Technical Project Manager

This Technical Project Manager role offers the opportunity to sit at the centre of a growing deep-tech business developing advanced optical and semiconductor-based systems. You’ll work closely with technical leadership, engineering teams and external partners to keep complex R&D programmes aligned, structured and moving forward. It’s a role suited to someone who enjoys bringing clarity to technically challenging environments without over complicating processes.
Our client is a VC-backed hardware startup developing next-generation optical systems for high-precision manufacturing applications. With active grant-funded programmes, external foundry partnerships and ambitious growth plans, they are looking for someone who can combine strong programme coordination with enough technical understanding to operate confidently in a complex engineering environment.
As the Technical Project Manager, you’ll oversee programme planning, grant delivery, partner coordination and reporting across multiple work streams, acting as a key operational link across the business.
Responsibilities include
Managing complex R&D programmes across engineering teams and external partners.
Maintaining project plans, milestones, RAID logs and delivery schedules.
Supporting grant-funded programme reporting, monitoring meetings and compliance requirements.
Coordinating relationships with foundries, commercial partners and research organisations.
Supporting investor and leadership reporting with clear programme updates.
Managing dependencies, risks and changing priorities within a fast-moving startup environment.
What you’ll bring
Experience managing technically complex hardware or deep-tech projects.
Background working within VC-backed startups, scale-ups or advanced R&D environments.
Familiarity with grant-funded programmes and structured reporting processes.
Strong communication skills with the ability to work across technical and commercial teams.
Understanding of semiconductor, photonics or foundry-driven development environments is advantageous.
Formal project management qualification such as PRINCE2 or similar.
You’ll join at a genuinely exciting stage of growth, with the opportunity to help shape how programmes are delivered within a highly technical business. The role offers strong visibility, meaningful ownership, equity participation and the chance to work alongside a small but ambitious engineering team solving complex real-world problems.
If you are interested in the Technical Project Manager position, please contact Emily Wright.