Senior Project Manager - Defence, Software Engineering

Detailed Description From Employer:

Senior Project Manager - Defence, Software Engineering

The location of the role is Bristol (hybrid working).
The duration of the contract is 6 months.
The pay rate on offer is £95 per hour (via Umbrella agency - inside IR35).

Security Clearance: must hold SC clearance/SC cleared candidates only

Role Summary

We are seeking an experienced Senior Project Manager to lead the transformation of a complex, high-profile, and mission-critical project

As a key member of the Programme Delivery Team, you will be accountable for day-to-day project execution, leading a multi-disciplinary team to achieve successful outcomes across time, cost, and quality objectives. The role demands close collaboration with internal and external stakeholders across technical, commercial, and operational domains, and requires strong leadership in planning, governance, and project controls to manage dependencies, mitigate risks, and drive overall programme performance throughout the delivery life cycle.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead a multi-disciplinary team to deliver a complex system upgrade through the customisation and configuration of COTS products, applying structured programme management and Agile leadership.
• Develop and maintain integrated project plans, applying robust controls to ensure delivery against agreed milestones, budgets, and performance metrics.
• Engage and manage senior stakeholders across the business and commercial partners to ensure effective collaboration and delivery assurance.
• Oversee resource planning and management to meet customer requirements, delivery schedules, and commercial targets.
• Identify and manage risks, issues, and dependencies throughout the delivery life cycle, ensuring timely resolution and adherence to governance and change control processes.
• Take commercial ownership within a complex delivery environment, including budget forecasting, financial management, and contract oversight.
• Support vendor engagement and performance management, including the development and transition to fixed-cost contracts and Statements of Work.
• Facilitate Agile ceremonies and ensure adherence to Agile principles, using tools such as Azure DevOps to manage delivery workflows and maintain project momentum.
• Promote and uphold health, safety, and environmental standards across all programme activities, fostering a culture of continuous improvement and compliance.

Essential Experience & Skills

• Programme Delivery Expertise: Proven track record of delivering complex technical projects/programmes using both Agile and Waterfall methodologies.
• Planning & Controls: Experienced in developing and maintaining integrated programme plans, applying robust project controls, and using tools such as MS Project, Primavera, or equivalent to track progress, manage dependencies, and ensure delivery against milestones.
• Stakeholder Management: Ability to engage and manage diverse stakeholders including engineering teams, vendors, customers, and senior leadership.
• Risk & Issue Management: Skilled in identifying, assessing, and mitigating risks throughout the project life cycle.
• Budget & Resource Management: Experience managing multi-million-pound budgets and cross-functional delivery teams.
• Vendor & Contract Management: Comfortable working with third-party suppliers, negotiating contracts, and managing deliverables.
• Governance & Reporting: Familiar with programme governance frameworks and capable of producing high-quality reporting for senior stakeholders.
• Agile Leadership: Experienced in facilitating Agile ceremonies such as Sprint Planning, Daily Stand-ups, Retrospectives, and Reviews. Skilled in applying Agile principles and using Azure DevOps to manage delivery workflows, resolve impediments, and maintain project momentum.
• Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC): Strong understanding of software engineering processes, including requirements gathering, design, development, testing, and deployment.
• Systems Integration: Experience managing integration of software with hardware and existing infrastructure, including interfacing with Legacy systems.
• Agile Software Development - Experience controlling development of use case, data flows, Epics and user stories.

Optional/Desired Experience & Skills

• Network Management Systems: Hands-on experience with NMS platforms, ideally in telecoms or satellite communications environments.
• Satellite Communications: Familiarity with satellite network architecture, protocols, and operational constraints.
• Systems Engineering: Understanding of systems engineering principles, including requirements decomposition, interface definition, verification and validation, and life cycle traceability.
• Scrum Master Certification (eg, CSM, PSM) with proven experience in delivering software projects in demanding environments, ideally including one or more of the following: SAFe, Disciplined Agile, DSDM