Senior/Lead Project Controls Manager - Defence

Turner-; Cardiff; Hybrid; GBP 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Turner & Townsend seeks a Senior Project Controls Manager to lead cross‑discipline project controls on high‑value defence programmes in the UK. You will define scope, establish a work breakdown structure, and drive a robust performance baseline with change control integrated across the team.

Working on site 2–3 days weekly, you will mentor staff, drive process improvements, and contribute to regional growth through proposals, planning and recruitment while ensuring governance and risk controls

Qualifications

• Proven track record delivering projects in highly regulated sectors (defence or infrastructure).
• Experience across multiple Project Controls disciplines (planning, cost, risk, reporting).
• Experience establishing Project Controls organisations and building teams.
• Ability to lead, influence and coach teams in dynamic environments.

Responsibilities

• Set up and lead cross-discipline Project Controls teams on high value projects.
• Define scope via exclusions, assumptions, interfaces, and dependencies to enable WBS.
• Establish robust Performance Measurement Baseline and manage change control.
• Collaborate with suppliers to integrate and analyse performance data per contractual requirements.
• Ensure integration of scope, cost, risk and schedule; align with governance processes.
• Mentor and develop team members; support regional growth through proposals and recruitment.

Skills

Planning and Scheduling

Cost Estimation

Cost Control

Risk Management

Performance Reporting

Leadership

Stakeholder Management

Education

Undergraduate degree in a relevant technical or management field

Job description

• Full-time
• Department: Defence

Company Description

At Turner & Townsend, we’re passionate about making the difference. That means delivering better outcomes for our clients, helping our people to realise their potential, and doing our part to create a prosperous society. Every day, we help our clients deliver ambitious and highly technical projects in 64 countries using our global team of over 23,000 people.

Within the UK, Turner & Townsend has a wide range of key clients across a broad spectrum of sectors, including Health, Local Authorities, Higher Education, Highways, Utilities, Rail, and Defence. Our diverse portfolio of clients provides our team members with unique and rewarding opportunities to gain experience across a broad range of major programmes and projects.

We play a crucial role in supporting the defence of the United Kingdom as a key provider of project and programme management services to the Ministry of Defence and strategic Defence suppliers.

Due to growing demand for our services, we are actively looking to expand the team with talented individuals who wish to support our Defence client portfolio and further their career by working on a range of complex and challenging commissions.

We are seeking like-minded passionate people to join our organisation who have a positive outlook, are seeking development opportunities, have a strong foundation of technical understanding and experience within the Defence or other highly regulated industries.

Job Description

Important: Before applying, due to the sensitive nature of these projects, you must be a SOLE UK National who is able to achieve and maintain UK MoD Security Clearance (SC). See Security Clearance Section.

As a Senior Project Controls Manager, of T&T Associate Director or Director grade, you will be adept at, and have proven expertise of, the following:

• Setting-up, and leading, one or more cross-discipline Project Controls teams on high risk, high complexity, and high value projects or programmes.
• Defining the scope through the use of exclusions, assumptions, interfaces, and dependencies, and coordinating the scope’s decomposition to enable the establishment of a Work Breakdown Structure.
• Working with the Integrated Project Team to establish a robust, accurate Performance Measurement Baseline and manage the change control process.
• Working with Project and Commercial Managers to establish the Supplier Project Controls Contract Requirements and collaborating with suppliers to integrate and analyse their performance data in accordance with Supplier Project Controls contractual requirements.
• Ensuring scope, cost, risk and schedule integration and alignment.
• Analysing performance data, including Earned Value Management, to provide insight and to facilitate delivery decisions.
• Liaising with Finance to generate Cost and Cash Estimate to Complete and Estimate At Complete profiles.
• Ensuring effective risk management through the appropriate identification, quantification, treatment, and oversee the application and analysis of Quantitative Risk Analysis.
• Supporting Project Managers in the deployment of resource in-line with the resource-loaded schedules.
• Establishing effective governance processes to enable structured and auditable decision making.
• Assuring the quality, accuracy, and integrity of the Project Controls team’s output.
• Building strong working relationships across the Integrated Project Team.
• Working with the Integrated Project Team to communicate and contextualise delivery performance and influence stakeholders.
• Leading on learning from experience and process improvements.
• Mentoring and coaching team members and stakeholders to ensure continuous capability improvement.
• Contributing to the strategic regional growth of the business through targeted business generation activities, including proposal creation, pursuit planning, recruitment and succession planning.
• Capable of overseeing the running of a Project Controls Function, or aspects of it, including the creation and embedment of standards and processes.

Qualifications

As a Senior Project Controls Manager, you will;

• Have a proven track record of delivering projects in highly regulated sectors such as defence or infrastructure.
• Have Project Controls experience across the whole Project lifecycle.
• Have experience in the application of two or more Project Controls disciplines of Planning and Scheduling, Cost Estimation, Cost Control, Risk Management or Performance Reporting and their associated software / tools.
• Have a variety of proven experience in establishing Project Controls organisations and building teams.
• Have an advanced understanding of the way in which the Integrated Project Controls disciplines operate across various operating models.
• Have experience in assessing the maturity of an organisation and its existing ways of working.
• Hold a proactive, curious and ‘can-do’ attitude, as well as being an individual who is comfortable in uncertain and unclear project environments.
• Be a strong communicator and leader with ability to influence, manage, motivate, coach and develop teams and organisations by creating a diverse and inclusive environment.
• Promote empowerment and team contribution.
• Have a passion to build a community and support network beyond your delivery role and to help others to do likewise.
• Have an undergraduate degree in a relevant technical or management field or suitable equivalent qualifications and experience.
• Are a member of a relevant professional body e.g. Association for Project Management, Project Management Institute.
• Have the ability to make risk-based decisions where the parameters are unclear, and judgement is needed.
• Adapt your leadership style depending upon the audience and be flexible when working with uncertainty.
• Be competent in using the software needed to perform the role.
• Have a desire to work within various sectors and with a range of clients.

Working in teams/site attendance:

This role comes with the opportunity to work alongside our clients on site, fostering strong partnerships, and delivering successful outcomes through face-to-face collaboration. As such, there is an expectation of client and/or Turner & Townsend office attendance 2-3 days a week, with the possibility of UK travel and overnight stays.

Additional Information

Security Clearance

Important: Before applying, due to the sensitive nature of these projects, you must be a Sole UK National who is able to achieve and maintain UK MoD Security Clearance (SC).

Many of the clients and projects we support are subject to MoD security clearance and Trade Control restrictions. This means that your eligibility for certain roles may be affected by your place of birth, nationality, current or former citizenship, and any residency you hold or have held. Further details are available at United Kingdom Security Vetting: clearance levels - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).

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, such as to current processes through networks such as our maternity steering groups.

We want our people to succeed both in work and life. To support this we promote a healthy, productive and flexible working environment that respects work-life balance and working parents.

Turner & Townsend is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and have active networks who are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees and actively encourage applications from all sectors of the community. Our “One Employee Network (OEN)” is a unified umbrella, developed to influence, champion and support Turner & Townsend’s ambition to become a more diverse, equitable and inclusive organization. As well as advocating for employees who identify with specific groups and communities, our networks such as but not limited to DE&I, Unity, Womens Network, Wellbeing, Military, Parents and Carers enhance and share best practice and encourage dialogue across our business.

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