Project Manager

Navantia UK is a new force in British industry, supporting the UK’s defence, energy and maritime ambitions. We’re doing this by creating state-of-the-art sovereign defence capabilities, investing in the UK to modernise industrial facilities, and bolstering the nation's energy security. Established in 2022, Navantia UK is a subsidiary of Navantia SA, a Spanish state-owned company with over 300 years of naval shipbuilding history. In January 2025, Navantia UK completed the acquisition of Harland & Wolff and its four historic facilities in Belfast, Appledore, Methil, and Arnish. By combining Harland & Wolff’s proud heritage and facilities with Navantia’s global expertise, Navantia UK is well-positioned to strengthen Britain’s defence, maritime and energy industrial capabilities, supporting jobs and economic growth across the UK.

Role Purpose

The Project Manager is responsible for the end-to-end delivery of shipbuilding programmes, overseeing manufacture, construction, testing, and delivery. The role ensures vessels are delivered safely, on time, within budget, and in full compliance with contractual, regulatory, and quality requirements.

Key Responsibilities

Programme Delivery

• Lead the planning, execution, and delivery of shipbuilding projects from contract award to handover.
• Coordinate engineering, production, procurement, commissioning, and trials.
• Ensure alignment between design, manufacturing, and construction activities.

Schedule & Performance

• Own the integrated master schedule and milestone delivery.
• Monitor progress, identify delays, and implement recovery actions.
• Lead performance reviews and reporting to senior management and customers.

Cost & Commercial Control

• Manage budgets, forecasts, and cost performance with finance and commercial teams.
• Approve changes, variations, and claims.

Reporting & Governance

• Provide accurate weekly and monthly programme reports.
• Maintain programme registers for risk, change, and actions.
• Ensure compliance with PMO, contract, and regulatory requirements.

Stakeholder & Customer Management

• Act as primary interface with customers, suppliers, class, and regulators.
• Lead internal and external project meetings.
  
  

Skills & Experience

Essential

• Proven experience managing programmes, desirably within shipbuilding, heavy engineering or construction sectors
• Strong schedule, reporting, and stakeholder management skills.

Desirable

• Knowledge of class, regulatory, and customer acceptance processes.
• Project management certification (APM, PMP, PRINCE2).
• Knowledge of project management tools e.g. SAP, MS Project or Safran

Equal Opportunity: We are dedicated to fostering an inclusive and diverse workplace. To ensure equal opportunities for all candidates, we commit to a fair and unbiased recruitment process at every stage. This includes ensuring hiring managers are aware of legislation, providing reasonable accommodations for candidates with disabilities, and actively seeking to eliminate any form of discrimination based on race, gender, age, religion, sexual orientation, or any other protected characteristic. Our goal is to create a recruitment environment where every candidate feels valued and has an equal chance to succeed.

• Competitive base salary
• Company pension
• 33 days holiday

We are an Opening Doors employer, committed to equal opportunity and an inclusive workplace. Our approach, shaped by our values of service, trust, excellence, agility, dedication, and you, we focus on removing barriers and recognising potential. We are committed to fairness at every stage, including providing reasonable adjustments and actively working to eliminate discrimination.

We believe talent is everywhere, and by widening access to opportunity and welcoming diverse experiences, we aim to create a workplace where every person feels valued and has an equal chance.

If you experience difficulties or are unable to apply for a role on-line please contact us at people.skills@harland-wolff.com and one of the team will be in contact to help you.