Programme Manager – Denham
Lead it. Oversee it. Trust it with lives!
Advance your career in a role where engineering leadership meets real-world impact. As a Programme Manager within our engineering delivery team at Denham, you’ll join a tight-knit group of experts orchestrating complex engineering programmes. From initial concept to the cockpit, your strategic management will drive the delivery of cutting-edge ejection seat and safety systems built to perform in the most extreme, safety-critical environments.
Direct Impact, Global Scale. Life-Saving Mission.
At Martin-Baker, the work we do matters. We design, manufacture and support life-saving equipment used by aircrew around the world. Our products operate in demanding environments, where quality, reliability and attention to detail are critical.
We’re proud of our long history in aerospace and defence, also focused on the future. Joining Martin-Baker means becoming part of a business with a clear purpose, strong engineering capability and a long-term commitment to its people, products and customers.
Whether you work in engineering, operations, commercial, finance, supply chain or support functions, your contribution helps deliver equipment that protects lives. It is challenging work, but it is also meaningful, and with over 7,700 lives saved, it gives our people the opportunity to be part of something with real impact.
The Opportunity
As a Programme Manager, you’ll join a collaborative, cross-functional environment, acting as the primary driving force behind our complex engineering delivery. You will do much more than track spreadsheets; you will actively steer high-value initiatives and align multidisciplinary teams.
You’ll play a key role in developing engineering solutions that meet strict regulatory, customer and internal standards, contributing across the full product lifecycle from the initial winning proposal through to global deployment.
This is an exciting opportunity to orchestrate a diverse portfolio of aerospace and defence programmes, where no two projects are the same. You’ll gain massive exposure across the business while operating within a highly engaged, technical, and supportive team environment.
What You’ll Do
Steer the Lifecycle: Lead high-value New Product Introduction (NPI) programmes from proposal to final delivery.- Manage Stakeholders: Act as the primary interface for global aerospace customers and Tier 1 suppliers.
- Govern the Financials: Oversee programme budgets, cost estimates, resource allocation, and commercial proposals.
- Mitigate Risk: Predict bottlenecks early and deploy strategic recovery plans to protect timelines and margins.
- Unify Teams: Coordinate cross-functional engineering, supply chain, quality assurance, and production teams.
- Plan and manage workload effectively, providing accurate task estimates, resource allocations, and progress updates to senior leadership.
What We’re Looking For
Technical Foundation: A degree in Engineering (Aerospace, Mechanical, Electrical, Systems, or a related discipline).- Sector Expertise: A proven track record leading complex projects or programmes within Aerospace, Defence, or Automotive.
- Methodology: Strong grasp of NPI frameworks, risk management tools, and project management software.
- Leadership Drive: A communicative, structured leader who thrives when managing high-stakes accountability.
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to identify programme hurdles early and develop smart mitigation plans.
- Excellent communication skills, with the ability to manage technical data transfers and align commercial expectations.
- Share and demonstrate the Martin-Baker values.
Our Values
At Martin-Baker, we value professionalism, understanding, teamwork, humility, accountability and integrity. We look for people who take pride in their work, collaborate openly and act with care because the work we do matters.
What We Offer
Excellent pension package with strong employer support — Martin-Baker contributes 9% of your salary (non-contributory to the employee), with further employer contributions that grow as you increase your own- Life Assurance
- Lunchtime finish on a Friday
- Personalised training and development plan
- Healthcare plan
- 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays
- Opportunity to purchase additional annual leave
- Martin-Baker + (retail discounts platform)
- Occupational Health team
- Workplace Nursery Benefit scheme
- Cycle to work scheme
How to Apply / Your Interview Journey
Please submit your CV and should you wish, a brief covering letter outlining your suitability, including any relevant experience, skills and expertise you can bring to the role.
Hit "Apply Now," send your CV to [email protected], or call us on 01952 281908.
After submitting your application, your details will be reviewed and the recruitment team will be in touch.
Initial Telephone interview: A detailed conversation with your Recruitment Business Partner to understand your background and motivation for joining Martin-Baker.- First Stage Interview: A virtual structured discussion with the Hiring Manager to explore your work experience and provide insight into Martin-Baker and the specifics of the role.
- Final Stage Interview: A face-to-face interview at our Denham site, allowing you to demonstrate your compliance capability, leadership approach, and technical expertise.
We believe in equal opportunity, committed to creating an inclusive environment where everyone is respected. We want you to be able to do your best work.
Martin-Baker is a signatory to the Armed Forces Covenant, showing our support and commitment to our Armed Forces and their families, proudly supporting those who serve.
This role is subject to pre-employment screening in line with the UK Government’s Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS).
The role also involves access to information governed by U.S. Export Control Laws (including ITAR); therefore, all applicants must satisfy ITAR eligibility requirements.
