Programme Manager in Cambridge

We are seeking an experienced Programme Manager to take full ownership of complex customer programmes from sales handover through to programme closure. The successful candidate will be responsible for ensuring programmes are delivered on time, to budget, to the required quality standards and in line with agreed weight targets and contractual requirements.

Leading a cross-functional Integrated Project Team (IPT), the Programme Manager will act as a key interface between customers, OEMs, integrators and internal stakeholders. The role will involve managing programmes across engineering development, certification, production and customer-specific design activities within an engineering environment. This is a hands-on programme leadership position, requiring strong commercial awareness, stakeholder management, problem-solving and the ability to drive delivery across multiple functions.

Key Responsibilities

• Take ownership of programmes throughout the full product lifecycle, from sales handover through to programme closure.
• Maintain overall responsibility for programme delivery, including schedule, cost, quality and weight performance.
• Develop, maintain and manage integrated programme plans, schedules, milestones and deliverables.
• Define programme scope, objectives, priorities and deliverables in collaboration with project teams, senior management and key stakeholders.
• Manage programme dependencies, critical paths, resources and delivery risks.
• Ensure contractual milestones and customer commitments are achieved on time and in full.
• Coordinate internal programme gate reviews, ensuring required documentation, decisions and actions are completed.
• Monitor overall programme performance and implement corrective actions where required.
• Lead complex engineering development, certification testing, third-party interfaces and customer-specific design requirements.
• Support programmes through both design development and production phases.

Customer & OEM Management

• Act as a primary point of contact for customers, OEMs and integrators throughout the programme lifecycle.
• Lead customer meetings, programme reviews, workshops and presentations.
• Manage customer queries, issues and requests through to resolution.
• Provide timely responses and escalate unresolved issues where appropriate.
• Negotiate programme dates, deliverables, scope changes and priorities with customers and internal stakeholders.
• Provide regular programme status updates and ensure clear visibility of programme performance.
• Build and maintain strong customer relationships while ensuring contractual commitments are met.
• Coordinate customer and OEM requirements, submissions and technical data deliverables.

Scope, Change & Financial Management

• Manage programme scope and assess the impact of proposed changes on cost, schedule, resources and deliverables.
• Maintain accurate programme change logs and supporting documentation.
• Manage Master Change Proposals (MCPs) and Customer Change Proposals (CCPs) through the appropriate approval process.
• Coordinate programme budget changes with Finance and relevant Business Partners.
• Monitor financial performance, programme costs and budget against plan.
• Ensure change proposals progress through the required governance and approval processes efficiently.
• Present programme changes to Change Boards and communicate approved changes to customers and internal stakeholders.
• Coordinate service bulletins and associated programme activities.
• Manage programme Profit & Loss (P&L) where required.

Programme Documentation & Risk Management

• Maintain accurate programme documentation, records and audit files.
• Manage programme action trackers, ensuring actions have clear ownership and target completion dates.
• Prepare and maintain meeting agendas, minutes, milestone documentation and gateway checklists.
• Maintain MCP/CCP records and supporting analysis.
• Manage concessions and commitment letters through relevant OEM product support processes.
• Maintain and regularly review the programme risk register.
• Establish, monitor and communicate appropriate mitigation plans for key programme risks.
• Monitor open issues and actions, driving timely resolution.
• Provide regular programme progress reports to customer and OEM stakeholders.

Integrated Project Team Leadership

• Lead and coordinate cross-functional Integrated Project Teams to achieve programme objectives.
• Chair programme meetings and ensure actions are clearly assigned, tracked and completed.
• Establish clear priorities, responsibilities and accountability across the programme team.
• Identify and resolve project team issues and conflicts, escalating where appropriate.
• Estimate programme resource requirements and negotiate support with functional managers.
• Manage project dependencies and maintain focus on critical-path activities.
• Agree and maintain OEM submittal requirements and delivery dates.
• Ensure project team members understand programme expectations, priorities and commitments.
• Oversee BFE activities, including the timely placement and receipt of BFE orders required for CDR, testing and production.
• Ensure IFE test equipment is correctly configured, loaded with the required software level and fully functional for system testing.

Programme Performance & Milestones

• Act as the primary programme focal point for key technical and programme milestones, including ITCM, PDR, CDR, FAI and other technical reviews.
• Coordinate and manage FAI open items through to successful closure.
• Monitor programme performance against contractual requirements, including: On-time delivery, Cost and budget, Quality, Weight, Customer and OEM satisfaction.
• Monitor OEM ratings and customer feedback.
• Establish appropriate programme reporting requirements and analyse performance data.
• Identify areas of underperformance and coordinate corrective actions with IPT members and key stakeholders.

Key Performance Measures

• Success in the role will be measured against: On-time, in-full delivery against contractual programme requirements.
• Programme performance against agreed schedules and milestones.
• Cost performance against approved budgets.
• Quality performance and timely closure of quality issues.
• Weight performance against programme targets.
• Customer and OEM satisfaction, ratings and feedback.
• Effective management of programme risks, changes, actions and dependencies.
• Successful leadership and coordination of cross-functional programme teams.

Experience & Qualifications

Essential

• 5+ years' relevant programme management, project management or equivalent experience within the engineering industry.
• Proven experience managing complex projects or programmes from initiation through to completion.
• Experience managing programme budgets and financial performance.
• Strong customer and stakeholder management experience.
• Proven experience leading cross-functional project teams.
• Experience managing project schedules, risks, changes, resources and deliverables.
• Strong negotiation, communication and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent organisational skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications, including Microsoft Project.
• Results-oriented approach with a proven track record of delivering commitments.

Proactive Global is committed to equality in the workplace and is an equal opportunity employer. Proactive Global is acting as an Employment Business in relation to this vacancy.