New Job Opening: Senior Project Manager National Security & Defence in Cheltenham, UK

Job Description

Our client, a leading consultancy, is looking for a Senior Project Manager to join a high-profile government programme spanning Central Government and Defence. You’ll sit at the heart of large, complex technical projects, working alongside multi-disciplined delivery teams and senior client stakeholders to turn demanding requirements into dependable, high-quality outcomes.

Senior Project Manager – National Security & Defence

Location: Cheltenham
Clearance: eDV required
Salary: £70,000 – £90,000 + DV bonus + excellent benefits

About the Role

Operating in fast-moving, high-impact environments, you’ll have genuine ownership of how projects are delivered. You’ll balance commercial oversight, stakeholder engagement and team leadership, and shape the delivery approach to suit each programme rather than following a fixed template.

Responsibilities include:

• Owning end-to-end delivery of projects to agreed budget, timescales, quality and scope.


• Working directly with clients to understand their needs and convert them into clear delivery plans.


• Combining traditional project management disciplines with agile and scaled agile practices.


• Leading and directing delivery teams, building an environment where they can perform at their best.


• Running governance, reporting and risk management, with timely issue resolution and escalation.


• Acting as the primary point of engagement for customer and partner relationships.


• Contributing project planning and delivery input to bids and proposals.


• Continually reviewing progress and adapting methods to fit the project in hand.

Required Skills:

• Experience delivering technical projects in government agencies or similar organisations.


• A track record managing projects from conceptual research through to sub-system development, delivery and ongoing support, on programmes up to £5m.


• A solid understanding of agile principles and experience working in agile delivery environments.


• Experience within multi-disciplined project teams.


• Commercial awareness, including budget tracking, risk management and forecasting.


• Strong stakeholder engagement skills, with the confidence to handle difficult conversations and resolve conflict.


• Ideally, a recognised project management qualification such as PRINCE2, PMP or Agile PM.

Security Clearance

Due to the nature of the client’s work, candidates must currently hold eDV clearance.