Senior Project Manager

Leonardo UK Ltd; Wickford; Hybrid; GBP 90,000 - 115,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid working

Bonus scheme

Training & courses

Employer pension

Job summary

Leonardo UK Ltd is seeking a Senior Project Manager to lead complex defence projects within the Precision Guidance IPT. You will manage multi-disciplinary teams, ensure delivery to scope, cost and schedule, and drive continuous improvement.

The role requires strong governance, stakeholder engagement, and risk management, with experience in early-stage tech and low-TRL development. Hybrid working in Basildon is available, with opportunities for travel to other sites and customers.

Qualifications

• Led complex projects in defence/aerospace environments.
• Strong governance, risk management and delivery discipline.
• Experience with early-stage development and low-TRL tech.

Responsibilities

• Deliver projects in portfolio to time, cost and quality.
• Lead early-stage technology development and manage uncertainty.
• Support bids and campaigns to improve Pwin.
• Coordinate with Project Engineering Leads on resources.

Skills

Project leadership

Stakeholder management

Governance

Risk management

Communication

Problem solving

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

PM certification

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

Job Description:

Your Impact:

We have an exciting opportunity for a Senior Project Manager to join our team working within a dynamic and fast paced Precision Guidance IPT.

In this pivotal role, you will:

• Deliver cutting-edge seeker capabilities to UK and international customers.
• Maintain and enhance operational systems for our customers.
• Oversee the development of next-generation products and low-TRL technologies.
• Support business-winning activities to secure future growth.

This position sits within our Sensors Business Area, part of the Integrated Sensing & Protection (ISP) Line of Business (LoB). You will lead multiple world-class projects that have provided specialist capability to the UK MoD for decades—continuing to deliver operational advantage for our armed forces.

As PM/Senior PM, you will:

• Be accountable for delivery of specific projects in the portfolio.
• Apply strong leadership, governance, and problem-solving skills to deliver multiple complex projects to time, cost, and quality

• Lead early-stage technology development projects, managing uncertainty in requirements, technical feasibility, and resource allocation while ensuring alignment with long-term product strategy.
• Establish robust governance and risk frameworks for low-TRL initiatives, proactively identifying technical, schedule, and integration risks and implementing mitigation plans to accelerate maturation toward higher TRLs.
• Support bids and campaigns spanning the Precision Guidance IPT, increasing their Pwin.
• Be responsible for working with the Project Engineering Lead / Project Engineering Managers to manage available resource against future demand based on forecast prospects, ensuring issues are either addressed locally or are escalated to the Head of Programmes & Head of Engineering Projects.
• Support the IPTs’ delivery of Low-TRL tasks and the development of internally funded projects to develop next generation products and system enhancements.
• Be responsible for Projects internal reporting to the business, including Monthly Project Reviews into VP Sensors and as required, SVP ISP.
• Manage and demonstrate improved delivery where possible to improve financial performance against the baseline targets.
• Ensure adherence to Company governance and process, including Leonardo’s Lifecycle Management (LCM) as appropriate, including tailoring to suit project requirements.
• Proactively monitor cost and schedule progress and lead the team effectively through planning, allocation and reporting of work in order to ensure successful delivery of projects and their objectives.
• Anticipate, mitigate and manage dependencies, risks and synergies in support of increased business performance.
• Build and maintain strong working relationships with all functions in order to influence, support and deliver projects.
• Support the ongoing development and/or improvement of relationships with internal and external customers and suppliers to build on the principals of trust, collaboration and mutual respect.
• Provide coaching and mentoring support to members of the IPT, and particularly those within the Project Management function.

Intrinsic Job Factors:

• Full time role with some out of hours and extended working hours anticipated as required.
• This role will be Basildon based. Wider travel to other Leonardo and customer sites may also be required.

What you'll bring:

• Proven experience in leading projects, including those at early stages of development where requirements, technologies, and risks are evolving.
• Excellent stakeholder management skills, influencing senior leadership and maintaining customer relationships.
• Excellent stakeholder engagement skills, influencing senior leadership and building trusted customer relationships.
• Deep understanding of product development processes, from concept and low-TRL technology maturation through to sustainment and retirement.
• Robust risk and issue management capabilities, with a track record of proactive mitigation in uncertain and dynamic environments.
• Leadership and team development experience, fostering collaboration and accountability across multi-disciplinary teams.
• Strong governance and delivery discipline, ensuring projects meet scope, schedule, and budget—even in early-phase, high-uncertainty contexts.
• Knowledge of compliance standards and regulatory requirements relevant to defence and aerospace.
• Exceptional communication and presentation skills, able to simplify complex technical and commercial information for diverse audiences.
• Proactive, results-driven mindset, focused on continuous improvement and high performance.
• Working knowledge of Lifecycle Management (LCM), Project Execution, Risk Management, and Project Controls.
• Experience in business-winning activities, including bid support and campaign planning.
• Ability to organise, prioritise, and work autonomously in a fast-paced environment.
• Flexible and adaptable to change, with resilience under pressure.
• Strong problem-solving skills and lateral thinking, particularly in ambiguous early development phases.
• Ability to integrate and communicate across multiple functions and geographically dispersed teams.
• Good computer literacy, including Microsoft Office applications.

• Ideally APMP, PRINCE-2 or PMI PMP Certified

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

Leonardo UK operates a grade-based salary framework with broad bands. The salary range shown reflects the approved grade band for this role, or a narrower hiring range published within that band, and is benchmarked against the external market. Exceptions above the standard range are managed through governance controls to protect internal equity.

Why join us

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. 8

Company Internal

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.

Primary Location:

GB - Basildon

Contract Type:

Permanent

Hybrid Working:

Hybrid