The National Physical Laboratory (NPL) is the UK’s National Metrology Institute, delivering world‑leading measurement science to support innovation, industry, and national priorities. Our people work on cutting‑edge programmes that shape the future, advancing technology, enabling scientific breakthroughs, and delivering impact for society.
As a Senior Project Manager, you will lead complex, high‑value, multi‑disciplinary programmes that sit at the heart of NPL’s Quantum and Timing’s portfolio.
Role Purpose
Reporting into the Group Leader you will provide strategic project leadership across a portfolio of projects that support our work toward redefining the second based on optical atomic clocks. Your role will be to ensure delivery to scope, time, cost, and quality. You will work with senior stakeholders, principal scientists, technical teams, commercial partners, and government customers to drive successful outcomes and strengthen NPL’s project delivery capability.
About You / Key Responsibilities
- Lead complex, cross‑functional projects from initiation to closure.
- Use structured project delivery controls including development of robust, integrated planning, governance structures, and risk strategies to support and enable progress.
- Ensure successful delivery against programme objectives, KPIs, and financial targets.
- Manage dependencies, schedule, resources, and budget across multiple streams.
- Partner with internal technical leads to translate scientific requirements into deliverable plans.
- Build relationships with external customers including government, industry, and research collaborators, and oversee customer acceptance and compliance with contract or grant terms.
- Provide clear reporting and communication to senior leadership and governance boards.
- Manage relationships with key suppliers and delivery partners to ensure quality, performance and timely delivery.
Risk, Quality & Compliance
- Operate within NPL project governance frameworks, commercial controls, and assurance processes.
- Proactively identify and mitigate risks and issues.
- Champion quality, safety, and continuous improvement across delivery teams.
- Support assurance activities at key stages to maintain delivery confidence and compliance.
Leadership & Capability Development
- Provide leadership across the departments Operations, Quality, and H&S teams, and coach technical teams to ensure projects are delivered safely, efficiently, and to a high standard.
- Drive adoption of best practices in project management, tools, and methodologies.
- Contribute to portfolio level planning, resourcing, and strategic decision-making.
Skills & Experience Required
- Significant experience managing large, complex technical or scientific projects.
- Strong project governance expertise (e.g. stage gated delivery, risk & financial controls).
- Highly effective communicator with strong negotiation and influencing skills.
- Strong analytical and problem‑solving capability.
- Experience in R&D, engineering, scientific environments, or public sector programmes.
- Understanding of metrology, national laboratories, or government funded research.
- Experience leading multi‑disciplinary or matrix teams.
What We Offer
- Meaningful work that contributes to national capability and scientific excellence.
- Hybrid working and flexible arrangements.
- Professional development and funded training.
- Inclusive and collaborative culture.
We actively recruit citizens of all backgrounds, but the nature of our work in specific departments means that nationality, residency and security requirements can be more tightly defined than others. You will be asked about this throughout the recruitment process. To work at NPL, you will need to obtain BPSS security clearance.
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