Senior Technical Program Manager

Addition; Milton Keynes; On-site; GBP 85,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

DV clearance support

Onsite role in Milton Keynes

Job summary

Addition is seeking a Senior Technical Programme Manager in Milton Keynes for an 18-month contract. You will provide expert technical leadership across capability development and transition projects, reporting to the Head of Capability Transition.

You’ll review solutions, guide decisions, and ensure capabilities are sustainable and ready for service. You’ll work with engineering, scientific, operational, project and commercial teams to challenge designs and plan delivery, while maintaining

Qualifications

• Demonstrable experience providing technical leadership, governance and assurance across complex engineering, technology or security programmes.
• Proven ability to evaluate, challenge and guide technical solutions through development and transition into operational service.
• A strong understanding of systems engineering, technology development, integration, testing, evaluation and operational deployment.
• Experience leading and coordinating multidisciplinary teams delivering complex technical capabilities.
• Strong programme and project management experience, including governance and assurance.
• Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills, with the ability to influence technical specialists and senior decision-makers.
• A Level 6 qualification in a relevant STEM discipline, or equivalent professional experience.
• Membership of a relevant professional institution, or equivalent professional standing.
• Active UK Government DV clearance and British citizenship.

Responsibilities

• Provide technical leadership and assurance across the capability lifecycle, ensuring delivery meets technical, schedule, quality and operational objectives.
• Review designs, architectures and implementation plans, and challenge assumptions as needed.
• Guide teams on technical options, trade-offs and delivery approaches.
• Identify, assess and mitigate technical risks in complex engineering delivery.
• Assess emerging technologies for maturity and potential application.
• Oversee testing, evaluation, acceptance and operational assurance for deployment readiness.
• Maintain governance and compliance with technical, safety, security, and operational standards.
• Collaborate with operational users and security stakeholders to define requirements and deliver measurable benefits.
• Provide technical assessments and recommendations to support business cases and procurement strategies.
• Evaluate supplier proposals and delivery capability, offering independent oversight and constructive challenge.
• Foster collaboration across multidisciplinary teams and advise senior stakeholders.

Skills

Technical leadership

Governance & assurance

Systems engineering

Stakeholder management

Programme management

Education

Level 6 STEM qualification

Professional institution membership

Job description

Location: Milton Keynes | Fully onsite, five days per week

Security Clearance: Active UK Government DV clearance required | British citizens only

We’re partnering with a national security organisation to appoint an experienced Senior Technical Programme Manager on an 18-month contract.

This is an excellent opportunity for a technically strong programme leader to support the development and transition of specialist security capabilities, ensuring solutions are robust, operationally effective and ready to enter service.

We’re particularly interested in candidates with experience providing technical leadership, independent assurance and programme oversight within complex engineering, technology or security environments.

The Opportunity

As Senior Technical Programme Manager, you’ll provide expert technical leadership across a portfolio of capability development and transition projects, reporting to the Head of Capability Transition.

Working closely with engineering, scientific, operational, project and commercial teams, you’ll review technical solutions, challenge assumptions and guide delivery decisions throughout the capability lifecycle.

This role combines programme oversight with technical assurance, requiring someone who can assess complex engineering challenges, influence senior stakeholders and ensure capabilities are sustainable, maintainable and supportable in service.

Key Responsibilities

You’ll play a key role in supporting capability delivery by:

• Providing technical leadership and assurance throughout the capability lifecycle, ensuring delivery meets technical, schedule, quality and operational objectives.
• Reviewing and challenging designs, architectures, engineering assumptions and implementation plans.
• Guiding teams on technical options, trade-offs and delivery approaches.
• Identifying, assessing and mitigating technical risks, supporting the resolution of complex engineering and delivery challenges.
• Assessing emerging technologies for maturity, suitability and potential application.
• Overseeing testing, evaluation, acceptance and operational assurance to ensure capabilities are fit for deployment.
• Maintaining effective technical governance and compliance with relevant technical, safety, security and operational standards.
• Working with operational users and security stakeholders to define requirements and deliver measurable operational benefit.
• Providing technical assessments and recommendations to support business cases, investment decisions, procurement and delivery strategies.
• Evaluating supplier proposals, technical performance and delivery capability, providing independent oversight and constructive challenge.
• Building collaborative relationships across multidisciplinary teams and advising senior stakeholders and governance bodies.
• Mentoring project managers, engineers, scientists and technical specialists, sharing knowledge and lessons learned.

About You

You’ll be an experienced technical programme professional with strong engineering judgement and the ability to provide credible, independent advice in complex operational environments.

You will also have:

• Demonstrable experience providing technical leadership, governance and assurance across complex engineering, technology or security programmes.
• Proven ability to evaluate, challenge and guide technical solutions through development and transition into operational service.
• A strong understanding of systems engineering, technology development, integration, testing, evaluation and operational deployment.
• Experience leading and coordinating multidisciplinary teams delivering complex technical capabilities.
• Strong programme and project management experience, including governance and assurance.
• Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills, with the ability to influence technical specialists and senior decision-makers.
• A Level 6 qualification in a relevant STEM discipline, or equivalent professional experience.
• Membership of a relevant professional institution, or equivalent professional standing.
• Active UK Government DV clearance and British citizenship.

Why Apply?

This is an opportunity to contribute to critical national security capabilities, working alongside specialist teams to guide complex technical solutions into operational service.

You’ll benefit from:

• An 18-month contract.
• A senior role with influence across capability development and transition.
• The opportunity to work across engineering, scientific, operational and commercial disciplines.
• Technically challenging work with a clear operational purpose.

Contract and Working Arrangements

• Fully onsite in Milton Keynes, five days per week.
• Inside IR35, through supplier PAYE or a compliant UK umbrella company.
• A minimum working day of 7.5 hours and a minimum working week of 37.5 hours.
• The contract allows up to 48 hours per week to meet specific business objectives, without an increase to the agreed charge rate.
• Occasional travel to other UK sites, with the potential for short overseas trips.
• Approved business expenses reimbursed in line with organisational policy. Commuting and travel from home to locations in London and the Milton Keynes area are included within the daily rate.
• A notice period of 30 calendar days.

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, colour, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.