Senior PMO Manager in Coventry, Longford

Location: Foleshill Road, Coventry, UK

Core Hours: 08:00-16:35 (Mon–Thu) 08:00-15:10 (Fri)

Vacancy Type: Full-time, Permanent and On-site

Salary: £Competitive per annum + discretionary bonus

About the role

As part of our continued growth and transformation, NP Aerospace is seeking a highly experienced and strategic Senior PMO Manager to establish and lead a centralised PMO function. This pivotal role will oversee a portfolio of complex defence programmes, mentor a team of Project Managers, and drive governance, reporting, and delivery excellence across the business. You will be instrumental in embedding our Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) gateway processes, ensuring alignment with MOD and defence industry standards, and enabling executive decision-making through robust reporting and analytics.

Based in Coventry, this role will require regular customer and stakeholder engagement both in the UK and internationally. If you are a proven leader with strong PMO expertise and a passion for programme success, this is an exciting opportunity to shape the future of NP Aerospace’s global operations.

What you’ll get in return

• Performance rewards – discretionary bonus opportunities
• Flex your day – flexible start and finish times (subject to manager approval and operational needs)
• Time to recharge – 25 days’ holiday + 8 bank holidays, with the option to buy more through our Holiday Purchase Scheme
• Support for Defence – two weeks’ paid leave for Reservists and Cadets, plus paid leave for Cadet Force Adult Volunteers (CFAVs)
• Future security – competitive pension scheme (9% combined employer/employee contributions)
• Peace of mind – life cover at 3x base salary
• Health & wellbeing first – BHSF Cash Healthcare Plan to support everyday health costs
• Grow with us – career development and advancement opportunities within a global business
• Supportive environment – a team culture built on innovation, collaboration, and purpose

What you’ll be doing

You’ll take the lead in establishing and developing a group-wide Project Management Office (PMO), creating consistent project governance and delivery standards across the business. This is a rare opportunity to shape how major programmes are managed from the ground up, giving you real influence over the future direction of project delivery at NP Aerospace.

Working closely with Project Managers and senior stakeholders, you’ll mentor and develop project teams while introducing best practice in governance, planning and reporting. Your leadership will help improve project performance, resource planning and risk management across a diverse portfolio of defence and engineering programmes, ensuring projects are delivered efficiently and to the highest standards.

You’ll also own our Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) gateway process, coordinating seamless transitions between Sales, Engineering, Quality, Manufacturing and Finance. Through clear governance, executive reporting and portfolio oversight, you’ll provide leadership teams with the insight needed to make informed decisions, while supporting bids, proposals and business growth. As the central point of contact for programme governance, you’ll play a key role in driving continuous improvement and embedding a culture of project excellence across the organisation.

What we’re looking for

We’re looking for an experienced PMO leader who combines strong governance expertise with the ability to influence, coach and drive continuous improvement across complex engineering programmes. You’ll ideally have:

Essential

• At least five years' experience leading a PMO within a defence, engineering or manufacturing environment.
• Strong knowledge of project governance, Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) processes and stage-gate reviews.
• Experience managing programme portfolios, project reporting, resource planning and risk management.
• Strong leadership and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to influence at all levels of the organisation.
• Experience using project management tools such as Microsoft Project, Primavera P6, Jira or equivalent, together with ERP systems and reporting platforms such as Power BI.
• Degree qualified in Engineering, Project Management or a related discipline.
• Professional project or programme management qualification such as APM, PRINCE2, MSP, PMI or equivalent.

Desirable

• Experience supporting UK Ministry of Defence programmes or working within regulated defence environments.
• Knowledge of composite materials, military vehicle systems or survivability engineering.
• Experience implementing or improving enterprise-wide PMO functions and governance frameworks.

Our team embraces modern technologies, including AI-assisted tools, to work smarter and deliver better results. Candidates should either have experience using AI tools or demonstrate a willingness to learn and apply them in their role.

WHAT DO WE DO AT NP AEROSPACE?

NP Aerospace is a global leader in armour technology manufacturing and vehicle integration, delivering high-performance, lifesaving solutions for the defence and security industry. Our mission is to improve and protect lives, and our vision is to be a leading provider of innovative solutions that solve our customers' complex challenges. Our values - Respect, Collaboration, Integrity, and Dedication form the bedrock of our culture.

Our extensive range of combat-proven body armour, from ballistic helmets, plates, and shields to bomb disposal suits, highlights some of the most advanced composite materials. With a team of R&D engineers working on next-generation solutions, we also excel in highly engineered vehicle systems and armour platforms used by some of the world’s largest defence organisations.

Founded in 1926, NP Aerospace has served the defence industry for over 40 years, evolving into an agile and diverse company. Our Business Development team is expanding both in the UK and North America.

Equal Opportunity Employer Statement: NP Aerospace is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. We welcome applications from all qualified individuals, regardless of race, colour, national origin, gender, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, or any other legally protected status. All employment decisions are based on qualifications, merit, and business needs. We are also fully committed to supporting the Defence Community and actively advertise roles on Defence specific platforms such as CTP, Force Families, Forces Employment Charity, and Veterans Job Board.

Data Privacy: NP Aerospace respects the privacy of all applicants. Personal information provided during the application process will be treated in accordance with our privacy policy and applicable data protection laws.