Programme / Project Controls Manager

If you’d like to be considered for this opportunity we encourage you to apply promptly to avoid disappointment as if applications are high the role will close before the closing date given.

Location: RG7 4PR, located between Reading and Basingstoke. Some of our corporate functions will be moving to Reading Green Park towards the end of 2026, this will be discussed with you during your recruitment journey. 

Salary range starts at: £49,830 up to £78,770

Working pattern: AWE operates a 9-day working fortnight. We will consider flexible working requests so that your work may fit in with your lifestyle. Just let us know your preferred working pattern on your application. You will be required to attend site up to 3 days per week. 

Closing Date: 30th November 2026

Ready to play your part?  

At AWE, it’s not just a job, it’s far more than that. Our shared purpose is to help keep the nation safe. Could this role be the opportunity for you?  

Why This Role is Exciting: 

As a Project Controls Manager at the Future Material Campus, you'll be part of a team working on one of the UK's most complex infrastructure programmes. This role is crucial to national security, and you'll be joining at a pivotal moment as the UK government invests significantly in improving our infrastructure. 

Who are we looking for?  

We are looking for someone with a high level of experience of Project Controls including cost, budget, planning and estimating to join our Project Controls team at AWE Nuclear Security Technologies. 

In this role, you'll lead multi-functional Project Controls teams. You'll collaborate with Project Managers and Supply Chain to ensure the delivery of our projects and programmes. Your ability to engage, negotiate, and influence people across the business will be key to ensuring effective controls are in place to monitor progress, manage issues, and mitigate slippage. 

A typical day could look like this: 

• Managing risk, including ownership of qualitative and quantitative assessments to schedule predictability and cost. 

• Influencing and supporting project managers and procurement to ensure schedule momentum and cash flow KPIs. 

• Role modelling best practice in conceptual estimating, funding stage gates, basic contingency principles and procurement principles. 

• Coordinating and facilitating planning sessions and workshops to compile the master project/programme schedule baseline, ensuring an achievable duration. 

• Utilising your expertise in procurement schedules to create achievable lead times within the schedule.  

• Prioritising materials and equipment orders to meet scheduled install dates. 

• Influencing key stakeholders to facilitate sign-off of baseline and encouraging visibility of regular progress updates. 

• Introducing robust change processes, ensuring schedules, interfaces, cost, risk, and changes are managed appropriately. 

• Owning the change management process and workflow. 

• Highlighting trends and root causes of deviations against the baseline using lead and lag indicators and reporting effective remedial actions. 

We do need you to have the following:  

• Professionally qualified with chartered or equivalent status 

• Success in a Project Controls environment on a major construction project 

• Delivering Controls in a major project/ programme environment, ideally within Defence, Life Sciences, Pharma, R&D facilities, Industrial, Manufacturing, Distribution & Logistics sectors 

• Mentoring and developing a multi-functional controls team 

• Meeting project deadlines  

• Adept with controls/ general software applications such as Primavera (P6), Power BI, Excel 

• Insight into engineering, procurement, contracts, construction processes 

• Knowledge of engineering and construction management 

• Development of project controls processes 

Work hard, be rewarded:  

Join us and make a difference in a role that supports national security while offering flexibility and growth opportunities. 

Some reasons we think you’ll love it here: 

• 9-day working fortnight – meaning you get every other Friday off work, in addition to 270 hours of annual leave.  

• Market leading contributory pension scheme (we will pay between 9% and 13% of your pensionable pay depending on your contributions). 

• Family friendly policies: Maternity Leave - 39 Weeks Full Pay and Paternity Leave - 4 Weeks Full Pay. 

• Opportunities for Professional Career Development including funding for annual membership of a relevant professional body. 

• Life Assurance (4 x annual salary). 

The 'Working at AWE' page on our website is where you can find full details in the 'AWE Benefits Guide'. 

#LI-SW

Next steps:

Everyone who works at AWE brings unique skills and perspectives to the table. We recognise that great people don’t always ‘tick every box’. That’s why we focus on your potential, your fit with our values, your transferable skills as well as your experience. Even if you don’t meet every point above, but you feel that this role and AWE are a great fit for you, please go ahead and apply, we’d love to receive your application.

Important things you need to know:

• We encourage you to apply promptly to avoid disappointment if applications are high and the role therefore closes.
• You will need to obtain and maintain the necessary security clearance for the role. This will be funded by AWE. The nature of our work does mean you need to be a British Citizen who has been resident in the UK for the past 5 years in order to apply for SC clearance and 10 years for DV. 
• We want you to feel comfortable and able to shine during our recruitment process. Please let us know on your application form if you need any adjustments/accommodations during the process.
• Our interviews typically take place over Teams and for most roles are a 1 stage process.

Our ambition is to create workplaces where we recognise and celebrate differences, encourage diverse contributions and our employees feel able to be themselves at work. We strive to create a genuine culture of openness and inclusion and encourage diverse applicants. Any inclusion information you provide will be stored in accordance with GDPR and kept separate from your application form and CV, and the information will not be shared with anyone involved in interviewing or making hiring decisions.

Please note that you must be a British Citizen to apply for a role with us.