Head of Programmes

To provide senior leadership, direction and assurance for the Programme Management Office (PMO), ensuring the company’s projects, programmes and wider reportable portfolio are governed, controlled and delivered in line with business objectives, customer commitments and financial expectations.

The Head of Programmes is accountable for leading a multi-role PMO, including Execution Project Managers, Delivery Project Manager, Bid Project Manager, Programme Manager and Project Controller. The role provides leadership across core REUK major projects and programmes, ensuring that delivery performance, risk, resource demand, financial exposure, inter-project dependencies and senior-level decisions are visible, controlled and effectively escalated.

The primary function of the Head of Programmes role is portfolio leadership, PMO management and line management. Project Managers retain day-to-day ownership of assigned projects, while the Head of Programmes sets the operating framework, provides escalation support, drives PMO maturity, assures delivery confidence and represents portfolio performance to senior leadership and key stakeholders.

 

Essential

• Extensive familiarity with UK defence, security, export control and procurement processes or standards.
• Significant, demonstrable experience in senior Project, Programme or Portfolio Management within a technical, engineering, manufacturing or similarly complex delivery environment.
• Proven experience leading a PMO, programme function or multi-project delivery organisation, including line management of project professionals.
• Strong understanding of project controls, portfolio governance, schedule management, risk and opportunity management, financial forecasting, Estimate at Completion and executive reporting.
• Experience managing or overseeing multiple concurrent, complex and interdependent projects across different lifecycle phases.
• Experience working within a highly regulated and technical sector, such as defence, aerospace, engineering or manufacturing.
• Exceptional leadership, organisational and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to influence across functions and at senior level.
• Advanced communication and reporting capability, including the ability to brief senior stakeholders clearly on portfolio performance, risk, financial exposure and required decisions.
• Strong commercial and financial acumen, with the ability to understand contractual commitments, customer obligations, margin impact and business priorities.
• High proficiency in project management tools, Microsoft 365 applications and business systems used for project control, reporting and resource visibility.
• Eligible to obtain and maintain Security Clearance for projects within the UK Defence Sector.

 

Desirable

• An advanced Project, Programme or Portfolio Management qualification, such as APM Project Professional Qualification (PPQ), APM PMQ, MSP Practitioner, or equivalent.
• Experience developing or maturing a PMO from a project delivery support function into a structured portfolio governance and assurance function.
• Experience creating, improving or governing portfolio dashboards, management reporting packs or business intelligence outputs, including tools such as Power BI.
• Experience working with ERP, finance or project systems such as SAP B1, Microsoft Project, SharePoint, Power BI or similar platforms.
• Strong understanding of commercial contracts, in-service support agreements, production delivery environments and opportunities for business growth

We want REUK to be the employer you chose to build your career with. We have lots of opportunities to grow as our business continues to grow. We are passionate about finding the right people to join us and we want you to be proud to work with us.

Our vision is to become a recognised and respected solution provider while delivering high-technology, high reliability & high-quality products and systems. As an REUK employee we offer you:

• 25 Days holiday plus Bank holidays (increasing with service)

• Flexible Working

• 4-times Death-in-Service Scheme (3 months of service)

• BUPA Healthcare & Dental-Care Insurance (after successful completion of probation period)

• Long Service Rewards with additional holidays

• Enhanced Employer Pension contributions of 6.8%

• Salary sacrifice schemes for Cycle to Work

• Discounted Ferry Bookings

• Discounted Gym Membership

• Bi-Monthly on-site massages

• Excellent Training Opportunities

• Recommend a friend scheme

• Buying & Selling of Annual Leave

• Excellent canteen facilities with a state-of-the-art kitchen, pool table and tuck shop

• Staff social events throughout the year

• Recognition for your work

 

Due to our pre-employment checks, we require applicants to have lived in the UK for at least 5 years.

To apply, please send your CV to hr_reuk@rheinmetall.com