Project Controls – Risk - Defence

Turner & Townsend; Southampton; Hybrid; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid working environment

Opportunities for professional development

Inclusivity and diversity initiatives

Job summary

A leading project management consultancy in the UK is seeking a Project Controls – Risk professional to lead risk management efforts across Defence projects. Successful candidates will have substantial experience in risk assessment and strong communication skills. This role involves hybrid work arrangements and interaction with various stakeholders, ensuring effective project delivery and client satisfaction.

Qualifications

• Proven experience in risk management across complex projects.
• Strong working knowledge of integrated risk management processes.
• Ability to convey complex risk concepts to various stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Lead risk identification and prioritisation activities with project teams.
• Integrate risk insights into project planning.
• Produce insightful risk reports for stakeholders.

Skills

Risk management

Stakeholder coordination

Communication skills

Problem-solving

Analytical skills

Education

Degree in a relevant technical, engineering, or management discipline

Membership of a recognised professional body

Tools

Primavera Risk Analysis

@RISK

Active Risk Manager (ARM)

Power BI

Job description

Join to apply for the Project Controls – Risk - Defence role at Turner & Townsend

About Us

In the UK, Turner & Townsend partners with a diverse portfolio of clients across sectors including Health, Local Government, Higher Education, Highways, Utilities, Rail, and Defence. We are a Tier 1 supplier of Project and Programme Management Services to the UK Ministry of Defence and key strategic Defence suppliers. Our work plays a vital role in supporting national security while helping our clients achieve better, more resilient outcomes.

Role Overview and Purpose

We are looking for individuals with a strong foundation in risk management who are eager to grow, contribute, and be part of a high-performing team. Based in our Defence South East team, you’ll have the opportunity to work across multiple sectors, including Defence, gaining exposure to a wide range of major projects and programmes. We’re particularly interested in candidates with experience implementing and delivering integrated risk management processes in complex project or programme environments. Prior experience in the Defence sector is highly desirable.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and facilitate risk identification, assessment, and prioritisation activities through structured workshops and direct engagement with project teams.
• Maintain visibility of key threat and opportunity trigger points to support effective risk cost profiling and timely retirement of risks and opportunities.
• Integrate risk insights into project planning and decision-making processes to enhance delivery confidence.
• Monitor overall risk exposure and evaluate it against allocated contingency budgets, providing early warnings where necessary.
• Produce clear, insightful risk reports to communicate the status of threats and opportunities to stakeholders at all levels.
• Support the delivery of quantitative risk assessments (QRA) for both cost and schedule, informing appropriate levels of project contingency.
• Demonstrate proficiency with risk management tools such as Primavera Risk Analysis (PRA), @RISK, Safran Risk, and familiarity with platforms like Active Risk Manager (ARM), Predict!, or Power BI for data visualisation and reporting.

Working Location

Turner & Townsend recognises the importance of helping employees harmonise their work and home life by offering hybrid working. You will be required to be on client sites or Turner & Townsend offices 60% of your time, with flexibility depending on client and business requirements.

About you

We’re seeking candidates with a strong foundation in risk management, ideally developed within the Defence sector or a similarly complex and regulated environment. Your desire to be part of a high-performing, collaborative team that’s committed to delivering exceptional outcomes for our growing network of Defence clients is equally important.

Experience and Skills

• Proven experience delivering risk management across complex projects and programmes, ideally within high-security or regulated environments.
• Strong working knowledge of integrated risk management processes, encompassing risk, cost, and schedule integration on large-scale programmes.
• Demonstrated ability to identify, assess, and manage threats while proactively exploiting opportunities to enhance project outcomes.
• Proficient in both qualitative and quantitative risk assessment techniques, including Monte Carlo simulations and sensitivity analysis.
• Sector-specific experience within Defence or Nuclear industries, with a clear understanding of associated governance, compliance, and security requirements.
• Skilled in stakeholder coordination, effectively managing relationships with contractors, consultants, and advisors across multiple concurrent projects.
• Adept at building and sustaining trusted advisor relationships with clients, contributing to long-term strategic partnerships and repeat business.
• Comprehensive understanding of the full project lifecycle, from concept and feasibility through to delivery and close‑out.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills, capable of conveying complex risk concepts to both technical and non‑technical stakeholders.
• Proficiency in risk management tools and software, such as ARM, Primavera Risk Analysis, @RISK, or similar platforms.

Desirable Experience

• Experience working with UK Government departments and agencies, particularly on complex infrastructure or capital investment programmes.
• Proven ability to lead and manage multidisciplinary project teams, fostering collaboration and delivering successful outcomes through strategic direction and influence.
• Strong financial acumen, with experience overseeing project budgets, conducting accurate forecasting, and ensuring delivery within financial constraints.
• Broader project management expertise, including change management, stakeholder engagement, and governance across the project lifecycle.

Qualifications

• Must hold, or be eligible to obtain, UK Ministry of Defence Security Clearance (SC or higher); UK passport required.
• Degree qualified in a relevant technical, engineering, or management discipline, or possess equivalent professional qualifications and demonstrable experience in a risk management role.
• Membership of a recognised professional body such as the Association for Project Management (APM), Institute of Risk Management (IRM), or Project Management Institute (PMI).
• A UK driving licence or the ability to travel to client sites across the region as required is essential.

Additional Information

Our inspired people share our vision and mission. We provide a great place to work, where each person has the opportunity and voice to affect change. We want our people to succeed both in work and life, and we promote a healthy, productive and flexible working environment that respects work‑life balance.

Turner & Townsend is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees and actively encourage applications from all sectors of the community.

SOX control responsibilities may be part of this role, which are to be adhered to where applicable.

Useful links: www.turnerandtownsend.com