Senior Project Manager

leonardo company; Southampton; Hybrid; GBP 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading company is seeking a Senior Project Manager to oversee complex IR detector projects in Southampton. The successful candidate will manage multiple projects while ensuring compliance with customer and legislative requirements. Strong leadership, communication skills, and a project management qualification are essential for success in this rewarding role.

Benefits

Company-funded benefits package

Generous leave including 12 flexi-days

Award-winning pension scheme with employer contribution

Free access to mental health support and financial advice

Bonus scheme for eligible employees

Access to over 4,000 online courses via Coursera and LinkedIn Learning

Flexible benefits spending

Flexible working options

Qualifications

• Experience in project management of multiple, complex projects across the project lifecycle.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multi-disciplined functional teams.
• Ability to quickly grasp new tools and processes.

Responsibilities

• Provide project management and leadership for a portfolio of IR detector projects.
• Define, plan, and coordinate activities and resources to deliver projects on time and within budget.
• Conduct effective risk and opportunity reviews.

Skills

Project Management

Leadership

Communication

Risk Management

Negotiation

Financial Acumen

Education

APM Project Management Qualification or equivalent

Job description

At Leonardo we have a fantastic opportunity for a Senior Project Manager to join our team, reporting to the Head of Programmes for the infrared (IR) detectors business.

Leonardo design & manufacture world leading IR detectors for a variety of civil, industrial & military applications. We are looking for a Senior Project Manager to provide project management and leadership to support the successful delivery, compliant with customer, contractual & legislative requirements, of a complex portfolio of IR detector projects & internal investments.

This role will be highly visible within the Line of Business and you will be working with cutting-edge technology, interacting with multiple stakeholders across the business and externally within the customer & supplier community, thus strong and effective communication skills are vital.

Projects can be both challenging and technically demanding, and you will be charged with defining, planning and co-ordinating activities and resources to deliver multiple projects on time, within budget & to quality. To achieve this you will be expected to work with resource managers within a matrix structure and technical experts to: Scope specific work packages & their associated budgets, define milestones, monitor costs, report progress on the Project to management and customers, maintain and manage a register of ongoing risks and opportunities.

As a Senior Project Manager, you act as an inspirational leader demonstrating an agile mind-set to actively and positively influence the team’s performance and project outcomes through collaborative team work and empowerment of individuals.

Reporting directly to the Head of Programmes for the IR detector business, you will lead and co-ordinate IPTs on day-to-day activities, and therefore must be a good team player possessing strong team building and motivational skills. The successful candidate will need to demonstrate the ability to:

Plan, manage, monitor and report on multiple projects simultaneously in accordance with a Lifecycle management process.

Regularly report project health, including cash flow, earned value, and cost to complete via a high degree of financial acumen.

Conduct effective Risk and Opportunity reviews and be pro-active in looking ahead to identify risks that may impact the project or can be mitigated.

Monitor accuracy of resource management and coordinate with Project Controllers & Material Planners to maintain accurate plans

Undertake regular Planning activities of the project to ensure accuracy of the forward load and milestones within SAP/P6.

Apply budgeting techniques for forecasting Orders, Sales, Cost, and Cash flow milestones in order to ensure the integrity of the project plan.

Be capable of interacting with technical experts from a variety of disciplines and prepared to challenge and seek further justification where necessary

Facilitate problem solving and resolve conflicts within the team.

Negotiate at all levels within the business as well as with customers & suppliers and possess a strong sense of commercial awareness.

You will also be involved in activities related to winning new and follow-on business and required to contribute to the preparation, management and review of bids and communicate to the relevant internal stakeholders in order to support the Customer requirements.

All Project Managers belong to a community of diverse Project Management professionals. We look to you as a Senior Project Manager to bring your own unique skills and experience to contribute towards business improvement.

What you'll bring

Experience in project management of multiple, complex projects across the project lifecycle

Leadership experience in delivery of Projects utilising EVM with evidence of a demonstrated successful performance

Experience of managing R&D / development projects within a technical environment

Demonstrated ability to manage multi-disciplined functional teams in a custom working environment

The ability to quickly pick up new tool sets and processes, with good analytical skills

Demonstrated strong Customer & Supplier relationship skills

APM Project Management Qualification or equivalent

This is not an exhaustive list, and we are keen to hear from you even if you might not have experience in all the above. The most important skill is a good attitude and willingness to learn.

Security Clearance

This role is subject to pre-employment screening in line with the UK Government’s Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS). An additional range of Personnel Security Controls referred to as National Security Vetting (NSV) may apply, this could include meeting the eligibility requirements for The Security Check (SC) or Developed Vetting (DV). For more information and guidance please visit: https://careers.uk.leonardo.com/gb/en/security-and-vetting

At Leonardo, our people are at the heart of everything we do. We offer a comprehensive, company-funded benefits package that supports your wellbeing, career development, and work–life balance. Whether you're looking to grow professionally, care for your health, or plan for the future, we’re here to help you thrive.

Time to Recharge: Enjoy generous leave with the opportunity to accrue up to 12 additional flexi-days each year.

Secure your Future: Benefit from our award-winning pension scheme with up to 15% employer contribution.

Your Wellbeing Matters: Free access to mental health support, financial advice, and employee-led networks championing inclusion and diversity (Enable, Pride, Equalise, Armed Forces, Carers, Wellbeing and Ethnicity).

Rewarding Performance: All employees at management level and below are eligible for our bonus scheme.

Never Stop Learning: Free access to 4,000+ online courses via Coursera and LinkedIn Learning.

Refer a friend: Receive a financial reward through our referral programme.

Tailored Perks: Spend up to £500 annually on flexible benefits including private healthcare, dental, family cover, tech & lifestyle discounts, gym memberships and more.

Flexible working: Flexible hours with hybrid working options. For part time opportunities, please talk to us about what might be possible for this role.

For a full list of our company benefits please visit our website.

Leonardo is a global leader in Aerospace, Defence, and Security. Headquartered in Italy, we employ over 53,000 people worldwide including 8,500 across 9 sites in the UK. Our employees are not just part of a team—they are key contributors to shaping innovation, advancing technology, and enhancing global safety.

At Leonardo we are committed to building an inclusive, accessible, and welcoming workplace. We believe that a diverse workforce sparks creativity, drives innovation, and leads to better outcomes for our people and our customers. If you have any accessibility requirements to support you during the recruitment process, just let us know.

Be part of something bigger - apply now!

International, multicultural, innovative, technological: this is Leonardo. The company’s passionate and talented team is strongly influenced by STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) expertise, with a diverse range of experience that enables colleagues to share knowledge and know-how across the generations.

Leonardo always wants to expand its talent pool, here you can find the right opportunity for you!