Title: Mission Manager – Defense
Location: Manchester, England (Hybrid)
Reports to: Regional Director - UK
Clearance: UK Security Clearance required or eligibility to obtain (SC minimum; DV desirable)
The Mission Manager is responsible for the end-to-end planning, coordination, and execution of defense-focused missions and programs, ensuring operational objectives are delivered effectively and securely, in alignment with customer requirements. Operating at the intersection of customer engagement, operational delivery, and technical coordination, the Mission Manager acts as the single point of accountability for assigned defence missions, programmes, or capability deployments. The role is delivery-led, outcomes-focused, and aligned to the demands of UK Defence and national security environments.
Required Technical Skills:
1. Proven experience delivering complex programmes or missions within defence, government, or regulated environments.
2. Strong understanding of UK Defence operating environments, stakeholders, and delivery expectations.
3. Demonstrated ability to coordinate multi-disciplinary teams in fast-paced or mission-critical settings.
4. Experience managing delivery across technical, operational, and commercial dimensions.
5. Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.
6. Strong organisational skills with the ability to prioritise under pressure.
Required Experience:
7. Experience working with MOD, UK Defence Primes, or defence frameworks.
8. Exposure to mission-led delivery models, operational planning, or capability deployment.
9. Familiarity with programme or project management methodologies (e.g. PMI, PRINCE2, Agile).
10. Background in technology, engineering, infrastructure, or systems delivery.
11. Experience operating in secure or classified environment.
Job Requirements:
12. Excellent communication, presentation, and negotiation skills over a variety of communication mediums.
13. Ability to deliver engaging presentations.
14. Inquisitive and intelligent, with a willingness to dig in and find ways around problems.
15. Uncover points of contact and establish communication within new and existing government programs and business opportunities.
16. Active security clearance
Primary Responsibilities:
17. Provide strategic mission insight by analysing defence industry trends, government spending priorities, programme lifecycles, and policy direction to identify where Sterling should engage, position, and invest.
18. Identify capability, coverage, and engagement gaps across existing defence programmes, customer accounts, and framework positions, recommending targeted actions to increase relevance and influence.
19. Proactively identify, shape, and qualify new mission-aligned opportunities, particularly those involving emerging or disruptive technologies aligned to defence and national security requirements.
20. Act as a credible mission-facing representative for Sterling, clearly articulating the organisation’s delivery capability, operational value, and differentiation to defence customers and partners.
21. Conduct deep programme and mission analysis, moving beyond surface-level requirements to understand underlying operational drivers, constraints, and long-term objectives within government and defence programmes.
22. Develop a thorough understanding of customer missions, requirements, and operating environments, identifying opportunities to integrate additional Sterling services and capabilities across existing and future programmes.
23. Gather, synthesise, and communicate actionable intelligence on programmes, stakeholders, competitors, and market dynamics to internal leadership, enabling informed decision-making across Business Development, Sales, and Marketing functions.
24. Support the shaping of opportunities prior to formal procurement, influencing solution approach, delivery model, and partner strategy where appropriate.
25. Collaborate closely with internal delivery, engineering, and commercial teams to ensure proposed solutions are realistic, deliverable, and aligned to mission outcomes.
This role is central to ensuring the organization delivers real operational value to UK Defense customers. The Mission Manager is a trusted delivery lead who ensures that strategy, technology, and execution come together to support national security objectives.
Sterling Computers Corporation (“Sterling”) is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, race, color, creed, religion, disability, medical condition, economic status or status with regard to public assistance, citizenship status, national or social or ethnic origin, past or present membership in the uniformed services, protected veteran status, sex, pregnancy, marital or civil union or domestic partnership status, family or parental status, sexual orientation, gender expression or identity, family medical history or genetic information, HIV status, political belief, or any other status or characteristic protected by applicable law.