Ref: 324
Department: Programme Management
Location: Derby, Manchester, Warrington
Employment type: Full-time
Salary: £57,600 - £75,600
Closing date: 12/06/2025
Role Related
Role Title: Senior Project Manager
We anticipate paying a salary of between £57,600 - £75,600 DOE
Location: Derby, Warrington OR Manchester offices - Hybrid working flexibility
We are Rolls-Royce SMR and we’re doing something that’s never been done before. We’re revolutionising an industry. That’s a once-in-a-career opportunity for those excited by such a challenge. This is more than just a job; this is a legacy.
Rolls Royce SMR is a bold and ambitious company with a highly skilled workforce that operates at pace to maintain competitive advantage and to succeed on our vision to deliver affordable energy for all.
We are now recruiting for the role of Senior Project Manager to be involved in a developing a global supply chain and creating opportunities for the wider industry.
Role Purpose
This role, reporting to a Programme Manager, will lead delivery of a number of projects within the overall programme of work. The projects and programme will have strong engineering procurement, construction and/or regulatory focus, in relation to the development of a new nuclear power station. This role will require a SPM to manage specific projects on their own, to manage a team of circa 2 to 4 project managers and to provide reporting support to the programme manager. The role will require a high level of project and programme management experience.
Key Responsibilities
- Ensuring on-time and on-budget project delivery of own and team projects
- Leading the delivery of multiple projects within specific project plans, ensuring the project plans are kept up to date by the team, with support from the Project Planners
- Managing the regular update of financial forecasts, with support from the Cost Engineers
- Working with key internal stakeholders to understand performance and status of the key deliverables
- Reporting performance and escalate issues to the Programme Manager
- Creating positive and productive work environments both within the project team and across other business functions
- Documenting lessons learned and apply these in future work
- Reviewing and managing project risks to provide actionable mitigations
- Identifying and implementing improvements to the organisation’s processes and ways of working, ensuring compliance with project management processes and procedures
- Managing a team of Project Managers and Assistant Project Managers, including but not limited to recruitment, budget and headcount management, performance management, development, and resource allocation
- Supporting meetings with external stakeholders as required
- Being able to prioritise the work within the team and understand the bigger picture is essential
What We Are Looking For
Familiarity with project management methodologies and tools, ability to demonstrate a good understanding of risk management, budget management, and change management
Previous experience of setting up and delivering complex engineering projects (multiyear, multi £M projects). Experience of working in teams developing schedules and budgets to achieve outcomes including monitoring the performance of a complex project or programme.
Understanding of the engineering principles and practices relevant to the projects being managed, including knowledge of the technologies and tools that are being used. Previous Regulatory experience would be advantageous, managing licensing or consenting projects, working with government bodies or delivering projects in complex regulatory environments.
Experienced with influencing and using inter-personal skills to communicate effectively across all levels of the organisation and to simplify complex topics and communicate to a wide range of stakeholders.
Good understanding of the SMR industry, including knowledge of the regulatory environment, the competitive landscape, and the latest trends and developments.
Ability to motivate and inspire the team members to achieve their goals, by providing coaching experience.
Beneficial Experience, Training Or/and Qualifications
- Engineering Degree (or significant experience of managing Engineering Projects)
- Project Management Certification e.g. APM PMQ or equivalent (or significant experience of managing complex Engineering Projects)
- Member of a professional body would be advantageous
- Familiarity with UK nuclear regulation would be beneficial but not essential
- Understanding of non-core project management roles such as purchasing, commercial
- Knowledge of specific software and tools (training can be provided where gaps exist), including Primavera P6, Microsoft Project, ARM, SAP, Excel, Power BI and Power Apps
Confidence can sometimes hold us back from applying for a job. But we'll let you in on a secret: there's no such thing as a 'perfect' candidate. If you feel you meet 75% of the requirements for this role, we would love to hear from you.
Also, if you are considering a career move or a sector-jump, please get in touch, we welcome applications from people with transferable skills.
Pay And Benefits
We anticipate paying a salary of between £57,600 - £75,600 DOE plus:-
- Bonus - Performance related target opportunity 12.5%
- Benefits Allowance – £2,200 per annum, enabling you to create a bespoke package
- Pension - 12% employer and 6% employee contributions.
- Holidays - 28 days holiday (+ public holidays) and the ability to buy or sell up to 4 days.
- Private Medical Insurance - BUPA single cover health care
- Life Assurance - 6x pensionable pay
- £250 - One-off payment for new starters for home office purchases
Company Related
We are Rolls-Royce SMR
Rolls-Royce SMR is a rare employer because it blends the world-class brand of Rolls Royce with an exciting start-up that has a hugely challenging mission. We’re doing work that contributes to the survival of the planet. Because of our mission, there’s a pace and energy that is palpable, and our leaders draw you in with their passion, energy, and determination.
We’re one of a handful of employers who can genuinely say we’re a strengths-based organisation – our people are here because of what makes them great, and our job is to help them make the best contribution of their careers doing work they love.
The start-up mentality coupled with our strengths-approach to people means there are opportunities to grow in ways and jobs you probably would be barred from doing in more traditional companies.
Each Rolls-Royce SMR power station will have the capacity to generate 470MW of low carbon energy, equivalent to more than 150 onshore wind turbines and enough to power a million homes. It will provide consistent baseload generation for at least 60 years, helping to support the roll out of renewable generation and overcome intermittency issues
Our Culture
At Rolls-Royce SMR, we are committed to ensuring that our teams reflect the communities we serve and that everyone can be themselves at work. We know that diverse teams are more innovative and get better results, and that our people can thrive and be more successful in truly inclusive cultures. Join us and help shape our culture. Find out more about our inclusion pledge.
Rolls-Royce SMR is a place where everyone can grow, so whatever background you bring with you, please apply if this is a role that would make you excited to come into work every day and help shape our culture.
Our Application Process
Due to the safety regulations within the nuclear industry, applicants will be required to participate in additional screening. These are:
Obtaining Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS) clearance
Satisfactory completion of a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check
Satisfactory completion of a basic financial probity check
