Salary: £38,906 to £54,500 per annum plus 12.5% employer pension & private medical insurance.

Visa Sponsorship: We are unable to offer sponsorship for this position.

As demand grows, we are expanding our Defence team and need an accomplished Project Manager to keep multiple high-impact projects on time, on cost and on vision. If you enjoy steering complex technology programmes and influencing senior stakeholders, this is your opportunity to help shape the future of UK defence innovation.

Since its inception the NCC has been a trusted partner to UK defence, accelerating the adoption of advanced materials, digital engineering and process innovation. Located at the heart of the UK’s largest defence cluster, we work with MOD, prime contractors and SMEs to turn cutting-edge research into deployable capability at pace.

Reporting to the Technology Programme Manager – Defence, you’ll lead a range of small to medium sized projects, with varying complexity. This is a new position in our organisation and opportunity contribute towards the growth of NCC in the defence sector.

Specifically you'll focus on the following activities;

• 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, and maintain live plans for both active and pipeline projects.
• Lead the team – give every team member clarity on tasks and booking codes; track effort in real time; and foster a culture where knowledge-sharing and proactive risk management thrive.
• 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, spot adjacent opportunities, brief internal stakeholders on emerging needs, and feed accurate data into our CRM so that pursuit strategies are evidence-led.
• Stay close to the action – conduct site visits to customer facilities and supplier premises (around 10% travel) to validate progress, resolve issues and unearth new collaboration avenues.
• Add technical value – while this is a delivery role, a sound engineering or composites background will enable you to challenge assumptions, problem-solve in design reviews and translate customer aspirations into workable plans.

So, what are we looking for in your application?

Specific experience we will look for in your CV would include;

• Proven track record working as a project manager or project engineering.
• Sector experience in defence, aerospace or a similarly regulated, high-integrity sector.
• Ability to gain security clearance.
• Familiarity with gated life-cycle governance, risk and opportunity management, and stakeholder negotiation.
• Evidence of identifying and helping secure follow-on work, authoring winning bids or proposals.
• Working knowledge of MS Project (or equivalent).
• Experience using the following to support your projects: Enterprise Resource Planning/Project Lifecycle Management systems and a modern Customer Relationship Management platform.
• Desirable: exposure to composite materials, propulsion technologies and/or digital engineering would be great!
• Desirable: Working towards – or already holding – APM PMQ (or equivalent).

Why us?

• A unique vantage-point in the UK’s Defence Innovation ecosystem, with genuine influence on future capability.
• Exposure to world-class projects – and the wider High Value Manufacturing Catapult network – giving you visibility of cutting-edge work across multiple sectors.
• Continuous professional development, including support to achieve Chartered Project Professional (ChPP) status.
• An inclusive environment – where diversity, equity and belonging are actively championed – paired with structured learning-and-development programmes that invest in your growth.

What do we offer in return?

Hybrid and flexible working patterns as standard, annual salary reviews, company paid private medical insurance, up to 12.5% employer pension contribution, great people, honorary staff status at the University of Bristol. With a genuine focus on wellbeing, EDI and learning and development this is a chance to build your career in a thriving R&D facility with a bright future.