Senior Project Manager
Job description
Original text imported from Reed
MERITUS are recruiting for a Senior Project Manager to join our client in the next 6 weeks in a permanent position to support subsea defence programmes. *PLEASE NOTE* YOU MUST POSSESS EXISTING SC CLEARANCE TO BE CONSIDERED FOR THIS ROLE. If you do not have active SC Clearance, you will be rejected for the position.
SENIOR PROJECT MANAGER - Up to £80,000 per annum - UNDERWATER/SUBSEA SYSTEMS - SC CLEARED - YATELEY, HAMPSHIRE - PERMANENT - SECTOR: DEFENCE / SUBSEA
MERITUS are working with a specialist defence technology organisation at the forefront of next-generation underwater capability development.
Operating across highly complex defence programmes, they deliver advanced integrated solutions supporting autonomous and increasingly automated underwater platforms for global defence customers.
They are now seeking an experienced Senior Project Manager to lead high-value defence projects through the full lifecycle - from concept and requirements definition through to delivery, acceptance and customer handover.
This is an opportunity to work directly with cutting-edge defence technologies and industry-leading technical partners, helping deliver mission-critical capability into operational environments.
The RoleAs Senior Project Manager, you will take ownership of complex defence equipment and capability delivery programmes, ensuring projects are delivered:
- On time
- Within budget
- To contractual and technical quality standards
- In line with customer and regulatory expectations
You will work closely with internal engineering teams, subcontractors, defence customers and senior stakeholders to drive successful programme execution across multiple concurrent workstreams.
Key Responsibilities- Develop and manage detailed project plans, milestones and delivery schedules
- Monitor programme performance and implement corrective action where required
- Manage project budgets, forecasting and commercial performance
- Identify, assess and mitigate programme risks using formal risk management processes
- Coordinate subcontractors and external SME delivery against contractual commitments
- Lead project governance reviews, status reporting and stakeholder communication
- Manage contract change requests, amendments and variations
- Support bid and proposal activity including planning, costing and resource forecasting
- Build strong long-term customer relationships across defence stakeholders
- Mentor project teams and promote project management best practice across the business
- Proven experience delivering complex defence or engineering programmes
- Strong full lifecycle project delivery experience (concept through delivery)
- Experience operating within V-Model delivery environments
- Strong understanding of gated project governance / stage-gate delivery
- Budget ownership, forecasting and commercial oversight experience
- Strong stakeholder management across technical and commercial functions
- Experience managing third-party suppliers / subcontractors
- Strong risk and issue management capability
- Excellent communication and leadership skills
- Previous underwater, maritime, sonar, subsea, autonomy or naval systems experience
- Experience supporting defence bids / capture activity
- Business case development experience
- Formal PM qualification (PRINCE2, APM PMQ, PMP)
Key skills
AI-extracted from the job advert
Application advice
5 AI-generated recommendations to maximise your chances.
⭐ Highlight your SC Clearance prominently at the top of your CV as this is an absolute requirement for consideration
🎯 Emphasise your V-Model and stage-gate delivery experience as these methodologies are specifically mentioned for the role
📊 Quantify your project management achievements: 'Led £2.5M defence programme, delivered 3 weeks ahead of schedule with 15% budget savings'
🔒 Showcase any subsea, underwater, or defence technology experience as this specialist domain knowledge is highly valued
🤝 Detail your stakeholder management across technical and commercial functions, particularly with defence customers and subcontractors
Suggested CV bullets
3 bullets our AI drafted for this specific advert, mirroring its ATS keywords.
Add these 3 bullets under your most recent experience:
- •Led £4.2M subsea defence programme through V-Model delivery, achieving customer acceptance 2 weeks ahead of schedule with 12% budget savings
- •Managed 8 subcontractors across autonomous underwater platform development, maintaining 98% on-time delivery against contractual milestones
- •Implemented stage-gate governance processes for 3 concurrent defence programmes, reducing project risk exposure by 35% through formal risk management
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Dear Hiring Manager,
Meritus Talent's Senior Project Manager role perfectly aligns with my defence project management background and active SC Clearance. My experience delivering complex subsea programmes through V-Model processes and managing multi-million pound defence contracts makes me ideally suited for this Yateley-based position.
My background in leading defence technology programmes has equipped me with the stakeholder management, commercial oversight, and technical delivery skills essential for managing autonomous underwater platform development from concept through to customer acceptance.
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Interview questions
10 questions generated from this advert.
Technical
- ›How do you implement V-Model delivery processes in complex defence programmes?
- ›Describe your approach to managing stage-gate reviews and project governance
- ›How do you handle risk management in subsea defence technology projects?
- ›What's your experience with managing subcontractors in defence environments?
- ›How do you ensure compliance with defence contractual and regulatory requirements?
Behavioural
- ›Tell me about a time when you had to recover a defence project that was behind schedule
- ›Describe a situation where you had to manage conflicting stakeholder priorities
- ›Give an example of how you've mentored junior project managers
- ›Tell me about a challenging budget or commercial issue you've resolved
- ›Describe a time when you had to implement corrective action on a failing project
STAR answer examples
Model answers using the Situation-Task-Action-Result framework. Adapt to your own experience.
Tell me about a time when you had to recover a defence project that was behind schedule
Describe a situation where you had to manage conflicting stakeholder priorities