Project Manager
Department: Projects
Employment Type: Permanent - Full Time
Location: Portsmouth
Description
Due to significant new business opportunities and continued growth, CMS2 is expanding its Project Management team. We are seeking an experienced Project Manager with a proven background in R&D‑led, defence or safety‑critical engineering environments to deliver complex, technology‑driven equipment programmes within a highly regulated industry. This role is best suited to candidates with experience delivering projects where technical complexity, regulatory compliance, and mission‑critical performance are fundamental to success. This is a highly visible role operating at the forefront of advanced maritime defence systems, leading multi‑disciplined teams across the full project lifecycle — from early concept and development, through qualification and production, to life‑in‑service support and, where required, product retirement. You will operate with genuine accountability, influence, and autonomy within a business built on engineering excellence, safety‑critical delivery, and customer trust. You will be accountable for the end‑to‑end delivery of complex technical projects, ensuring time, cost, and quality objectives are achieved while complying with strict regulatory, contractual, and governance requirements. You will lead matrix and integrated project teams, manage senior internal and external stakeholders, and provide clear, data‑driven reporting to customers and senior leadership.
Key Responsibilities
- Deliver complex technical projects using business‑standard PM tools (e.g. Gantt charts, ROI trackers)
- Lead and coordinate multi‑disciplined matrix project teams
- Own project financial planning, forecasting, and cost control
- Produce and present robust project reporting for customers and senior stakeholders
- Maintain strong commercial control of the contracts, effectively managing scope and change bot internally and with customers.
- Maintain strong project and contractual baseline control, managing change effectively
- Deliver projects in line with the CMS2 project lifecycle
- Promote best practice and actively develop project team capability
- Track and support the business through project KPIs
- Manage customer relationships and reporting for assigned projects
- Drive stakeholder alignment and proactively manage risk, issues, and opportunities
- Support new business bids within the scope of the Project Management role
General Activities
- Support the Project Management Director with process and tool improvements
- Provide cover and support for colleagues during peak periods or absence
- Maintain continuous professional development
- Act as a professional ambassador for CMS2 at all times
Skills, Knowledge and Expertise
Essential
- Proven experience in Project / Programme Management, ideally within a regulated engineering, defence, or manufacturing environment
- Background in engineering, manufacturing, defence, or similar technical industries
- Demonstrable track record of delivering projects to time, cost, and quality
- Excellent communication skills with the ability to influence and negotiate at all levels
- Effective and credible presenter; professional and credible with customers and senior stakeholders
- Strong planning capability with high attention to detail and financial management acumen
- Solid understanding of full project lifecycle / stage‑gate delivery
- Experience managing risk, opportunity, and lessons‑learned processes
- Strong working knowledge of Microsoft Project and MS Office
- Commercial awareness and business management mindset
- Clear commitment to continuous improvement
- Experience with recognised PM methodologies (e.g. PRINCE2, APM PMQ, PMP)
Desirable
- Formal Project Management qualification (APM or similar)
- Degree qualified or equivalent relevant experience
- Experience of matrix management
- ERP / MRP system exposure
- Lean manufacturing or business transformation experience
- Understanding of governance, planning, and organisational strategy
Travel
- UK‑based role with occasional UK and overseas travel (Overseas travel not expected to exceed one month)
Security
- Candidates must have an existing right to live and work in the UK.
- Candidates will need to undergo an internal BPSS check prior to gaining site access.
- Candidates will also need to either hold a current SC clearance or be willing and eligible to undergo a Security Clearance check (SC level) upon starting their employment with the company.
- To gain SC clearance you will normally need at least 5 years’ UK residency.
Benefits
At CMS2 we believe in rewarding our people and supporting their wellbeing. Alongside our competitive salaries we offer a comprehensive benefits package including, Company Profit Share Scheme, Generous Holiday Allowance, Employee Assistance Programme, 24 Hour access to GP and Mental Health support along with access to hundreds of high street discounts and more. As a business our people are our biggest asset, and we aim to nurture and develop our staff to achieve their full potential.
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