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KNDS UK is seeking a Project Manager to execute the Project Management Plan for the KNDS Programmes & Commercial Director. You will provide governance for time, cost and quality by tailoring PM tools to ensure delivery.
Key duties include defining deliverables, creating WBS, allocating work packages, maintaining the master schedule and managing risks and subcontractors. Experience in manufacturing engineering and Prince2 is desirable.
We currently have an opportunity for a Project Manager
With over a century of engineering expertise and innovation, KNDS UK is a renowned world leader in rapidly deployable military bridging systems and a key partner in the UK MoD’s Boxer armoured vehicle programme.
We are proud of our heritage and our reputation of providing the highest quality engineering solutions for over 100 years. As a trusted partner to military customers around the world, our employees are the very heart of our company. We have a skilled and experienced workforce dedicated to achieving excellence in all areas of the business such as Manufacturing, Engineering, Project Management and Business Support functions.
As our business evolves, we are looking to strengthen our workforce with talented and motivated individuals across a range of disciplines and currently have this opportunity available.
The primary purpose of this role is to be responsible for executing the Project Management Plan on behalf of the KNDS Programmes & Commercial Director. The Project Manager will be required to provide governance to the project’s time, cost and quality by tailoring project management tools and techniques to achieve successful project delivery.
Key duties include, but are not limited to:
Understand the project’s key deliverables, milestones and objectives.
Develop and communicate the project work breakdown structure.
Communicate and allocate project work packages.
Develop and maintain the master schedule ensure project objectives and key milestones are defined, monitored and performance against them reported.
Where required, develop recovery schedules and contingency plans in order to meet changed objectives as necessary.
Create and maintain the project’s risk register.
Review planning risks and monitor critical timelines and ensure the risk register is reviewed accordingly.
Create a Subcontractor Management Plan highlighting key stakeholders, roles and reporting responsibilities.
Report actual performance and variance against plan and forecast outcomes.
Highlight key achievements and critical path issues to members of the team, provide an assessment of the impact of such issues and recommend solutions for an accurate position.
Monitor and audit sub-contractor plans. Monitor contractor’s planning processes so that they align with the company’s requirements.
Identify key resource requirements and monitor that these are accurately accommodated
Lead project planning meetings with all functional stakeholders and collate project status reports for cascade to the Management Team.
Candidates must have the following essential qualifications and experience:
Educated to ‘A’ level or equivalent or above
Willing to travel if required
Full UK driving licence
Proven project management experience and ability to demonstrate delivery of major engineering projects
Experience of using several project management scheduling tools and techniques
Experience in a manufacturing engineering environment
Experience of using data systems and being able to learn and adapt systems to assist in continuous improvement
Excellent IT skills and knowledge of MS programmes particularly Microsoft Excel & PowerPoint
The following are desirable:
B Eng / BSc in Mechanical or other Engineering discipline
Ideally trained in Prince2 or other recognised project management qualification
German Language
Relevant experience in the successful scheduling and coordination of facility project (ideal)
Military Project Experience
SAP experience
Tenacious ‘Can-Do’ attitude
Excellent communication skills
Exceptional organisational skills and ability to work effectively under pressure
Team worker and ability to work under own initiative
Accurate and consistent performer with an eye for detail
Good interpersonal skills ability to build strong supplier and internal relationships and influence stakeholders
Able to work to deadlines and adapt to changing conditions
Develops a collaborative approach to meet multiple and potentially conflicting requests
When you become part of the KNDS UK team, you will enjoy employee benefits such as:
Competitive salary
Attractive pension (4% employee contribution, 7% employer contribution)
Half-day Friday
Life assurance scheme
Company sick pay scheme which increases with service
Employee Assistance Programme (EAP)
Additional Holidays & Long Service rewards
Wellbeing initiatives, such as Free Fruit on Tuesday’s
Cycle-to-work Scheme
Free on-site car parking
On-site electric vehicle charging points
We’re also very proud to be part of the Armed Forces Covenant since 2018, achieving their Silver Award in 2020 and Gold Award in 2024. We actively support and encourage service leavers, reservists and cadets to join our team, recognising military skills and qualifications in our recruitment and selection process.