Project Manager - Defence and Security

Cambridge Consultants; City of Edinburgh; Hybrid; GBP 50,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading consultancy firm in Edinburgh seeks a Project Manager in Defence and Security. The role involves managing complex projects for UK government clients, requiring strong project management and technical skills. The ideal candidate will have experience in small to medium-sized technical development projects and possess a degree in engineering or a related discipline. This position operates under a hybrid working model, emphasizing team leadership and stakeholder management, with opportunities for innovation in a dynamic environment.

Benefits

Supportive environment

Opportunities for progression

Qualifications

• Experience managing technical product development projects.
• Proficient in planning tasks and tracking progress.
• Strong time management and organizational skills.

Responsibilities

• Develop project proposals for government clients.
• Deliver projects addressing complex technical challenges.
• Lead multi-disciplinary project teams.

Skills

Project management

Technical leadership

Communication

Team building

Stakeholder management

Education

Degree in engineering or relevant scientific discipline

Job description

Project Manager - Defence and Security

Introduction summary

We are on the lookout for a talented and ambitious Project Manager or, Technical Team Leader with an interest in moving into Project Management, to join our Programme Management team here in Cambridge, UK.

The role will work with our Defence & Security clients, undertaking the development of innovative new products across the entire product life cycle. The role will be primarily project management for our defence and security clients within UK government, although there will be scope to get involved in a variety of projects for our commercial and wider public sector clients. Projects typically consist of early concept work, through prototype manufacture, to new product introduction, often surmounting considerable technical challenges as we push the boundary of what is possible. We combine highly creative lateral thinking with excellent technical skills and we're looking for broad defence and security industry experience to help us form powerful development teams.

What we can offer

We can offer you variety, and the chance to work in a dynamic environment buzzing with the excitement of innovation that is having a real effect on people's lives.

The projects you will lead will typically be highly complex, spanning the entire product development lifecycle. You will take full responsibility for delivering the agreed project objectives within the authorised time and budget constraints whilst managing multi‑disciplinary teams of talented engineers, scientists, and designers in delivering novel products and services to market for a wide variety of clients.

You will always have the support of experienced Programme Managers ready to guide you towards more complex projects as your career develops. We believe that a supportive environment is the way to bring the best out of each other. We will actively promote your progression and provide you with the opportunity to take on increasingly challenging tasks.

Your specific responsibilities will vary according to your expertise but are likely to include:

• Developing project proposals that meet our government clients' commercial and technical requirements - this will be primarily for UK-based government clients
• Delivering projects with a significant amount of S&T (Science and Technology) or Research and Development content
• Management of the delivery of projects that solve complex, multi‑disciplinary technical challenges, across multi‑office teams
• Team building and leadership of multiple project teams
• Capturing technical product requirements and resolving system level discussions, requiring a strong technical background
• Running meetings with clients, presenting and communicating ideas and concepts to all disciplines
• Working with Business Developers in building relationships with clients to understand their programme needs.
• The ability to lead, influence and motivate an extensive team to deliver exploitable project outputs;
• The ability to manage and influence stakeholders to ensure project success.

This role will require some domestic UK‑based travel but is focussed on managing project teams within the Cambridge office. We have adopted a hybrid working model, with a mix of both home and office working, based on project need.

What you can bring

You will have experience of project managing small to medium sized technical product development projects or be a technical lead of an engineering discipline within a larger project.

Ideally you will have a degree in engineering, or a relevant scientific discipline, with hands‑on experience of planning tasks and tracking the progress of a team to deliver against those tasks whilst addressing issues as they arise. Naturally you will also have strong time management, written and verbal communication, and organisational skills.

Our UK government work and client base coves a very broad spectrum, so we would also be very interested if you have any of the following:

• UK Government security clearance
• A passion for innovation
• A technical background in Mechanical, Electrical, Software, Physics, Chemistry or Sensing systems
• New product introduction / design for manufacture experience
• Previous experience of working at a consulting / fee for service organisation
• A strong desire to deliver outputs for Defence through Science and Technology
• Existing knowledge of best practice in the delivery of projects
• People skills and networks to build strong working relationships across the defence and security innovation ecosystem, including UK MOD, DSTL, Defence Innovation Unit and Innovation Hubs, a range of security customers and Government departments
• Formal project management credentials such as APMP, PRINCE2 etc.

Successful candidates must pass a disclosure and barring security check, be willing to undertake UK government security clearance and must be a UK passport holder.