Junior Project Manager - Defence & Aerospace

Junior Project Manager - Defence & Aerospace

Location: Reading (Hybrid)
Rate: £55-£62 per hour, Inside IR35
Contract: 6-month rolling contract
Security Clearance: Active SC Clearance mandatory; DV clearance preferred

The Opportunity

We are seeking a motivated and organised Junior Project Manager to support the delivery of sensitive Ministry of Defence (MOD) and aerospace programmes.

Working on-site with Edgewing, you will support project planning, coordination and delivery, working closely with senior project and programme managers, technical teams, business stakeholders and suppliers.

This is an excellent opportunity for a developing Project Manager to build their experience within a complex, fast-paced defence and aerospace environment, contributing to the successful delivery of critical programmes.

Please note: Candidates must hold active SC clearance. DV clearance is preferred.

Key Responsibilities

Project Planning & Coordination

Support the development and maintenance of project plans, schedules and resource allocations.

Monitor progress against milestones, deliverables and agreed timelines.

Maintain accurate project documentation, including plans, status reports and RAID logs.

Identify potential delays and escalate risks to senior project management.

Stakeholder Management & Communication

Coordinate project meetings, prepare agendas and record actions and decisions.

Provide timely project updates to stakeholders.

Facilitate communication between technical teams, business users and external suppliers.

Track actions to ensure commitments and deliverables are met.

Risk & Issue Management

Identify and document project risks, assumptions, issues and dependencies.

Support the development and implementation of mitigation plans.

Monitor outstanding actions and escalate concerns appropriately.

Budget & Resource Management

Assist with monitoring project budgets and resource utilisation.

Support purchase order and invoice processing where required.

Help maintain accurate records of project expenditure and resource requirements.

Governance & Delivery

Ensure project activities align with organisational governance frameworks and delivery standards.

Support audit, compliance and approval processes.

Contribute to continuous improvement initiatives and effective project delivery.

Apply appropriate project management methodologies, including Agile, Waterfall and hybrid approaches.

Essential Skills & Experience

Demonstrable experience in a project coordination, project support or junior project management role.

Experience within UK aerospace, defence or MOD environments, ideally involving architecture-related delivery.

Active SC Security Clearance.

Strong organisational, planning and time-management skills.

Excellent communication and stakeholder engagement abilities.

A sound understanding of project management principles and delivery methodologies.

Proficiency in Microsoft Office, particularly Excel, Word and PowerPoint.

Familiarity with project management tools such as MS Project, Jira, Trello or Azure DevOps.

Strong analytical skills and attention to detail.

Ability to work collaboratively within multidisciplinary teams and manage competing priorities.

Desirable Experience

Current DV Security Clearance.

Experience supporting projects within MOD, Defence Digital or UK aerospace organisations.

Exposure to digital transformation, technology or architecture-related programmes.

Knowledge of Agile, Waterfall and hybrid delivery methodologies.

Project management qualifications such as PRINCE2 Foundation or AgilePM Foundation.

What Success Looks Like

Project milestones and deliverables are effectively coordinated.

Risks, issues and dependencies are documented and escalated promptly.

Project records and governance documentation remain accurate and up to date.

Stakeholders receive clear, timely progress updates.

The project team benefits from improved coordination, communication and delivery efficiency.

Apply Now

If you have active SC clearance, relevant UK defence or aerospace experience, and are looking to develop your project management career on sensitive, high-profile programmes, we would welcome your application.

Rate: £55-£62 per hour, Inside IR35
Contract: 6-month rolling
Location: Reading, hybrid working
Only candidates based in UK and eligible to work in UK are allowed