Senior Project Delivery Lead

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About the role

We're looking for a Senior Project Delivery Lead to champion the successful delivery of complex technical and commercial projects, with a strong focus on NPI and commercial mentorship. The role ensures high-quality outcomes across government-funded programmes, working closely with consortium partners, stakeholders, and industry experts.

Around 80% of the role centres on guiding and assuring project delivery. The remaining 20% follows one of two pathways:

Product Leadership - supporting an assigned product and acting as its main point of contact; or

Process Leadership - owning and improving internal delivery processes and ways of working.

This role supports both the UK's Net Zero transition and the growth of Connected & Automated Mobility (CAM).

Key Responsibilities

Project Management & Stakeholder Relations

• Lead and support complex high-value technical R&D and capital projects throughout their lifecycle, from bid phase to successful conclusion
• Build and maintain strong working relationships with consortium partners, project stakeholders, and industry collaborators
• Actively engage with key stakeholders across the automotive sector, supply chain and academic institutions to strengthen networks and increase capability

Advocacy and Leadership

• Champion successful technical and commercial outcomes across partner organisations, advocating project impact internally and with wider stakeholder groups
• Represent the team in both formal and informal partner meetings, leading discussions and delivering high-quality presentations as required
• Gather and analyse insights from live projects, delivery teams, and stakeholders to evaluate product performance, market relevance, and emerging competitive activity

Project Reporting and Risk Management

• Provide timely and accurate reporting on project and portfolio performance, identifying key success factors, risks, and delivery challenges.
• Interpret and contribute to financial forecasts, including identifying and communicating project-level risks affecting in-year budget delivery

Governance Support

• Collaborate closely with Innovate UK's Monitoring Service Provider and other delivery partners to uphold project governance standards
• Work closely with the Department for Business and Trade responding to queries on your project & product portfolio

Technology Understanding and Research Input

• Develop a solid understanding of the emerging technologies within each project, contributing technical insight where appropriate
• Maintain up to date knowledge of comparable intervention products and services in both UK and international markets, identifying opportunities, risks, and areas for differentiation
• Monitor advancements in the automotive innovation landscape and share relevant research findings with internal stakeholders

Line Management & Team Development

• Provide day-to-day leadership, guidance, and support to direct report(s)
• Set clear objectives, expectations, and performance standards aligned with organisational priorities
• Support recruitment and champion professional development within the team

Additional Responsibilities (Dependent on Focus Area)

Product Focus

• Assess whether delivery is achieving intended product outcomes and recommend adjustments to scope as needed
• Support the development and delivery of funding competitions
• Support Applicant & Assessor briefings at the launch of competitions and ensure guidance is clear and aligned
• Review applications for scope where needed and provide input into product-related decisions
• Lead product meetings from a delivery perspective

Process Focus

• Ensure delivery processes remain effective, efficient and fit for purpose
• Lead process reviews and implement improvements to enhance efficiency and quality
• Drive effective cross-departmental collaboration by defining clear roles, responsibilities and workflows
• Lead process focused meetings and, ensure alignment with organisational objectives

Person Specification - Experience, Knowledge and Skills

• Engineering or Science Education to graduate level. Background in any of the following is beneficial, Energy Storage or on vehicle Energy Management, Electric Machines, Power Electronics, Automotive Engineering or Systems Engineering, Lightweight vehicle structures
• Experience in key account or project management, preferably within the automotive or advanced manufacturing sectors
• Experience in supporting New Product Introduction (NPI) initiatives, with a sound understanding of the development-to-production lifecycle
• Experience working with customer development teams on the launch of new automotive technologies and processes with either OEM's or the supply chain
• Experience of new product development cycles including understanding of TRL / MRL challenges; early-stage research; working with academia and partners throughout the supply chain
• Demonstrate solid experience or a strong working knowledge of automotive manufacturing processes and industry standards
• Proven line management experience, with the ability to effectively lead, motivate and develop team members, manage performance and foster a collaborative, high-performing working environment
• Strong stakeholder engagement skills, with the ability to influence, collaborate, and build trust across a wide range of partners
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to present technical and commercial information to varied audiences
• Strong analytical and reporting skills, with experience in interpreting financial data and identifying project risks
• Confident in leading meetings and delivering results under pressure
• Willingness to travel for partner engagement and project support

Why Join Us?

You'll be joining a supportive and dynamic team where your contribution will make a meaningful difference to the UK's transition to Net Zero, future mobility and industrial competitiveness

We're committed to building and sustaining a culture of equality, diversity, and inclusion across our workforce and in everything we do.

Additional Information

Please note that we reserve the right to close the vacancy early should we receive a significant number of suitable applications.

We process your data for recruitment purposes only. Your information is stored securely through LinkedIn or within our fully compliant Applicant Tracking System and will not be shared externally. Your data will be retained only until the position is filled unless you request otherwise.