Principal Delivery Manager (Defence)

Description

You will lead complex digital transformation programmes for a defence sector client, bringing together the company's delivery teams and suppliers to achieve measurable results.

You will set up the conditions for several multidisciplinary teams and suppliers to deliver, keeping governance tight, commercial performance strong and senior client relationships trusted.

You will meet Director and C-level stakeholders, learn their priorities, help shape delivery strategy and spot chances to deepen relationships and grow accounts.

You will own capacity and resourcing across your engagements, partnering with account teams and BU Operations to put the right people in place.

You will lead, coach and empower delivery teams so people can grow, while helping build the Sector business and the wider Delivery capability.

Responsibilities

• Lead high-value digital programmes spanning several teams, workstreams and suppliers, so delivery matches strategic goals and produces measurable results for customers and end users.
• Set the critical success factors for each programme, looking past time, budget and scope to long-term impact, client satisfaction and ongoing improvement.
• Provide senior delivery leadership in fast-moving, difficult settings, making sound decisions that weigh client priorities, the company's commercial interests and the effect on people.
• Set direction and align plans so that dependencies, risks and delivery problems are actively managed.
• Own programme financials, meeting or beating agreed profit targets, and forecast and report cost, revenue and margin accurately.
• Understand the contracts and commercial terms on your programmes, protecting the company and keeping delivery compliant.
• Build trusted relationships with Director and C-level stakeholders, managing expectations early and strengthening their confidence in the company as a delivery partner.
• Find and develop growth opportunities in the Sector accounts you support, contributing to account strategy, customer conversations, proposals, bids and pitches.
• Work with Sales, Account Leads and Account Management to shape strong responses that fit client needs, procurement requirements and changing priorities.
• Create an inclusive, high-performing environment where multidisciplinary teams do their best work and keep improving.
• Lead, coach and develop delivery leaders and programme teams, setting clear expectations, giving regular feedback and supporting development goals.
• Own capacity and staffing across your engagements, working with BU Operations to anticipate demand, make sound resourcing choices and onboard new team members.
• Contribute to recruitment, succession planning and growth of the Delivery capability.
• Take on wider management and leadership duties across the Sector business and Delivery capability when needed.
• Set up and maintain proportionate programme governance with clear accountability, effective decisions and strong technical quality standards.
• Manage risks, issues and dependencies actively, escalating at the right time to protect outcomes and client confidence.
• Give suitable assurance across workstreams and suppliers so that progress, quality and commercial performance stay visible.
• Make sure teams follow confidentiality, non-disclosure and information security rules at all times.
• Encourage new tools and approaches in technology, process and ways of working that improve delivery, team experience and customer outcomes.
• Lead improvements that raise efficiency and add value for clients and the company.
• Share learning and success inside the company, with customers and through relevant external industry channels.
• Keep improving the Management capability and stay current on thinking across Technology, Experience Design and Consulting.

Requirements

• Significant experience delivering complex digital programmes in a consultancy, professional services or similar setting.
• Digital delivery and stakeholder management experience in a complicated environment.
• Proven record leading large digital transformation programmes across several teams and suppliers.
• Experience working in Agile delivery environments.
• A strong record of delivering good outcomes that weigh customer needs against commercial goals and delivery performance.
• Experience creating governance for programmes and dealing with risk, issue and assurance work in complicated delivery settings.
• Experience winning over senior stakeholders, such as Director-level or C-level decision makers.
• Experience guiding and growing strong teams, including line management of people.
• Strong communication, influence and decision-making skills, able to work well in complicated stakeholder settings.
• Able to be based at client premises and travel as needed.
• Current SC clearance, which means living in the UK continuously for 5 years and passing background checks.
• Desirable: experience delivering programmes in central government, healthcare, defence or another highly regulated sector.
• Desirable: broad technology background and awareness of new trends, including AI, with interest in how they can improve delivery and customer outcomes.
• Desirable: strong business development and account growth experience, covering account planning, bids, proposals and procurement.
• Desirable: proof of winning follow-on work or growing existing client relationships.
• Desirable: experience improving management, delivery or leadership practices for one team, account or wider company.

Conditions

Everyone gets an equal chance regardless of background, and the company will adjust the recruitment process privately if you ask for accommodations.