Project Director; Defence

Bedfordshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Cambridgeshire, Gloucestershire, Hertfordshire, Huntingdon, Norfolk, Northamptonshire, Oxfordshire, Peterborough, Suffolk, Wiltshire

Job field:

Project Management

Friday, January 2, 2026

Type of contract:

Permanent

:

5649

Skanska, one of the world’s leading project development and construction groups, is an inclusive and responsible business that is helping to build a better society.

Skanska Building Services are experts in Mechanical, Electrical and Public Health (MEP) engineering. We have extensive experience of delivering a huge range of projects in a wide variety of sectors, including commercial, educational, Defence and Data Centres.

Our team are looking for a Project Director (Defence) to join the team in Oxford.

The purpose of the role will be to oversee the completion of the current VSSP project while simultaneously managing a portfolio of defence tenders. The successful candidate will take full responsibility for project managing the delivery of the next major defence initiative, ensuring it is executed to scope, schedule, and quality requirements.

What you’ll do:

• Manage the procurement process for all required aspects.
• Develop and maintain supply chain relationships ensuring they are treated fairly & reasonable aligned with Skanska UK Core Values
• Ensure products installed have been technically approved.
• Lead the management of design consultants to ensure information is provided to suit the budget and procurement strategy, manage the production of working drawings by trade contractors within the given time frames
• Lead the design process by challenging solutions, methods and techniques where appropriate to deliver works within the contract programme, improve build ability and reduce whole life costs.
• Full understanding and implementation of the contract and the conditions imposed ensuring full compliance at all stages.
• Oversee, manage, implement and communicate risk mitigation and steps needed to pursue opportunities. Ensure that the commercial implications are controlled, allocated and communicated.

What you’ll bring to the role:

• Operate with a professional attitude, with the ability to demonstrate strong leadership qualities and good communication skills, to influence positive outcomes.
• Proven track record in leading large teams and major projects.
• Appropriate knowledge and experience to manage multiple disciplines/interfaces and work sequencing.
• Detailed knowledge of supply chain management and associated procurement strategies.
• Excellent understanding and experience of implementation of QA processes.
• Ability to timely manage and maintain responsibility for subcontract accounts and projection of final account value, as part of the Project P & L accounting process.
• Demonstrate the desire and ability to maximise revenue opportunities for the Projects, to achieve stretch targets. Must possess the ability to recognise opportunity within Projects and be adept in making improved income for the Projects and the Business.
• Formal H&S training accreditations, minimum SMSTS
• Experience and Knowledge in relation to the correct testing and commissioning of a complete MEPH installation.

Equal opportunities

We thrive through embracing differences, whether they be social backgrounds, ethnicity, disability, gender identity or expression, age, religion, sexual orientation and any other protected characteristic – we know that diversity opens a rich potential for new ways of thinking, helping us to build successful and high-performing teams. We call it Naturally Skanska.

We welcome you to ask about flexibility at interview stage and we will explore what is possible for the role.

Reasonable adjustments

We would like you to perform at your best at every stage of our recruitment process. Please contact us using  or call  – Option 5 & 1, if you require any adjustments that would support you throughout your application.

More information about the role

Please note this is an advert for our job vacancy, and therefore may not be inclusive of all assigned duties, responsibilities, or aspects of the role described, and may be amended at any time at the sole discretion of Skanska. For a full role profile, please contact us:

The closing date for this vacancy may be subject to change any time at the sole discretion of the business.

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