IT Programme Manager; Defence

Bristol based with hybrid working (3 days office, 2 days home). Flexibility required to travel to customer site.

You should be willing and able to undergo security clearance and be able to work in a highly secure environment.

Our IT function is growing to support our portfolio of defence work and we’re looking for an IT Programme Manager with experience supporting greenfield developments to join our senior management team.

Joining a growing team of IT delivery roles already assigned to the programme you’ll be responsible for strategically identifying, planning, and coordinating a set of IT projects and activities in support of specific defence business strategies and objectives. This role is a high-level, strategic function focused on realising business benefits that are often not achievable by managing projects individually.

Focused on the successful completion of a complex programme, managing exceptions, monitoring progress, ensuring alignment to business objectives.

You’ll have significant organisational influence, making high-level decisions and helping to shape policies. You’ll support the Director of IT and Programme Director in board meetings and will be running a small team of direct reports initially 3-5 people with scope to grow, and budgets around £3 – 5 million per year.

The projects you would programme manage are all IT projects, commonly networking & infrastructure projects and the initial focus would be to set up a new site over the next couple of years.

• Programme Management – Plans, directs and co-ordinates activities to manage and implement a programme from initiation to final transition into operational, business-as-usual management utilizing NCC IT programme methodology.
• Stakeholder Management – Leads the development of comprehensive stakeholder management strategies and plans with a programme.
• Project Management – Works with the Programme Board, authorises and prioritises the delivery and management of projects in the programme.
• Change Management – Derived from an IT Portfolio, initiates, plans and leads IT programme change management initiatives. Provides guidance to change leaders, project managers and project sponsors emphasising the technical and procedural aspects of change.
• Financial Management – Leads programme financial governance and drives adherence to NCC financial policies and standards.
• Benefits Management – Leads activities required in the realisation of the benefits of each part of the change programme.
• Secure By Design – Works and leads on the Defence IT programme, operating in the Secure by Design delivery process within a defined area of business activity, project or programme.
• Line Management – Carries out people management tasks. Sets quality, performance and capability targets aligned with organisational goals.

• Willingness and ability to undergo a high level of Government Security clearance.
• Proven track record managing large, complex IT projects and programmes from start to finish.
• Minimum 5 years programme management level experience with a significant wider background in project management and/or change management.
• Good all round IT knowledge with prior experience delivering Networking / Infrastructure Projects.
• Leadership experience – contributing towards senior management strategy as well as good line management skills.
• Ability to think strategically by aligning IT programmes with overall business objectives, cost–benefit analysis, with defined outcomes.

• Private medical cover
• Flexible and hybrid working as standard
• Clear routes to grow your skills and influence
• A team that gets things done without the drama

Not sure if it’s a fit? Happy to have a quick chat first, please reach out to  or via Linked In. Know someone who might be right? Tag or share them with us.

We help manufacturers take on bigger challenges – whether that’s building cleaner aircraft, scaling up offshore wind, or strengthening the UK’s supply chains. We’re here to deliver practical outcomes, not prototypes that sit on shelves.

We work across 16 sectors, from defence and energy to infrastructure and space. Some projects are with global tier 1s, others with small UK firms solving one specific problem – the works always varied, and always real.

We’re not a startup. We’re not a corporate. We’re a national centre with the kit, time and people to do the job properly. The teams are focused, the thinking is sharp, and you’ll be trusted to get on with it.

This role isn’t just internal support – it’s part of how we deliver nationally important work. If we do our job right, the UK’s manufacturers can do theirs better.