Senior Project Manager in Reading

AWE has a wide range of opportunities across multiple projects for Senior Project Managers. We are looking for individuals who thrive on solving complex challenges in fast-paced environments, and who can lead and deliver on AWE’s mission-critical objectives. Join us and make an impact on projects that shape the future. We’re recruiting talented Project and Programme Professionals to work on a diverse range of exciting and critical programmes, including Infrastructure and Construction Projects, delivering new, complex, safe working environments; and Warhead Projects, supporting some of the most technically challenging and nationally significant work in the UK. If you’re ready to contribute to projects that matter, we’d love to hear from you.

Location: RG7 4PR, located between Reading and Basingstoke, with free onsite parking.

Package: Salary from £64,780 (depending on your suitability, qualifications, and level of experience).

Working pattern: AWE operates a 9-day working fortnight. We will consider flexible working requests so that your work may fit in with your lifestyle. Just let us know your preferred working pattern on your application.

Closing Date: 02nd July 2026.

Let us introduce the role: A Senior Project Manager will lead and deliver complex projects in alignment with AWE’s project delivery framework whilst commercially managing delivery partners, and delivering to cost, quality, and safety. A Senior Project Manager will come with an APM (Association of Project Management) or similar background and strive towards high performance within a matrix team to ensure project success.

As a Senior Project Manager at AWE, you’ll have the opportunity to take ownership of diverse, mission-critical project/programmes. Depending on the role, your responsibilities may include:

• Driving end-to-end delivery of complex projects, programmes, or portfolios — from business case development through to completion and transition into operation.
• Leading and inspiring project teams, embedding a culture of accountability, high performance, and continuous improvement.
• Championing health, safety, and environmental practices, ensuring best practice standards are achieved and supporting AWE’s carbon reduction targets.
• Defining scope and delivery plans, while managing cost, schedule, and quality to meet objectives.
• Providing strong governance, producing clear decision packs, maintaining performance baselines, and leading risk and opportunity management.
• Managing commercial engagement, securing value-for-money delivery partners and suppliers, and ensuring contracts drive compliance and successful outcomes.
• Acting as a senior stakeholder manager, aligning leadership, regulators, and operations teams both within AWE and externally.
• Coaching and developing project teams, supporting early careers and fostering a culture of learning and growth.

Whilst not to be considered a checklist, a Senior Project Manager should be able to demonstrate some of the following:

• Project Management qualification/membership (APM, PMP, PRINCE2) or equivalent experience.
• Strong stakeholder management skills with the ability to build relationships at all levels.
• Proven experience delivering multiple, complex, high-value, cross-functional projects.
• Competence in creating and maintaining project documentation, plans, and RAIDs (risks, assumptions, issues, dependencies).
• Ability to track deliverables using KPIs and produce clear progress reports.
• Expertise in risk management, governance, and change control, including stage gate approvals.
• Commercial awareness with a focus on value, compliance, and successful delivery.
• Dynamic leadership style that empowers teams to adapt, perform, and align with AWE’s vision.

Some reasons we think you’ll love it here: AWE has a wide range of benefits to suit you. These include:

• 9-day working fortnight – meaning you get every other Friday off work, in addition to 270 hours of annual leave.
• Market leading contributory pension scheme (we will pay between 9% and 13% of your pensionable pay depending on your contributions).
• Family friendly policies: Maternity Leave - 39 Weeks Full Pay and Paternity Leave - 4 Weeks Full Pay.
• Opportunities for Professional Career Development including funding for annual membership of a relevant professional body.
• Employee Assistance Programme and Occupational Health Services.
• Life Assurance (4 x annual salary).
• Discounts – access to savings on a wide range of everyday spending.
• Special Leave Policy including paid time off for volunteering, public service (including reserve forces) and caring.

Hybrid working is available for these roles on an informal, non-contractual basis. Typically, 2-3 days onsite per week.

Next steps: Everyone who works at AWE brings unique skills and perspectives to the table. We recognise that great people don’t always ‘tick every box’. That’s why we focus on your potential, your fit with our values, your transferable skills as well as your experience. Even if you don’t meet every point above, but you feel that this role and AWE are a great fit for you, please go ahead and apply, we’d love to receive your application.

Important things you need to know:

• We encourage you to apply promptly to avoid disappointment if applications are high and the role therefore closes.
• You will need to obtain and maintain the necessary security clearance for the role. This will be funded by AWE. The nature of our work does mean you need to be a British Citizen who has been resident in the UK for the past 5 years in order to apply for SC clearance and 10 years for DV.
• We want you to feel comfortable and able to shine during our recruitment process. Please let us know on your application form if you need any adjustments/accommodations during the process.
• Our interviews typically take place over Teams and for most roles are a 1 stage process.

Our ambition is to create workplaces where we recognise and celebrate differences, encourage diverse contributions and our employees feel able to be themselves at work. We strive to create a genuine culture of openness and inclusion and encourage diverse applicants. Any inclusion information you provide will be stored in accordance with GDPR and kept separate from your application form and CV, and the information will not be shared with anyone involved in interviewing or making hiring decisions.