Project Manager - Secure ICT & Interoperability

Location: Hybrid – 4 days per week on site at MOD Corsham

Rate: Up to £760/day

IR35 status: Inside IR35

Contract dates: 01/10/2026 to 31/03/2028

Closing date: 15th September 2026 at 10:00

Security clearance: Current SC Clearance required, with candidates prepared to undergo DV clearance

Overview

Our customer, a large defence organisation, is seeking an experienced Project Manager to lead delivery of the OpNET FMN Spiral 6 Data Centric Interoperability (DCI) Pilot.

The Project Manager will lead all activities required to design, develop, integrate, validate, demonstrate and transition the capability, ensuring delivery of the required outputs in accordance with agreed timescales, governance arrangements, acceptance criteria, security requirements and stakeholder expectations.

The role will act as the primary delivery lead, coordinating multidisciplinary engineering teams, managing programme risks and dependencies, and engaging effectively with Authority stakeholders throughout the project lifecycle.

Programme Context

The New Style of IT (Deployed) – NSoIT(D) – programme is delivering OpNET, a new C4 capability across the SECRET, Mission SECRET and OFFICIAL-SENSITIVE security domains.

The programme aims to deliver a highly secure, technologically advanced and evolutionary communications and information service that connects war-fighters and enables information advantage across the operational landscape.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the planning, mobilisation, execution, monitoring and closure of the FMN Spiral 6 DCI Pilot project.
• Develop and maintain project plans, schedules, resource forecasts and delivery roadmaps.
• Manage delivery of all project outputs including design, build, integration, testing, demonstration and transition activities.
• Coordinate multidisciplinary teams including solution architects, infrastructure engineers, security specialists, interoperability specialists and test personnel.
• Ensure project delivery aligns with agreed scope, outcomes, acceptance criteria, governance requirements and contractual obligations.
• Manage project risks, assumptions, issues, dependencies and constraints, ensuring appropriate mitigation actions are implemented.
• Establish and maintain project reporting mechanisms, providing regular status updates to programme leadership and Authority stakeholders.
• Manage project finances, resource utilisation and delivery performance against agreed objectives.
• Coordinate technical reviews, design reviews, risk reviews and project governance activities.
• Ensure configuration management, change control and documentation activities are maintained throughout the project lifecycle.
• Support stakeholder engagement across Defence Digital, NSoIT(D), OpNET, NATO, coalition partners, suppliers and other delivery organisations as required.
• Monitor delivery progress against milestones and take corrective actions where required to maintain delivery schedules.
• Support the development and approval of project deliverables including High-Level Designs, Low-Level Designs, test plans, validation reports, technical reports and transition documentation.
• Facilitate Authority-witnessed demonstrations, acceptance activities and project reviews.
• Ensure lessons identified and continuous improvement opportunities are captured and incorporated into delivery activities.
• Lead project closure activities, including handover of agreed artefacts, final reporting and transition recommendations.
• Provide support for Live Ops as required.

Essential Skills, Qualifications and Experience

• At least 5 years demonstrable experience delivering complex ICT, infrastructure, networking, interoperability or secure information system projects within the last 5 years.
• Proven experience managing projects through the full lifecycle from initiation through delivery and closure.
• Experience managing multidisciplinary technical teams across architecture, engineering, security, integration and test functions.
• Strong understanding of project management methodologies and delivery frameworks.
• Experience managing project schedules, budgets, risks, issues, dependencies and resource plans.
• Experience delivering projects within large and complex organisations with multiple stakeholders.
• Experience managing delivery against contractual outputs, milestones, acceptance criteria and governance processes.
• Strong stakeholder management skills, including engagement with senior leadership, technical teams, customers and external partners.
• Experience producing project documentation including plans, reports, RAID logs, governance artefacts and delivery metrics.
• Strong analytical, organisational, problem-solving and decision-making skills.
• Excellent written, verbal and presentation skills.
• Ability to lead delivery within high-pressure environments and challenging timescales.
• Competency in MS Office Suite, including Microsoft Project and reporting tools.

Desirable Skills, Qualifications and Experience

• Experience working within Defence Digital, MOD, NSoIT(D), OpNET, NATO or coalition interoperability programmes.
• Knowledge of Federation Mission Networking (FMN) standards and interoperability programmes.
• Experience delivering secure or accredited solutions within Defence or Government environments.
• Familiarity with Data Centric Interoperability (DCI), Identity and Access Management (IAM), Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) and secure information-sharing capabilities.
• Experience managing projects involving infrastructure, networking, cyber security, identity services or enterprise platforms.
• Experience delivering Agile (SAFe), Waterfall or hybrid programmes.
• Knowledge of MOD governance, design assurance and delivery processes.
• Experience using Atlassian toolsets including JIRA and Confluence.
• A university-based education at Bachelors or Masters level in Project Management, Engineering, Information Technology, Computer Science or a related discipline.
• PRINCE2 Practitioner, MSP, AgilePM, APM PMQ, PMP or equivalent project management qualification.
• Chartered Project Professional (ChPP) or equivalent professional accreditation.

Additional Information

• Base working site is MOD Corsham.
• 4 days per week on site are required.
• Current SC Clearance is required, with candidates prepared to undergo DV Clearance.
• The assignment is expected to run from 1 October 2026 to 31 March 2028.