Service & Support Solutions (S3) Project & Customer Service Manager in Horsham

As Project Manager, you will oversee a variety of S3 projects—from contracted customer support (ChessPlus) packages, field upgrades/repairs, provision of a spares and repairs service to internally funded service enhancements and engagement with international partners. Your focus will be on delivery; ensuring projects and all related activities are well-planned, resourced, and completed on time, to scope and within budget, all while maintaining strong communication with all internal and external stakeholders.

Key Responsibilities:

• Responsible for the delivery of assigned service and support projects, managing project lifecycle activities including planning, execution, monitoring, reporting and closure.
• Ensure all projects and support services are delivered to contractual schedule, performance and quality requirements.
• Act as the primary interface for ChessPlus projects with internal teams and external customers, ensuring effective communication and stakeholder alignment.
• Develop and maintain key project documents including schedules, risk registers, statement of works, compliance matrices, budgets and resource demand forecasts in line with project management processes.
• Work with Finance to maintain and report accurate project financials including revenue trading, ETC/EAC, and monthly forecasts.
• Monitor, control and report project performance metrics. Ensure project and support related risks and issues are proactively managed, escalating where necessary.
• Line management of the Customer Support team, who are the routine interface between S3 and our customers for routine spares and repairs activities.
• Prioritisation of tasks for the Field Service Engineering team and the RMA (repairs) team, liaising with their functional line management on a regular basis.
• Coordinate with other IPTs to ensure the timely and efficient handover of projects and customer relationships from the production and development domains into through life support.
• Coordinate with Operations and Engineering functions to enable timely scheduling, build, test, delivery, and acceptance of hardware and services in line with contract obligations.
• Capture lessons learned, support continuous improvement, and contribute to the evolution of S3 project delivery practices.
• Work closely with Sales and the Bid Management team to generate high quality proposals for acquisition of new S3 contracts in support of growing the business.

Skills & Experience (Essential):

• Project Management experience within a technical or engineering environment, with demonstrable breadth and depth of experience operating at Association for Project Management (APM) full Project Manager level.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Project or equivalent project scheduling tools.
• Commercially astute with the ability to confidently manage routine S3 pricing and provide detailed project cost estimates for ChessPlus opportunities/bids.
• Value proposition development.
• Strong stakeholder management skills.
• Confident in creating and/or collating clear and concise reports for both technical and commercial stakeholders.
• Maintain personal ability to travel within UK and abroad as required (driving licence, passport etc).
• Able to work effectively and credibly with cross-functional teams, including engineering, operations, and commercial.
• Maintain ability to hold a baseline UK Security Clearance.

Desirable:

• APM membership/qualifications.
• Team leadership experience.
• Familiarity with through-life support, ILS, or aftermarket delivery models is a strong advantage.
• Knowledge or experience of the defence industry.

Personal Attributes:

• Motivational leadership and influencing skills.
• Organised and methodical, with a detail-oriented mindset.
• Clear and confident communicator with strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Collaborative and customer-focused; able to build trust across teams and with clients.
• Calm under pressure with the ability to manage competing priorities.
• Resilient, adaptable, and committed to continuous improvement.
• Demonstrates company values of Teamwork, Integrity, Excellence and Courage.
• Team player but confident in assuming personal accountabilities.

Work Life Balance:

• 37.5 hour working week.
• Lunchtime finishes on a Friday.
• Hybrid/flexible working arrangements.
• 28 days annual leave.
• Christmas closure.
• Holiday purchasing scheme.

Benefits:

• Group pension plan – matched contributions up to 5%.
• Flexible approach for employees with the opportunity for partial remote/hybrid working.
• Income protection scheme.
• Employee Assistance Programme gives you and your family access to 4 key services including remote GP service, second opinion, mental health pathway service and physiotherapy consultations.
• Life assurance policy, including bereavement counselling and probate helpline.
• Company shares incentive plan and save as you earn scheme.
• Electric vehicle salary sacrifice scheme.
• Wellbeing initiatives, including access to wellbeing app and the addition of mental health support for all employees.
• Regular sports and social activities.
• Gym membership discounts.
• Reward platform (high street discounts, employee benefits, health, and wellbeing offerings).
• Recruitment referral bonus scheme.
• Excellent learning & development opportunities.
• Great working environment with free, onsite car parking across all our locations.

Security Clearance Requirements:

Due to the nature of our business, our staff need to be able to obtain UK Security Clearance as a mandated requirement. Therefore, if successful, you will need to provide proof of identity, employment history and right to work in the UK, along with proof of UK residency for at least five years.