Client-Side Construction Project Manager

As a Client-Side Construction Project Manager at BAE Systems, you will be instrumental in planning, procuring, and governing the delivery of new manufacturing, assembly, or specialist test buildings for our aircraft manufacturing business. You will own the entire project lifecycle, from coordinating requirements, design, procurement, and construction, through to commissioning and handover, ensuring the final facility perfectly meets the end-users' needs.

In this client-side role, you will be responsible for aligning scope, budget, programme, quality, and safety, while expertly directing a diverse team of multidisciplinary consultants and contractors.

Core Duties:

• Act as the client representative for end-users, defining project objectives and ensuring all delivery decisions align with cost, quality, and programme requirements.
• Establish, manage, and control the overall project brief, scope, and success criteria from inception through to completion.
• Appoint and manage the professional services team (e.g., designers, cost consultants, planners) and oversee their performance and coordination.
• Develop, maintain, and oversee the project programme, ensuring key milestones, approvals, and deliverables are achieved on time.
• Monitor and control the budget, including cost planning, value engineering, change control, and financial reporting.
• Identify, manage, and mitigate project risks, ensuring appropriate risk allowances, contingency strategies, and governance are in place.
• Oversee construction delivery, monitoring progress, quality, safety, and compliance with contractual and statutory obligations (e.g., CDM Regs, Permits to Work).
• Manage change control processes, ensuring variations are justified, approved, and controlled in terms of cost, time, and quality.
• Coordinate commissioning, handover, and close-out activities, ensuring the building has all required documentation, certifications, and aftercare arrangements.

Essential Skills:

• Proven experience delivering large-scale construction or infrastructure projects (£20m+ preferred).
• Strong client-facing capability with excellent communication, presentation, and relationship-building skills.
• Robust understanding of construction methodologies, industrial building systems, and complex MEP installations.
• Experience in managing or working within NEC, JCT, or equivalent contract forms.
• Competence in project management tools and methodologies (e.g., MSP, Primavera, APM framework, RIBA Plan of Works).
• Demonstrated ability to manage multidisciplinary teams in a highly regulated environment.
• Strong commercial acumen and risk-based decision-making skills.

About the Investment Project Team: The Investment Projects team provides dedicated construction project management for our aircraft manufacturing business, overseeing the procurement and build of specialist facilities for new aircraft production. You will join at an early stage, supporting master planning and evolving requirements that drive demand for new buildings. As a Building Lead, you will manage your own project while collaborating closely with a small, high-performing team and wider subject matter experts. Supported by a growing professional services network, this is an opportunity to contribute to a once-in-a-generation programme, delivering a long-term portfolio of major, innovative construction projects that will shape the future of the industry.

Security Notice: Please be aware that many roles at BAE Systems are subject to both security and export control restrictions. These restrictions mean that factors such as your nationality, any nationalities you may have previously held, and your place of birth can restrict the roles you are eligible to perform within the organisation. All applicants must as a minimum achieve Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS). Many roles also require higher levels of National Security Vetting where applicants must typically have 5 to 10 years of continuous residency in the UK depending on the vetting level required for the role, to allow for meaningful security vetting checks.