Project Management Consultant
Luton
6-Month Contract
Paying up to £110p/h (Outside IR35)
Key Responsibilities
* Provide advice on the acceleration of procurement and operational readiness of critical capabilities that cannot wait for standard planning or acquisition cycles.
* Identifying where existing processes can be tailored or streamlined, compressing standard acquisition cycles, and the management of high-risk operational rollouts while balancing aggressive timelines, budgets, and necessary compliance.
* Proactively identify roadblocks, execute rapid risk assessments, and implement mitigations to prevent project failure.
* Act as the primary liaison between IPT leader, Sponsors, end-users, third-party vendors, and internal teams to provide high-frequency progress reports and negotiate priorities.
* Allocate resources efficiently and navigate dynamic cost structures where time and performance outweigh strict, traditional budgetary constraints.
* Ensure that despite expedited timelines, all final deliverables meet necessary safety, legal, and operational standards. Where standards need not be applied, negotiate with the customer for alleviation and align internal stakeholders.
Required Experience
* Experience working in high-pressure project management, crisis management, or urgent operational capability delivery (e.g. defense, IT/infrastructure emergencies, or rapid-response supply chain).
* Ideally, have Urgent Capability Requirements (UCR) experience delivering into MOD and defence programmes.
* Hold a professional certification such as PMP (Project Management Professional) or PRINCE2.
* Exceptional negotiation, influencing and stakeholder management capabilities.
* Ability to think outside the box and pivot strategies if required.