Programme Manager

Programme Manager Required 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

Programme & Project Management

• 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…