Due to continued growth and winning a number of projects we are delighted to announce we are recruiting for a Senior Project Manager to join our ever-growing team here at Rugby. Reporting to the UK Defence Portfolio Leader, the role will be primarily responsible for managing a factory expansion and manufacturing readiness Project, ensuring deliverables are achieved in line with business objectives. You will be responsible for project delivery, profit & loss accountability, and customer satisfaction through management of project related activities and resources. As the primary interface to both internal and external customers you will lead cross‑functional teams to execute the project to the plan, within budget and in line with EHS and quality requirements. Using a high level of judgement to make decisions and handle complex tasks or problems in areas of operational, product management, manufacturing, technology or engineering you will be offering solutions outside set parameters or offer recommendations. This work is undertaken with UK Defence customers which will require any individual applying for the role to hold or be capable of getting SC Level clearance. Applicants not cleared will not be accepted into the business until this clearance is provided. Dual passport holders are acceptable if the second country is approved by the vetting authority.
Senior Project Manager – Factory Expansion & Manufacturing Readiness
Location: Rugby, UK
Reporting to: UK Defence Portfolio Leader
Key Interfaces
- Factory Director
- Site Leadership Team
- Infrastructure Senior Project Manager
- Project Control
- Engineering
- Procurement
- Supply Chain
- Construction & Commissioning Teams
Role Overview
We are seeking an experienced Senior Project Manager to lead the end‑to‑end delivery of a major machine shop / factory extension programme. The role is accountable for the full lifecycle delivery of the facility, from early definition through construction coordination, equipment specification and procurement, installation, commissioning, and final readiness for manufacturing operations. The successful candidate will act as the primary customer‑facing representative, ensuring alignment with key stakeholders, including UK Defence customers, while working in close partnership with the Infrastructure Senior Project Manager.
Key Responsibilities
- Overall Project Leadership & Delivery
- Own full project lifecycle delivery of the factory extension and machine shop capability.
- Lead the integrated project plan covering:
- Equipment definition and procurement
- Factory fit‑out and layout
- Installation and commissioning
- Manufacturing readiness and ramp‑up
- Ensure delivery on time, within budget, and in line with safety, quality, and performance targets.
- Customer & Stakeholder Management
- Act as the primary interface with end customers, including UK Defence stakeholders.
- Lead all customer communications, governance, and reporting.
- Ensure close alignment with customer on contractual flow‑downs, change control, cost management, reporting and funding approvals.
- Build strong relationships with portfolio leadership, Factory Director, site teams, programme and executive stakeholders; prepare and lead steering committees and project reviews.
- Integration with Infrastructure Delivery
- Work in close partnership with the Infrastructure Senior Project Manager, consultants and building contractor.
- Ensure full alignment between building readiness, utilities and services, and equipment installation requirements.
- Manage dependencies between construction and manufacturing system installation.
- Equipment & Factory Fit‑Out
- Lead definition, specification and procurement of machine tooling and production equipment to meet production requirements.
- Finalise factory layout, process flows, and production capability requirements.
- Coordinate suppliers, sourcing, and installation planning to ensure readiness of tooling, fixtures and production systems.
- Commissioning & Manufacturing Readiness
- Lead commissioning strategy and execution in coordination with technical teams.
- Ensure facility achieves operational readiness, safety certification, production capability validation and supports initial production ramp‑up.
- Financial & Commercial Accountability
- Own project P&L, cost control, revenue forecasting and cash flow.
- Ensure compliance with UK Government Single Source Contracting Regulations, monthly cost reporting, evidence and claim support.
- Drive financial discipline through budget management, cost optimisation initiatives, supplier and contract management, and value‑creation opportunities.
- Risk & Opportunity Management
- Lead project‑wide risk & opportunity (R&O) management process; develop, maintain and communicate R&O registers.
- Define and execute mitigation strategies across all workstreams and proactively propose solutions to critical risks.
- Project Governance, Planning & PMO Practices
- Establish and lead robust project governance, reporting, and KPIs.
- Implement best‑in‑class project management practices, including milestone tracking, visual management and performance dashboards.
- Drive structured reporting internally and to customers.
- Cross‑functional Team Leadership
- Lead a multidisciplinary project team across manufacturing, procurement, engineering, construction & commissioning, quality, finance and planning.
- Ensure alignment, accountability and high performance, and promote a strong safety culture and continuous improvement mindset.
- Continuous Improvement & Lessons Learned
- Implement continuous improvement processes and capture lessons learned for future projects.
- Integrate lessons into execution strategy and drive operational excellence and process optimisation.
Qualifications & Experience
- Extensive experience as a Senior Project Manager delivering complex industrial or manufacturing projects.
- Proven track record in:
- Factory build / expansion / industrialisation projects
- Equipment installation and commissioning
- Strong understanding of engineering, procurement, manufacturing and construction lifecycles.
- Demonstrated experience in customer‑facing leadership roles.
- Experience managing large budgets, contracts and commercial performance.
- Knowledge of manufacturing processes and industrial environments, lean, continuous improvement and operational excellence.
- Experience in defence or regulated industries preferred; SC clearance required or eligible.
Key Skills & Competencies
- Strong leadership and stakeholder management capability.
- Excellent communication skills at executive and operational levels.
- Strategic mindset with a strong delivery focus.
- High level of financial and commercial acumen.
- Ability to manage complexity, ambiguity and multiple interfaces.
- Problem‑solving mindset with structured decision‑making.
- Experience leading large cross‑functional teams in complex environments.
Success Measures
- Facility delivered on time, on budget, and fully operational.
- Successful commissioning and manufacturing readiness achieved.
- Strong customer satisfaction and stakeholder alignment.
- Effective integration between infrastructure and production systems.
- Delivery of financial targets and project performance metrics.
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