IT Project Manager - Manufacturing Systems (12-Month Contract)

Location: Hybrid / Towcester, Northamptonshire
Rate: £400-£440 per day - Inside IR35
Duration: 12 months
Start: 1st September

We're looking for a mid-level IT Project Manager to take the reins on a Manufacturing IT system upgrade for a major site in Towcester. You will be part of the overall Project team for the transition from OpenVMS to Red Hat Linux, working closely with the system vendor PM and coordinating a small onsite team.

This role is all about keeping things on track: timelines, people, vendor deliverables, and successful UAT. It's a hands-on role where technical understanding, stakeholder wrangling, and project discipline are key.

Key Responsibilities

• Own the full project lifecycle for the IT infrastructure upgrade (OpenVMS → Red Hat Linux).
• Lead and coordinate a team of 4-5 onsite technical staff - hold them accountable and keep them aligned.
• Act as the main point of contact with vendor PM
• Define and drive project milestones, delivery plans, and documentation.
• Manage risk, issue tracking, and resolution.
• Deliver User Acceptance Testing (UAT) planning, coordination, and sign-off.
• Communicate progress, blockers, and dependencies clearly to stakeholders.

Essential Experience

• Proven experience managing IT infrastructure/system upgrade projects - ideally in manufacturing or industrial environments.
• Strong knowledge of legacy system migrations, particularly OpenVMS and Red Hat Linux (you don't need to be hands-on, but you should understand the landscape).
• Experience working with third-party vendors and holding them to SLAs/deliverables.
• Comfortable managing small on-site teams and collaborating with cross-functional stakeholders.
• Experience delivering UAT planning and execution.
• Excellent communication and planning skills - you keep everyone on the same page.

Nice to Have

• Background in manufacturing, semiconductors, or industrial IT environments.
• Knowledge of OpenVMS architecture or system constraints.
• Exposure to automation or MES systems.