Technical Project Manager

About Averna powered by Spherea

Averna powered by Spherea is a global engineering and technology business specialising in test, quality and validation solutions for complex and safety-critical products and systems.

With a heritage spanning more than 70 years, we support leading aerospace, defence and technology organisations throughout the complete product lifecycle – from engineering and development test through production and manufacturing test to in-service support, MRO and obsolescence management.

Our capabilities range from individual automated test systems and specialist test equipment through to complex integrated test facilities, supported by engineering services, software and instrumentation expertise.

The combination of Averna and Spherea brings together approximately 1,800 people worldwide with engineering, manufacturing and support capabilities across Europe, North America and Asia. In the UK we have a particularly strong heritage in aerospace and defence test and support and work closely with major OEMs, defence primes and equipment manufacturers.

Discover our brands and explore the career opportunities currently available: spherea.com • sphereadefense.fr

The role

You will lead assigned engineering projects from internal handover and customer kick-off through design, manufacture, integration, acceptance, commissioning and warranty closure. As the principal day-to-day customer interface, you will coordinate multidisciplinary teams and manage technical, commercial and delivery matters. This is a technically engaged project leadership role, requiring you to assess solution maturity, challenge plans and ensure appropriate lifecycle reviews. Regular work alongside delivery teams is required; occasional UK and international travel, including overnight stays, is expected.

Key responsibilities

• Manage customer and stakeholder relationships, project communications, governance, kick-off meetings, progress reviews and design reviews. Record decisions and actions, address difficult issues constructively and maintain customer confidence while protecting the company’s contractual position.

• Lead multidisciplinary teams across systems, hardware, software, mechanical, production, procurement, quality and support. Coordinate resources in a matrix organisation, resolve competing priorities, identify capacity gaps and manage suppliers or subcontractors where required.

• Lead handover from Sales and the bid team, agree scope, deliverables, responsibilities, assumptions, dependencies and acceptance criteria, and maintain the project management plan, work breakdown structure, integrated schedule, resource plan, risk register, reporting and quality/configuration arrangements.

• Control delivery against the approved technical baseline, schedule and budget. Maintain accurate forecasts for revenue, expenditure, gross margin, cost to complete, cash, work in progress and resource demand. Coordinate purchasing and support contractual and invoicing milestones.

• Manage technical lifecycle gates from requirements and concept reviews through preliminary and critical design, manufacturing readiness, integration and test readiness, verification, factory acceptance, site acceptance, commissioning, warranty and closure. Work with the Technical Lead and Systems Engineer to control requirements, interfaces, changes and acceptance evidence.

• Understand and manage contract scope, exclusions, deliverables, milestones and acceptance provisions. Record changes, assess cost and schedule implications, prevent informal scope growth, support variations and claims, protect forecast margin and document customer-caused delays or unmet dependencies.

• Identify risks and opportunities early, implement recovery actions, escalate issues appropriately and ensure technical decisions, deviations, concessions and design changes are recorded and approved.

• Contribute to opportunity qualification, Go/No-Go and bid reviews. Help develop executable proposals, realistic schedules, resource plans, cost estimates, payment profiles, assumptions, exclusions and contingency recommendations.

• Coordinate intercompany and international delivery, clarifying workshare, interfaces, responsibilities, deliverables, dependencies and consolidated progress, cost, revenue, margin and risk.

Reporting

The role reports to the Regional Operations Manager and works closely with Engineering, Sales, Finance, Procurement, Quality and the wider project-management community.

Essential skills and experience

• Experience managing complex engineering, technology or equipment-delivery projects and leading multidisciplinary teams in a matrix organisation.

• Strong customer-facing, people-leadership, coordination and stakeholder-management skills, including experience acting as the principal interface with demanding customers.

• Sufficient technical understanding to work credibly with engineers on complex test, control, automation or equipment-development projects.

• Understanding of the bespoke systems engineering lifecycle, including requirements, design reviews, manufacture, integration, verification, validation and acceptance.

• Experience controlling scope, schedule, resources, risk, quality and cost; commercial awareness including forecasting, cost-to-complete, gross-margin protection and change control.

• Confidence to challenge constructively, make decisions and escalate issues. Clear written and verbal communication and the ability to present complex information to technical and non-technical audiences.

• Strong organisation and attention to detail, ability to build trust across teams and cultures, and flexibility to work alongside engineering teams at required locations.

• Willingness to travel in the UK and internationally; full UK-valid driving licence and ability to meet company vehicle-insurance requirements. Right to work in the UK.

Desirable experience

• Aerospace, defence, space, rail, energy or another regulated sector; automated or special-to-type test equipment; electronic, electrical, software-controlled or electromechanical systems; low-volume, high-complexity equipment.

• Defence procurement or contracting, requirements management, systems engineering, formal lifecycle reviews, factory/site acceptance testing and customer commissioning.

• International or multi-entity projects, fixed-price delivery, variations or claims management, and recovery of delayed, technically challenged or loss-making projects.

• Recognised project-management qualification or equivalent structured training. Relevant Armed Forces experience in technical leadership, engineering management, logistics, equipment support, training, procurement or operational delivery is welcomed.

We offer:

• A collaborative and supportive team with true international reach
• An attractive salary package with benefits such as generous pension scheme (4% employee / 8% employer, full family health care plan, family health cash plan, 27 days holiday + bank holidays, Life assurance & income protection insurance
• Opportunities for continuous learning and professional growth
• Be part of a company that puts ESG at the heart of its mission, for people, planet, and performance.

Security requirements

Due to the nature of our aerospace and defence work, applicants must be eligible to obtain and maintain the level of UK national security clearance required for the role.

Some projects may also be subject to additional nationality, residency or export-control restrictions. Any such restrictions will be considered as part of the recruitment process and will depend upon the programmes to which the successful candidate is assigned.