule, and safety performance. You will interface with executive clients, drive governance, and deliver high-quality outcomes in a structured, safety-focused environment.

Qualifications

• Proven leadership delivering large-scale engineering or EPC programmes.
• Experience managing multi-disciplinary engineering teams and workstreams.
• Strong background in programme cost, schedule, and risk management.
• Experience in regulated or safety-critical industries (e.g. energy, nuclear, defence, infrastructure).
• Experience engaging and influencing senior stakeholders and executive clients.

Responsibilities

• Lead delivery of complex defence and nuclear engineering programmes.
• Drive governance, safety focus and performance across teams.
• Interface with clients and partners to shape strategic direction and manage risk.

Skills

Leadership

Stakeholder engagement

Programme governance

Cost & risk management

Strategic thinking

Education

Degree in Engineering

Chartered Engineer (CEng)

Job description

Programme Director Opportunities (Defence & Nuclear)

A career at KBR can change the world — and change your life.

The KBR team of teams delivers future-forward science, technology and engineering solutions and mission-critical services that help governments and companies around the world accomplish their most important objectives, while also helping achieve their sustainability goals.

About the Role

Programme Director – Engineering. Locations: Glasgow, Warrington, Reading, Bristol, Plymouth. Job Type: Permanent.

We are seeking experienced Programme Directors to lead the delivery of complex, large-scale defence and nuclear engineering programmes across FEED and detailed design phases. This is a high-impact leadership role where you will drive programme governance, ensure technical excellence, and oversee delivery performance across multidisciplinary teams. Acting as a key interface with clients and partners, you will shape strategic direction, manage risk, and deliver predictable, high-quality outcomes within a structured and safety-focused environment.

About You

You are a senior engineering leader with a strong track record of delivering complex programmes in regulated or safety-critical environments. You bring strategic thinking, commercial awareness, and the ability to lead high-performing teams while managing client expectations at an executive level.

Essential Experience

• Proven leadership delivering large-scale engineering or EPC programmes.
• Experience managing multi-disciplinary engineering teams and workstreams.
• Strong background in programme cost, schedule, and risk management.
• Experience in regulated or safety-critical industries (e.g. energy, nuclear, defence, infrastructure).
• Experience engaging and influencing senior stakeholders and executive clients.

Qualifications

• Degree in Engineering or a related discipline.
• Chartered Engineer (CEng) status or equivalent professional accreditation.

Why Join KBR?

At KBR, we are driven by our shared values: We Value Our People, We Deliver, We Are People of Integrity, We Empower, We Are a Team of Teams. Collaboration is at the heart of our success, enabling us to deliver excellence for our customers.

If you’re ready to lead complex engineering programmes and make a meaningful impact within a global organisation, we’d love to hear from you.

Security Requirements

SC Clearance. Due to the secure nature of this project, restrictions in relation to UK residency and nationality will apply.

KBR Benefits & More

• Belong.
• Connect.
• Grow.

At KBR, we are passionate about our people and our Zero Harm culture. These inform all that we do and are at the heart of our commitment to, and ongoing journey toward being a People First company. That commitment is central to our team of team’s philosophy and fosters an environment where everyone can Belong, Connect and Grow.

Equal Opportunity

KBR is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, colour, religion, disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, veteran status, genetic information, union status and/or beliefs, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law.

KBR — Delivering Solutions, Changing the World.

KBR brings together the best and brightest to deliver science, technology and engineering solutions that help governments and companies around the world accomplish their most critical missions and objectives.

In everything we do, we are guided by our ONE KBR Values: We Value Our People – We create diverse, inclusive environments in which each person can feel safe, respected and valued, and where everyone has opportunities to grow and reach their full potential. We Deliver – We are uncompromising in our commitment to deliver innovative, high-quality, technology‑led solutions for our customers and exceptional, sustainable value for all our stakeholders. We Are People of Integrity – We value honesty, trust, courage, fairness, prudence and tenacity. We believe doing what’s right for the planet, the communities where we work, and our people is good for business. We Empower – We empower our people with a shared purpose, the right tools and the supportive culture they need to be proactive decision‑makers, to be adaptive to change, and to succeed. We Are a Team of Teams – We have a will to succeed, but we value the achievements of our team of teams over individual accomplishments. Our collective focus makes us a better, stronger, more effective company.

We have also embedded environmental, social and governance (ESG) principles in every business operation and corporate function. Not only are we committed to operating safely, sustainably and equitably, but we are also committed to using our capabilities and expertise to help our customers accomplish their sustainability goals.

Worldwide, KBR employs a diverse workforce approximately 29,000 people strong, with customers in more than 80 countries and operations in 40 countries. At KBR, We Deliver.