Project Manager

Closing Date: 02/01/2026
Salary: £69, £92,429.04
NATS is the UK's leading air navigation service provider, handling over 2.4 million flights each year. We provide air traffic control services from two control centres and at airports around the UK. We also provide a wide range of commercial products and solutions internationally. Our people are at the heart of our purpose to advance aviation and keep the skies safe.

Purpose Of The Job
To effectively lead the delivery of projects, project tasks and/or supporting business activities on behalf of the Project Delivery Division as per the Project Brief, task managed by the relevant Programme Manager or a delegated Senior Project Manager. The Project Manager role organisationally falls under the Project Delivery Practice and will be line managed by a relevant Programme Manager.

At this level, a project manager can typically manage a complex project, with a level of influence over the design of governance for the delivery life cycle. They will typically be experience in project methods and tools, able to navigate delivery through uncertainty, lead deputy project managers to achieve specified outcomes, provide advice to decision makers and stakeholders whilst building and maintaining ongoing commitment from several different stakeholder groups.

Principal Accountabilities

• Plan, budget, report, execute and deliver into service allocated projects, ensuring that projects are delivered on time, within budget and to the required specification, preparing the affected staff and business areas for the new ways of working.
• Manage virtual teams via matrix management.
• Accountable for following the appropriate governance for the projects within their scope, particularly working within the regulatory framework of a licensed critical national infrastructure organisation.
• Responsibility to support Project Delivery Practice management tasks when required e.g. Project Managers Working Group.
• Demonstrate the appropriate NATS Behaviours.
• Ensure the maintenance of a high level of individual expertise and credibility through continuing professional development.
• Ensure the appropriate Operational Safety and Health & Safety activities have been undertaken on their project/s.

Job Scope:

• Deliver all project activities to the customer in accordance with all relevant areas of the NATS Management System, NATS Project Management processes and meets the requirements of all appropriate regulations, including the applicable Safety Management System, Environmental and Health and Safety legislation including CDM, considering both Operational Safety and Health & Safety.
• Ensure all the necessary supporting information through effective estimation and positive challenge in order to support each project business case, along with supporting the production of the corresponding project plans, financial budgets and resource requirements.
• Develop and maintain work breakdown structures, budget management, reporting and the completion of robust risk identification, management and mitigation actions.
• Support the negotiation and contract let of all suppliers' contracts associated with their Project(s) working with personnel from other NATS departments such as Commercial, Supply Chain and Legal. Manage the project deliverables from the supplier regarding time, cost and quality to meet the project needs.
• Manage and lead Work Package Managers to deliver agreed milestones, to time, cost and quality. Ensure clarity of roles, responsibilities, behaviours and standards required across all areas, ensuring that where instances of required standards are not met these are dealt with effectively.
• Effectively communicate, both formally and informally, to promote understanding and engagement from project teams.
• Required to negotiate with local management teams as well as project teams and external suppliers to ensure the effective co-ordination and planning of resources for the supply of services, goods and CADs/work packages.
• Provide clear management to project teams, ensuring effective decision making is made at all levels.
• Acting as the key interface for your project/s with all stakeholders at appropriate levels.

Experience, Qualification & Skills:

• A Project Management qualification (APM PMQ/APMP or equivalent) is essential.
• A relevant degree is desirable.
• Experience in a management role, preferably in the area of Project and Programme management, is essential.
• Experience, knowledge and proven track record of delivery and integration of projects or changes is essential.
• Experience and proven track record of building commercial relationships with customers and suppliers is desirable.
• Understanding of the commercial aspects of contract management is essential.
• Interpersonal skills and judgement required for dealing with both internal and external stakeholders to develop strong working relationships is essential.
• The ability to flex a project to deliver it's long and short-term goals is essential.

Additional Vacancy Information:
We have adopted agile working to provide greater flexibility and increased choice over working arrangements, with the opportunity for this role to work in our modern office facilities as well as remotely. We also welcome discussions on flexible and part-time working arrangements. Find out more  here .

If you share our passion to advance aviation and keep the skies safe – we would like to hear from you whatever your age, sex, race, faith, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, visible or invisible disability. Individuals that bring different perspectives, skills, life experiences and backgrounds help us be at the forefront of our industry.