Project Manager – Complex Engineering Programmes
SKILLS
FULL DESCRIPTION
Project Manager – Complex Engineering Programmes (Hybrid – Southampton)
Permanent | Competitive salary | Hardware, Firmware & Software Delivery
Some project management jobs are about updating Gantt charts and reminding people of deadlines. This is not one of those jobs.
This role is about steering cutting-edge hardware and software development in the wireless communications and satellite-technology world — where delivery isn’t just “nice to have”, it’s the thing that keeps customers happy and engineering teams sane.
If you're a Project Manager who wants to actually influence *how* things get built — not simply report on when — this will be worth a look.
What you’ll be doing
You’ll be right at the centre of hardware, firmware and software development projects, helping smart engineers deliver complex IP that ends up in real products. Expect to:
- Turn ambiguous ideas into clear requirements, deliverables and plans.
- Coordinate multiple engineering teams across several simultaneous development streams.
- Keep projects pointed in the right direction, with transparency on progress, risks and priorities.
- Work directly with customers when the project demands it.
- Own risk registers, RAID logs, schedules, budgets and all the fun that goes with them.
- Help shape and improve the company’s project management processes as it scales.
- Use tools like MS Project and JIRA in an environment blending Agile and Waterfall — without the dogma.
This is a role where you will *see* the results of your work, not just the burn-down chart.
What you’ll need
We're not looking for a clipboard carrier. We're looking for someone who can help manage real engineering output:
- Several years of experience managing technical projects in software, hardware or firmware development.
- Experience working with cross-functional engineers and influencing stakeholders.
- Ability to plan, estimate, coordinate, track and report — without micromanaging.
- A solid understanding of delivery methodologies (Agile, Waterfall, hybrid).
- Enough technical awareness to understand how ASIC, FPGA, embedded or software teams actually function.
- Competence in risk management, change control, requirements tracking and financial oversight.
If you’ve worked with semiconductor IP, embedded systems, system-of-systems integration, or CI/CD environments, you’re already ahead of the pack.
Who you are
You’ll thrive here if you:
- Are personable, approachable and confident enough to challenge when needed.
- Communicate clearly — with engineers, customers and senior leadership.
- Can untangle complex problems and explain them in a way normal humans understand.
- Value structure but don’t insist on process for process’s sake.
- Want to make things better — tools, processes, communication, delivery.
- Stay positive and solution-focused even when projects get messy.
- Enjoy working closely with engineers and genuinely care about delivery quality.
Why it’s worth talking
This isn’t a PM role lost inside a big corporate machine. It’s hands-on, high-impact, and central to shaping how a growing technology business delivers complex engineering work.
If you’re looking for a place where your input will matter — and where new ideas aren’t just tolerated but expected — let’s have a chat.