Contractor - Senior Programme Manager

Overview

Role:
Contractor - Senior Programme Manager

Location: Van Buren Township, Michigan - Hybrid

Role :

Our vision is to create a safe and sustainable world.

Ricardo, member of WSP, is a global strategic, environmental, and engineering consulting company. With over 100 years of engineering excellence and employing close to 3,000 employees in more than 20 countries, we provide exceptional levels of expertise in delivering leading-edge and innovative cross-sector sustainable products and solutions. Every day, we enable our customers to solve the most complex and dynamic challenges to help achieve a safe and sustainable world.

The Role

As a Senior Programme Manager at Ricardo, you will lead the delivery of complex, multi-disciplinary defense and engineering projects for global clients across a range of sectors. Acting as the primary customer interface, you will ensure successful execution from programme award through to delivery, managing cross-functional teams, mitigating risk, and achieving operational, technical, and commercial outcomes in line with client expectations and corporate standards.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the delivery of high-value, technically complex defense and engineering projects to time, cost and quality targets
• Serve as the senior customer contact, building strong client relationships and ensuring high satisfaction
• Ensure adherence to Ricardo’s internal project management processes and governance
• Define project scope, objectives, and deliverables in collaboration with internal and external stakeholders
• Develop detailed project plans, resource requirements, and risk and opportunity assessments
• Monitor project progress, budget, and timelines; resolve issues and elevate as necessary
• Coordinate effectively across engineering, commercial, enabling, and delivery functions
• Provide clear and regular updates to stakeholders, including reporting on cost, delivery, and quality
• Drive continuous improvement through lessons learned and knowledge sharing
• Support and mentor junior programme management staff
• Negotiate project scope changes and manage contractual variations
• Ensure strong communication and coordination across all project participants
• Occasional travel may be required, depending on project needs

Key Competencies and Experience

• Degree-qualified in a relevant engineering or technical discipline
• A minimum of 5 years’ experience in delivering multi-disciplinary,
  defense and engineering projects at a senior level
• Professional Project Management background; APM or PMI affiliation beneficial
• Proven experience managing risk, resources, and commercial exposure in complex projects
• Skilled in report writing, proposal development, and stakeholder communication
• Proficient in Microsoft Office and Microsoft Project; SAP ERP experience advantageous
• Strong negotiation, analytical, and problem-solving skills
• Ability to influence and lead cross-functional teams without direct line management
• Customer-focused mindset with sensitivity to commercial and operational priorities
• Excellent verbal and written communication, including presenting to clients and leadership

Working here

You will be warmly welcomed into our workplace where every voice matters. We are diverse thinkers and doers, coming together to create a culture of inclusion. We will support you to find your place.

We will encourage you to use your passion and expertise to make a positive impact through the projects you work on. Your knowledge and desire to bring about change will be invaluable in helping deliver innovative solutions that support communities across the globe in becoming safer and more sustainable.

Work life balance

We offer flexible approaches to work, whether that is working from home, being in the office, or as a hybrid worker. We're happy to discuss flexible working arrangements. Wellbeing is at the core to our culture, allowing employees to flourish and to achieve their full potential.

Benefits

We want you to know how much you are valued. Your remuneration and benefits package will reflect that. You will receive a range of benefits which include support for your physical and mental health.

Diversity, Equality, and Inclusion statement

We are an equal…