Technical Engineering/Project Manager - SC Cleared - Inside

Sanderson Government & Defence; Oxford; On-site; GBP 92,000 - 148,000; Full time

Job summary

Sanderson Government & Defence is seeking two Technical Engineering/Project Manager for an Inside IR35 deployment in the public sector. The role is based in Oxford with 1 day on-site per week and occasional European travel, supporting highly technical projects alongside scientists and engineers.

You will govern project lifecycles, manage budgets and resources, and build strong client and partner relationships while delivering on mission outcomes and organisational strategy in security-conscious

Qualifications

• Proven project management experience in Government and Defence.
• Hands-on technical background through engineering/field support.
• Formal project management credentials (APM/PRINCE2 or equivalent).
• Ability to manage resources, budgets, and stakeholder communications.

Responsibilities

• Manage end-to-end project lifecycle from pre-planning to closure, including risk and mitigation.
• Ensure delivery aligns with client mission outcomes and organisational strategy.
• Lead and mentor multidisciplinary project teams.
• Act as primary contact to clients/partners to support delivery and business development.
• Deploy to customer locations to support installation, configuration and handover of systems.
• Support end users in adopting deployed systems and coordinating with engineering teams.
• Contribute to development and implementation of best practice project management frameworks.
• Manage project budgets, forecasting, cost tracking, and financial risk escalation.
• Maintain compliance with government regulations, standards and internal policies.

Skills

Project management

Hands-on engineering

APM/PRINCE2

Stakeholder engagement

Communication

Resource management

Job description

Technical Engineering/Project Manager x2 - Inside IR35 - SC Cleared

• Location: Oxford - 1 day a week on-site
• Travel: Some requirement for European travel (sporadic)
• Rate: £500 - £800
• IR35: Inside
• Length: Initial 6-9 Months

Sanderson G&D are seeking technical project managers with a background in hands‑on engineering for a new deployment in the Public Sectors. The programme of work is highly technical, working with an organisation on the cutting edge delivering interesting and impactful work.

This role requires strong governance, stakeholder confidence, and proficiency operating in structured, security conscious environments while maintaining pace of delivery and innovation working alongside Scientists and Engineers on deeply technical projects.

Key Responsibilities

• Manage the end-to-end project lifecycle of deeply technical projects - from pre-project planning, to mobilisation, delivery and closure. This includes risk identification, monitoring and mitigations; resourcing; performance reporting; and issue escalation.
• Successful delivery of the project outcomes, ensuring high-quality outputs and alignment with client mission outcomes and organisational strategy.
• Team building and leadership of multiple project teams.
• Act as the primary point of contact on projects, developing and maintaining strong client and partner relationships to support project delivery and contribute to winning new business.
• Deploy to customer locations when required to support the installation, configuration and operational handover of systems, including working independently on site with remote support from UK-based engineering teams.
• Support end users in understanding, adopting and troubleshooting deployed systems, acting as a trusted on‑site representative who can diagnose issues, gather feedback and coordinate effective resolution with engineering colleagues.
• Contributing to the development and implementation of best practice frameworks and methodologies for project and programme management across the company.
• Manage project budgets, including forecasting, cost tracking and escalation of financial risks.
• Maintain full project compliance with applicable government regulations, standards and internal policies.

Core Skills & Experience

• Proven project management experience and delivery within Government and Defence.
• Comfortable working independently in the field, including operational customer environments, with the judgement to make sound decisions while drawing on remote engineering support.
• Hands‑on technical confidence, ideally gained through an engineering, systems, field support or similarly practical technical background; you do not need to be a software engineer, but you should be comfortable getting close to the technology and resolving practical issues on site.
• Formal project management credentials such as APM Qualification, PRINCE2 or equivalent.
• Strong stakeholder engagement and communication skills.
• Ability to present complex information in clear, accessible formats.
• Experience managing resources and mentoring multidisciplinary teams.

Reasonable Adjustments:

Respect and equality are core values to us. We are proud of the diverse and inclusive community we have built, and we welcome applications from people of all backgrounds and perspectives. Our success is driven by our people, united by the spirit of partnership to deliver the best resourcing solutions for our clients.

If you need any help or adjustments during the recruitment process for any reason, please let us know when you apply or talk to the recruiters directly so we can support you.