Senior Project Manager - Sustaining

Senior Project Manager - Sustaining

Full-Time 60000 - 80000 £ / year (est.) Home office (partial)
Atlas Copco

At a Glance

  • Tasks: Lead complex engineering projects ensuring product availability and performance.
  • Company: Join Edwards, a leader in vacuum technology and innovative solutions.
  • Benefits: Enjoy a hybrid work model, competitive pay, and comprehensive benefits.
  • Other info: Embrace a culture of trust, accountability, and lifelong learning.
  • Why this job: Make a real impact on critical projects while growing your career.
  • Qualifications: Project management experience and strong leadership skills required.

The predicted salary is between 60000 - 80000 £ per year.

Your role

As a Senior Project Manager - Sustaining, your mission is to lead delivery of a strategically important sustaining engineering portfolio for PCC, taking accountability for complex, business-critical projects that protect product availability, performance, compliance, and profitability across the product lifecycle.

The role provides strong project leadership across functions, setting direction, governance, priorities, and delivery discipline for major obsolescence, cost reduction, and product support initiatives while ensuring robust stakeholder alignment, risk management, and benefits realisation.

  • You will
  • Lead several complex, high-visibility, sustaining engineering projects, translating business and technical priorities into a structured, prioritised roadmap with clear objectives, governance, and success measures.
  • Take end-to-end accountability for delivery of larger, more complex projects, ensuring robust scope control, integrated planning, resource alignment, and effective management of interdependencies across functions.
  • Establish and lead appropriate governance, reporting, and escalation forums, providing clear recommendations and enabling timely decision-making on key project issues, risks, and trade-offs.
  • Lead high-impact, cross-functional obsolescence and lifecycle risk projects across electrical, mechanical, software/firmware, compliance, and supplier domains, ensuring continuity of supply and long-term supportability.
  • Shape and drive the cost reduction and value engineering portfolio, identifying and prioritising opportunities with meaningful business benefit while balancing technical, operational, compliance, and commercial considerations.
  • Influence and align senior cross-functional stakeholders across PCC, divisions, and external partners to secure commitment, resolve competing priorities, and maintain momentum on critical projects.
  • Strengthen sustaining project delivery capability by improving ways of working, templates, governance standards, and lessons learned, and by providing guidance and informal support to less experienced project managers where appropriate.
  • To succeed, you will need

We encourage you to apply even if you don't meet every single requirement. We value diverse experiences and perspectives and are excited to see what you bring to the role.

  • Recognised Project Management qualification (e. g. APM PMQ, PRINCE2) or equivalent experience (Essential).
  • Educated to Degree level in an Engineering/Science discipline or equivalent relevant experience (Desirable).
  • Training in continuous improvement/value engineering (e. g. Lean, Six Sigma) (Desirable).
  • Significant experience leading complex, cross-functional engineering projects end-to-end, including scope, schedule, cost, risk, governance, and stakeholder management (Essential).
  • Experience operating within sustaining engineering / product lifecycle environments, including engineering change control, release processes, and lifecycle risk management (Essential).
  • Demonstrated delivery of high-value obsolescence mitigation, supplier change, and/or product support projects with broad business impact (Essential).
  • Demonstrated delivery of cost reduction/value engineering initiatives with quantified and sustained business benefits (Essential).
  • Strong leadership in planning, prioritisation, governance, and delivery control across multiple concurrent projects (Essential).
  • Advanced risk management, dependency management, structured problem solving, and decision-making skills in complex delivery environments (Essential).
  • Strong commercial and business awareness; able to evaluate and communicate trade-offs between cost, risk, schedule, compliance, and technical performance (Essential).
  • In return, we offer
  • Culture of trust and accountability
  • Lifelong learning and career growth
  • Comprehensive compensation and benefits
  • Health and well-being
  • Job location

This role offers a hybrid working arrangement, allowing you to split your time between working remotely and being on-site at our office in Bristol, United Kingdom (GB).

About Edwards

Edwards is a leading developer and manufacturer of sophisticated vacuum products, exhaust management systems and related value-added services.

Edwards solutions are integral to manufacturing processes for semiconductors, flat panel displays, LEDs and solar cells.

They are also used within an increasingly diverse range of industrial processes including power, glass and other coating applications; steel and other metallurgy; pharmaceutical and chemical; and for scientific instruments in a wide range of R&D applications.

Edwards has over 4,000 employees worldwide engaged in the design, manufacture and support of high technology vacuum and exhaust management equipment.

Edwards has state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities in Europe, Asia and North America.

Senior Project Manager - Sustaining employer: Atlas Copco

As a Vision Field Service Engineer, you will thrive in a culture of trust and accountability, where innovation is powered by people. Our commitment to lifelong learning and career growth ensures that you will have ample opportunities to develop your skills while enjoying comprehensive compensation and benefits. Based in the North Midlands, this field-based role allows you to work remotely within a dedicated territory, providing you with the flexibility to balance your professional and personal life.

Atlas Copco

Contact Details:

Atlas Copco Recruitment Team

StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫

We think this is how you could land Senior Project Manager - Sustaining

Join Engineering Meetups!

Get yourself along to local engineering meetups or tech conferences. These are great places to connect with like-minded folks and industry leaders who might just have a lead on that full-time Senior Project Manager - Sustaining role you’re after at Atlas Copco.

Show Off Your Projects!

Don’t be shy about showcasing your engineering projects. Whether it’s a funky app, a mechanical design, or a complex algorithm, having a solid portfolio on platforms like GitHub can really make you stand out. Plus, it gives potential employers at Atlas Copco a taste of what you can bring to the table!

Engage with Online Communities

Dive into engineering forums and online communities, like Reddit or specific engineering Discord channels. Sharing your insights, asking questions, and being active can help you build connections that might lead to job opportunities at Atlas Copco.

Apply Through Company Websites

When you spot a role like Senior Project Manager - Sustaining at Atlas Copco, apply directly through their website. Often, this can show your genuine interest in the company and you might just get noticed quicker than via typical job boards.

We think you need these skills to ace Senior Project Manager - Sustaining

Project Management Qualification (e.g. APM PMQ, PRINCE2)
Engineering/Science Degree or equivalent experience
Continuous Improvement/Value Engineering (e.g. Lean, Six Sigma)
Complex Cross-Functional Project Leadership
Scope Control
Schedule Management
Cost Management

Some tips for your application 🫡

Showcase Your Technical Expertise:When applying for an engineering role like Senior Project Manager - Sustaining, it’s essential to highlight your technical skills. Include any relevant software or tools you're proficient in on your CV—think CAD software, simulation tools, or programming languages. Don't skimp on any engineering projects you've worked on that demonstrate your ability to solve complex problems.

Focus on Results and Impact:In the engineering world, we love numbers and real-world impact. Quantify your achievements wherever possible—like reducing costs by a certain percentage, improving efficiency, or successfully completing a project ahead of schedule. This gives your future employers at Atlas Copco a clear picture of the value you can bring.

Craft a Compelling Cover Letter:Use your cover letter to express your passion for engineering and explain why you’re drawn to Atlas Copco specifically. Share what aspects of their work excite you and how your values align with theirs. This is your chance to show a bit of personality while keeping it professional!

Include Relevant Certifications:If you have any engineering certifications, especially ones that are recognised in your field, make sure to feature them prominently on your CV. They demonstrate not just your knowledge, but also your commitment to professional development, which is something we at StudySmarter value highly.

How to prepare for a job interview at Atlas Copco

Brush Up on Core Engineering Principles

Before heading into the interview with Atlas Copco, make sure you're solid on the fundamental engineering principles relevant to the role. Be ready to discuss concepts such as thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, or structural analysis, depending on the specifics mentioned in the job description. Don’t skip any hands-on projects or coursework; these can be excellent talking points!

Show Off Your Problem-Solving Skills

Expect technical questions or case studies during your interview—after all, engineering is all about solving problems! Prepare a few examples of how you've tackled engineering challenges in the past, whether at university or in any practical experience. Practising with mock technical interviews can really help you articulate your thought process and solutions.

Relate Your Experience to the Role

In a full-time role, employers like Atlas Copco want to see that you can adapt and grow within their team. Be ready to discuss how your previous internships, projects, or studies relate directly to the work you'll be doing. Highlight specific experiences that showcase your collaborative skills and how you've successfully worked within a team environment.

Know Your Tools and Software

Most engineering roles require familiarity with specific tools and software. Prepare to talk about your proficiency with programmes like AutoCAD, MATLAB, or SolidWorks if they’re relevant to the role. Even better, have examples of projects where you’ve used these tools, as it'll demonstrate your hands-on experience and readiness for the job.