Senior Program Manager

Job Description

Interim Programme Director / Senior Programme Manager – Defence Electronics (Contract)

Active SC Clearance required - UKEO - Applicants without clearance will not be considered.

Meritus are recruiting on the behalf of an established defence business who are currently seeking an experienced Programme Director to lead a high-profile defence electronics programme. This contract role offers the opportunity to take ownership of a complex delivery portfolio, working across mission critical systems for a key defence customer.

This is initially a 12 month engagement at £700-£900 per day Outside of IR35. Hybrid working will commence after an initial 1 month onsite period.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide overall programme leadership across development, integration, and delivery of defence electronic systems

• Drive performance and delivery schedules, ensuring milestones are achieved within cost and quality parameters

• Manage multi-disciplinary engineering teams and suppliers across hardware, software, and systems integration

• Act as the primary customer interface, ensuring transparent reporting and strong stakeholder engagement

• Shape risk management strategies, governance processes, and escalation protocols for successful programme delivery

Essential Experience

• Proven track record of directing large-scale defence or aerospace programmes, ideally within electronics, C4ISR or mission systems

• Strong knowledge of defence procurement frameworks and customer engagement within the UK MoD or prime contractors

• Demonstrated leadership of cross-functional engineering and project management teams

• Ability to influence at executive and customer level, with a clear focus on delivery excellence

This opportunity is suited to a senior programme leader who thrives in high-pressure defence environments and has the gravitas to engage with both engineering teams and senior MoD stakeholders.