Project Manager

NewSpace Systems; Oos-Kaap; On-site; ZAR 900,000 - 1,300,000; Full time

Job summary

NewSpace Systems in South Africa seeks a seasoned Project Manager to lead aerospace and defense initiatives from initiation to closeout, ensuring compliance with contractual obligations, approved budgets and schedules while coordinating cross‑functional teams.

You will manage risks, changes and reporting, communicate with customers and stakeholders, and promote continuous improvement of project-management processes.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering or equivalent.
• PM certification such as PMP or PRINCE2 is advantageous.
• At least five years of project-management experience.

Responsibilities

• Manage assigned projects from initiation through closeout.
• Monitor scope, schedules, budgets, quality and deliverables.
• Coordinate change requests with customers, suppliers and subcontractors.
• Maintain project records and ensure adherence to company processes.
• Coordinate multidisciplinary project teams without direct line-management responsibility.

Skills

Project planning

Risk management

Stakeholder communication

Cross-functional coordination

Agile methodologies

Education

Bachelor’s degree in engineering

PM certification (PMP/PRINCE2) advantageous

Job description

KEY PURPOSE OF THE JOB

The key purpose of the role is to manage and deliver projects in accordance with contractual obligations, approved budgets, schedules and company project-management standards. Coordinate cross-functional teams, proactively manage risks and changes, and maintain effective communication with customers, suppliers and internal stakeholders.

KEY TASKS

Contractual Programme/Project Execution:

• Manage assigned projects from initiation through closeout.
• Ensure compliance with contractual, legal, financial and regulatory requirements.
• Monitor scope, schedules, budgets, quality and deliverables.
• Coordinate change requests and agreements with customers, suppliers and subcontractors.
• Maintain project records and ensure adherence to company processes.

Planning and Strategy:

• Develop project plans, schedules, budgets and resource requirements.
• Identify, assess and manage project risks, issues and opportunities.
• Conduct feasibility assessments, cost estimates and resource planning.
• Implement corrective actions and contingency plans where required.

Reporting and Communication:

• Maintain clear communication with customers and internal stakeholders.
• Prepare accurate project reports, forecasts, KPIs and progress updates.
• Escalate significant risks, delays and decisions to the Head of Project Management.
• Facilitate project meetings and track actions to completion.

Team coordination:

• Coordinate multidisciplinary project teams without direct line-management responsibility.
• Clarify responsibilities, priorities and deliverables.
• Promote collaboration and alignment across engineering, operations, quality and commercial functions.
• Support team members in resolving project-related constraints.

Technical Collaboration:

• Work closely with systems engineers and technical teams to align project requirements with customer and business objectives.
• Facilitate technical discussions and ensure decisions are documented.
• Support compliance with quality, cybersecurity, industry and regulatory requirements.

General Responsibilities:

• Take accountability for assigned project deliverables and outcomes.
• Apply and support continuous improvement of project-management processes.
• Engage internal and external stakeholders to support successful delivery.
• Comply with company policies, health and safety requirements, and industry best practices.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering—Electronic, Mechatronic, Mechanical or Software—or an equivalent qualification.
• Project-management certification such as PMP or PRINCE2 is advantageous.

EXPERIENCE

• At least five years’ project-management experience.
• Experience delivering complex, high-technology, multi-stakeholder projects.
• Working knowledge of PMBOK, Agile, PRINCE2 or comparable methodologies.
• Experience in aerospace or defence product-development projects is strongly preferred.
• Experience coordinating projects with significant technical content.

Additional knowledge areas that would strengthen the application:

• Knowledge of satellite subsystems and the space environment

COMPETENCIES AND SKILLS

• Self-motivated, responsible and delivery focused.
• Strong planning, organisation and prioritisation skills.
• Effective written and verbal communication.
• Customer and stakeholder focused.
• Able to influence others without formal authority.
• Comfortable managing competing priorities in a fast-moving environment.
• Collaborative, resourceful and solutions oriented.