R&D Project Manager

Overview

Orbital Marine Power is a visionary Scottish renewable energy company focused on the global application of its pioneering floating turbine technology that can supply predictable power from tidal streams and ocean currents, every day, regardless of the weather. The technology has already been proven at full scale, with the company operating the world’s most powerful tidal turbine since July 2021. This provides invaluable operational insight while clearly demonstrating the technology’s commercial viability.

With global interest in tidal energy accelerating, Orbital is expanding its team to support larger-scale manufacture, multi‑turbine delivery and the next stage of commercial growth.

The company recently secured an additional £7m investment and won a major new project in Canada that will see at least six turbines deployed in one of the world’s most promising locations for tidal energy generation. Orbital enters this next phase with strong momentum and a clear pathway to larger deployments and long‑term expansion.

Orbital is delivering three major Horizon Europe R&D programmes —
Forward 2030
, Max Blade
, and Euro Tides — and this role focuses on the technical management of Max Blade and Euro Tides. You will work closely with Orbital’s Programme Manager and technical engineering teams to help convert grant obligations into structured delivery plans, ensuring work packages are clearly defined, resourced and delivered to scope.

It suits someone who enjoys coordinating multi‑partner R&D programmes, thrives on structured project delivery, and likes working at the interface between technical engineering disciplines, consortium partners and funding bodies.

• Owning the day‑to‑day deliver plans for Max Blade and Euro Tides and converting EU requirements into clear internal actions.
• Maintaining scope, schedule, budget and resourcing baselines, and driving delivery through action tracking and early issue escalation.
• Managing change control and ensuring impacts and decisions are captured.
• Coordinating technical inputs across mechanical, electrical, controls and hydrodynamics teams, ensuring work is well‑sequenced and aligned with partners.
• Supporting decisions through clear analysis of options, trade‑offs and risks.
• Managing Work Package budgets and burn rate, coordinating internal resources and overseeing external consultants to ensure quality delivery.
• Coordinating partner contributions, managing dependencies and supporting meetings, minutes and action tracking.
• Managing technical deliverables and progress summaries to support grant reporting and audits.
• Supporting new grant applications and early‑stage R&D planning, ensuring alignment with engineering priorities.
• Maintaining risk and issue registers, progressing mitigations and capturing lessons learned to improve future delivery.

• A degree or higher qualification in engineering, science, project management or a related field.
• Strong fundamentals in planning, scheduling, budgeting and dependency management.
• Ability to operate as the “glue” between technical engineering teams and programme administration.
• Excellent written communication skills, with experience producing or reviewing structured technical deliverables.
• Strong organisational skills, including version control, action tracking and audit‑ready documentation.
• Confident communication with both internal teams and external partners.

• Experience delivering complex multi‑partner R&D or engineering programmes.
• Familiarity with Horizon Europe or similar public funding frameworks.
• Experience coordinating academic/industry partner consortia.
• Knowledge of offshore/marine engineering delivery environments.
• Formal project management training or certification (PRINCE2, APM, PMP).
• Strong toolset including MS Project, Excel trackers and structured documentation practices.

This is a rare opportunity to help deliver some of Europe’s most important marine energy R&D programmes at a pivotal moment in Orbital’s growth. You will help shape how innovative engineering concepts progress into validated…