Senior Programme Manager - Defence
// Role Summary
Join our state-of-the-art Advanced Manufacturing Facility in Ampthill as a Senior Programme Manager - Defence, playing a pivotal role in driving programme delivery, ensuring mission success, and leading high-performing teams.
// Key Responsibilities
- Accountable for delivering programme financial, performance, and delivery objectives.
- Lead and inspire cross-functional teams across the full programme lifecycle.
- Oversee all phases of programme execution from bid to closure.
- Ensure delivery to agreed cost, schedule, quality, sales, and profit objectives.
- Implement Programme Performance Management processes including EVM.
- Manage risks, opportunities, data, and configuration across programmes.
// Role Specification
About the Role
We are seeking an experienced Senior Programme Manager - Defence to join our team at our state-of-the-art Advanced Manufacturing Facility in Ampthill, Bedfordshire. This role offers our 4xFlex working pattern – a 4 day working week (Monday–Thursday), with Monday and Tuesday being mandatory onsite, and Wednesday and Thursday offering potential for hybrid working, dependent on meeting business needs.
As Senior Programme Manager, you will be accountable for playing a pivotal role in driving programme delivery, ensuring mission success, and leading high-performing teams across the full programme lifecycle.
Lockheed Martin is a global company with a century-long history of designing, building and delivering the most sophisticated defence technologies the world has ever seen. Our team is large and exceptionally talented – an outstanding group to work with, and learn from. They embody a culture of collaboration, adaptability and excellence. We support all our people professionally and personally as their work advances the security of the UK, our Armed Forces and our world.
Key Responsibilities
- Accountable for delivering programme financial, performance, and delivery objectives, reporting directly to the Business Area Manager.
- Build, lead, and inspire cross-functional teams with the skills and capabilities needed to achieve programme goals.
- Oversee all phases of programme execution: bid decisions, proposals, negotiations, award, start-up, execution, sustainment, and closure.
- Develop and maintain programme and subcontract management plans, schedules, and performance baselines.
- Ensure delivery to agreed cost, schedule, quality, sales, and profit objectives.
- Implement Programme Performance Management processes, including Earned Value Management (EVM) and subcontractor compliance where applicable.
- Drive effective risk, opportunity, data, and configuration management across programmes.
- Lead the team in identifying, tracking, and delivering Mission Success Events.
Required Skills, Qualifications and Experience
- Significant experience as a Programme Manager in the Defence sector.
- Track record of managing large-scale, complex projects (£10M+).
- Strong background in working with PMO teams to deliver programmes on time and within budget.
- Experience engaging with senior stakeholders, with the ability to influence strategic and financial decision-making.
- Excellent leadership, communication, and relationship-building skills.
Desirable
- APMP, APMPQ, or equivalent Project Management accreditation.
- Existing SC or DV clearance.
What we offer you
At Lockheed Martin our employees come first and therefore your physical, mental and financial wellbeing matters to us. On top of working in a highly supportive, friendly, respectful environment you can expect so much more.
We are an employer in support of and offering Flexible working with the option to also work a 4 day week depending on business requirements, where you have the option of Fridays off. We offer Competitive salaries alongside a flexible holiday entitlement.
We have a Wealth of benefits available to you that can be selected through our wellbeing tool upon commencement of employment. Just a few of our amazing benefits are shown below:
- Private Medical Insurance
- Competitive Pension
- Dental
- Critical Illness
- Life Assurance
- Travel Insurance
- Employee discounts for top high street shops
- Employee Assistance Program which includes free face to face counseling sessions, Legal advice, Financial advice, etc
- Internal training and development alongside our Education assistance programmes
- Reimbursement for a professional membership
- Competitive policies that support flexibility and family leave inclusive of enhanced maternity leave
Business Environment
Lockheed Martin (UK) Ampthill is a rapidly changing, dynamic part of the Lockheed Martin Corporation with both domestic and international customers. It consists of business areas focusing on Platform Integration, Ground Based Air Defence, Special Projects and Weapons, which provide a variety of products and services to the Ministry of Defence and other customers. We are looking for talented individuals to join the company, in return we offer an exciting and challenging career path and excellent work/life balance with a 4 day week (Mon-Thurs) and flexible working arrangements.