Project Manager

Location: Farnborough

Department: Programme Management Office (PMO) / Fleet Technologies

Reports To: Senior Director, Programme Management

Position Type: Full-time

About Aalto HAPS

At Aalto, we are redefining the future of global connectivity and earth observation. As the Airbus-backed pioneer of Zephyr - the world’s leading solar-powered High-Altitude Pseudo-Satellite (HAPS) - our aircraft fly in the stratosphere for months at a time, bridging the gap between satellites and traditional aircraft. We are building a clean, sustainable, and revolutionary aerospace ecosystem.

Role Purpose

The Project Manager plays a vital role in supporting the successful delivery of pioneering projects across Aalto. Working closely with the Senior Director of Programme Management and multidisciplinary project teams, you will ensure that projects are effectively planned, organized, and tracked from initial concept through to final execution.

In this role, you will be the engine room of project execution - coordinating administration, documentation, communication, schedules, resources, and reporting. Your work will enable our engineering and flight teams to focus on delivery, while you ensure everything remains on track, within budget, and perfectly aligned with our strategic objectives.

Key Responsibilities

• Documentation Management & Governance: Maintain and manage all critical project documentation, including project plans, schedules, status reports, risk registers, and formal correspondence. Ensure all technical and operational project documents are accurate, up to date, and stored in accordance with strict governance requirements. Provide stakeholders with timely access to project records to support robust reporting and aerospace audit requirements.
• Communication & Stakeholder Coordination: Facilitate seamless, effective communication between internal project teams, senior stakeholders, clients, and external partners. Ensure key stakeholders are proactively informed of project progress, risks, blockers, and changes. Coordinate updates and meetings across multiple complex workstreams to promote collaboration and team alignment.
• Schedule, Resource & Budget Tracking: Develop, maintain, and monitor detailed project schedules, timelines, and milestones. Work alongside engineering and flight leads to track progress against milestones, identify potential delivery risks, and escalate concerns early. Support resource planning (personnel, equipment, materials) and monitor capacity constraints. Track project budgets, expenditure, and financial performance, supporting forecasting and cost-control initiatives.
• Meeting Coordination & Quality Assurance: Organize and coordinate high-impact project meetings, design reviews, and workshops; prepare agendas and capture/distribute actionable minutes and decisions. Support the implementation of project quality standards, ensuring deliverables meet agreed requirements and governance benchmarks. Contribute to continuous improvement initiatives and "lessons learned" sessions to elevate our PMO capabilities.

What We Are Looking For

Essential Experience & Skills:

• Project Foundations: Proven experience supporting or managing projects within a structured project or engineering environment.
• Superb Organization: Exceptional organizational and administrative skills, with a demonstrated ability to juggle multiple competing priorities smoothly.
• Communication & Detail: Strong verbal and written communication skills paired with an uncompromising attention to detail and accuracy.
• Problem Solving: Effective time management under tight deadlines, backed by robust analytical and problem-solving abilities.
• Relationship Builder: The ability to build trusted working relationships with technical and non-technical stakeholders at all levels.
• Tech Literacy: High proficiency in Microsoft Office applications (Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Teams) and experience maintaining digital project schedules and reports.

Desirable Attributes:

• Experience working within an aerospace, deep-tech, PMO, or highly regulated delivery environment.
• Knowledge of structured project management methodologies (e.g., PRINCE2, Agile, or PMP).
• Experience using modern project management and collaboration tools (e.g., Jira, Confluence, MS Project, or Asana).
• A formal project management certification or equivalent qualification.

Key Competencies for Success:

• Planning & Organisation: Turning complex, multi-layered goals into structured, executable plans.
• Accountability & Delivery Focus: Taking ownership of the project's health and driving it across the finish line.
• Collaboration & Teamwork: Cultivating a cohesive environment across international and cross-functional teams.

Why Join Aalto?

Operating at 65,000 feet requires precision on the ground. At Aalto, your structural discipline directly enables world-first aviation milestones.

• Impact: Help deliver a green, sustainable technology that provides connectivity to remote regions and vital data for climate monitoring.
• Innovation: Work alongside world-class experts in a highly collaborative, cutting-edge aerospace environment.
• Growth: Advance your career within a rapidly expanding business with robust backing from aerospace giant Airbus.
• Benefits: Competitive salary, comprehensive health benefits, flexible working hours, and a vibrant international team culture.

How to Apply

Ready to bring world-class organization to the cutting edge of aerospace? Click Apply Now to submit your CV and a brief cover letter outlining your experience in keeping complex projects on track.

Aalto is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.