Programme Manager

Balaena; Falmouth; On-site; GBP 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Pension with employer contributions

25 days annual leave

Employee Assistance Programme

Cycle to work scheme

Job summary

Balaena Falmouth is seeking a Programme Manager to lead complex marine engineering projects from planning through to delivery at one of the UK’s premier ship repair facilities. You will own budgets, schedules and procurement, and manage resources to ensure safe, compliant delivery and profitable outcomes.

The role combines hands-on leadership with strategic oversight, including coaching Trainee Project Managers and maintaining strong customer relationships in a dynamic maritime environment.

Qualifications

• Experience in ship repair, marine engineering, or similar complex engineering.
• Experience managing mid to large-scale projects with cost, quality, safety, and customer expectations.
• Proficient with planning tools (Microsoft Project) and MS Office.
• Strong leadership, risk management and relationship skills.
• Commercial judgement including procurement and budgeting.

Responsibilities

• Develop project plans, manage budgets, procurement and resource allocation.
• Lead project teams, monitor progress, manage risk, ensure safe, compliant delivery.
• Own end-to-end project lifecycle from specification to close-out.
• Capture issues early, manage changes, report progress and finances.
• Coach Trainee Project Managers and build their capability.

Job description

Programme Manager, based at Balaena Falmouth — one of the UK’s most picturesque marine engineering locations

Are you a practical, commercially aware Programme Manager who gets energy from leading complex marine engineering projects from plan to delivery? If you are, this is a hands-on leadership role with Balaena Falmouth, where no two days look the same and your decisions will help deliver high-profile projects in one of the UK’s most impressive ship repair environments.

You will be the key link between Balaena Falmouth and our customers, taking ownership of challenging, varied and commercially important projects and driving everything from planning, budgets and procurement through to resource allocation, safe delivery, quality and performance.

This is a great opportunity to join Balaena at an exciting point in our growth story, stepping into a role where you can take ownership, build your reputation and see the impact of your work on projects that really matter.

Who are we?

Set against one of the world’s largest natural deep-water harbours, Balaena Falmouth is a major marine engineering and ship repair facility with the scale, capability and ambition to deliver complex projects for customers across commercial marine, defence and specialist engineering sectors. We are part of one of the UK’s most ambitious maritime groups, and you will be joining at a time of real momentum, investment and growth.

Here, project delivery matters, customer relationships count and every job needs someone who can bring people, plans and performance together with confidence.

What will you be doing?

• Developing project plans and schedules, managing budgets, procurement and resource allocation.
• Leading project teams, monitoring progress, identifying risks and making sure work is delivered safely, compliantly, to the right quality standard and profitably.
• Getting under the skin of every project you manage, from specification and tender through to documentation, delivery and close-out.
• Capturing issues early, managing changes effectively and reporting progress, risk and financial performance to the leadership team.
• Coaching and developing Trainee Project Managers, helping them build the confidence and capability to progress into Project Manager roles.

What do we want to see in you?

• Experience in ship repair, marine engineering, fabrication or another complex engineering environment.
• Experience managing or engineering mid to large-scale projects, ideally where cost, quality, safety and customer expectations all need careful control.
• Confidence using Microsoft Office and planning tools such as Microsoft Project or similar.
• Strong leadership, problem-solving, risk management and relationship management skills.
• Good commercial judgement, including procurement, budget management, data analysis, Excel and management reporting capability.
• A practical, organised and resilient style, with the confidence to make decisions, keep people aligned and deliver against targets.

Why join us?

• This is a rare opportunity to make your mark with Balaena, a growing maritime group where your decisions, leadership and delivery will be visible every day.
• Our customers bring us varied, high-value and technically demanding projects, giving you the chance to solve real problems, keep learning and build your career in a business with genuine momentum.
• Salary based on experience and what you will bring to the role.
• Important benefits including pension with employer contribution, 25 days of annual leave plus bank holidays, Employee Assistance Programme, Cycle to work scheme.

Due to the nature of what we do for some of the customers that we work with, some roles working for Balaena are subject to security control restrictions. These restrictions mean that factors including your nationality, any previous nationalities you have held, and your place of birth may limit those roles you can perform with us.

All successful candidates must undergo security check as part of pre-employment checks. This will include National Security Vetting to Security Check (SC) Clearance level which will include an enhanced DBS check, further information on requirements for SC Clearance can be found here.