Overview
Project Manager (Defence) role at NCC – Innovating for Industry.
Location: Bristol-based with Hybrid working (2-3 days on site). Salary: £38,906 to £54,500 per annum plus 12.5% employer pension & private medical insurance. Security Clearance Required: The ability to obtain government security clearance is mandatory for this position. Advert end date: 26th September – we reserve the right to withdraw the advert earlier based on application numbers.
Join us to help shape the future of UK defence innovation as we expand our Defence team to manage multiple high-impact projects on time, on cost, and on vision.
Responsibilities
* Own delivery – control scope, schedule, cost and risk across the full six-phase lifecycle from initiation to closure, using NCC’s project management framework.
* Plan with rigour – convert technical statements of work into credible resource-loaded schedules; align internal specialists and external partners; maintain live plans for active and pipeline projects.
* Lead the team – provide clarity on tasks, track effort in real time, and foster a culture of knowledge-sharing and proactive risk management.
* Be the customer’s go-to – run structured reviews, provide transparent progress reports, and build long-term relationships based on delivery excellence.
* Generate tomorrow’s work – gather market and programme intelligence, identify opportunities, brief internal stakeholders, and feed accurate data into CRM to inform pursuit strategies.
* Stay close to the action – conduct site visits (approx. 10% travel) to validate progress, resolve issues, and explore new collaboration avenues.
* Add technical value – leverage a sound engineering or composites background to challenge assumptions, contribute to design reviews, and translate customer aspirations into workable plans.
Qualifications and Experience
* Proven track record as a project manager or project engineer.
* Defence, aerospace, or similarly regulated, high-integrity sector experience.
* Ability to gain security clearance.
* Familiarity with gated lifecycle governance, risk and opportunity management, and stakeholder negotiation.
* Experience identifying and helping secure follow-on work, and authoring winning bids or proposals.
* Working knowledge of MS Project (or equivalent) and familiarity with ERP/PLM systems and a modern CRM platform.
* Desirable: exposure to composite materials, propulsion technologies and/or digital engineering.
* Desirable: working towards or holding APM PMQ (or equivalent).
Why NCC
* Unique vantage point in the UK Defence Innovation ecosystem with influence on future capability.
* Exposure to world-class projects and the wider High Value Manufacturing Catapult network.
* Continuous professional development, including support to achieve Chartered Project Professional (ChPP) status.
* Inclusive environment with a focus on wellbeing, diversity, equity and belonging (EDI) and structured development programs.
What we offer
* Hybrid and flexible working patterns, annual salary reviews, company-paid private medical insurance, up to 12.5% employer pension contribution.
* Supportive culture, great people, honorary staff status at the University of Bristol.
* Commitment to wellbeing, EDI, and learning and development to build your career in a thriving R&D facility.
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