Project Manager

About the role

We are seeking an experienced Project Manager to lead the end-to-end execution of complex projects within a high-technology engineering and development environment. The role is accountable for delivering projects on time, within budget, and to the required technical and quality standards, while meeting internal business objectives and external customer expectations.

The incumbent will manage scope, resources, costs, risks, and stakeholders across the full project lifecycle, operating in multidisciplinary teams comprising engineers, technicians, operators, and external suppliers. This role requires strong leadership, structured project governance, and the ability to operate effectively in a dynamic, high-complexity environment.

Qualifications and experience:

• Minimum technical qualification; preferably BSc or BEng Engineering.
• 3–5 years’ experience in:
  • Project management
  • Operational management
  • Customer and stakeholder management
  • Leading non-co-located and multidisciplinary teams
• Formal training in Project Management or equivalent.

Key technical skills:

• Strong knowledge of project planning techniques, tools, and methodologies
• Proven ability in stakeholder management, including influencing and negotiation through effective communication and presentation skills
• Solid understanding of the project lifecycle, with emphasis on execution, control, and monitoring
• Experience in scope and change management within complex project environments
• Ability to contract and manage technical work packages across multiple work streams
• Understanding of total cost of ownership and product lifecycle costing
• Leadership capability within diverse teams of highly skilled professionals
• Working knowledge of PRINCE2, PMBOK, and Agile project/programme management methodologies
• Understanding of manufacturing processes for complex systems in a design and development context
• Application of systems engineering principles and systems thinking in new product development environments

Key responsibilities:

Contractual Programme / Project Execution

• Establish and maintain an effective project management structure and project team.
• Initiate projects and coordinate project kick-off meetings with all relevant stakeholders.
• Ensure disciplined scope management without adverse impact on schedule, cost, or technical objectives, unless formally agreed.
• Utilise project execution, monitoring, and control tools (including SAP and PMO KPIs).
• Deliver contracted milestones and integrated solutions to end users.
• Ensure requirements are formally agreed, documented, and traceable throughout the project lifecycle.
• Participate in major contract scope and requirement change negotiations when required.

Planning and Technical Management

• Plan projects in alignment with approved business cases, including:
  • Resource planning
  • Budgeting
  • Scheduling
  • Risk and issue management
• Allocate and manage project management resources effectively.
• Monitor project workload and outputs.
• Develop, maintain, and track monthly delivery and expenditure forecasts.
• Manage procurement activities related to project execution.
• Ensure project outputs align with agreed scope, schedule, and quality requirements.
• Collaborate with engineering teams and suppliers to ensure solutions meet customer expectations for functionality, maintainability, usability, and producibility.
• Coordinate with systems engineering to ensure effective gate reviews and sound technical decision-making.
• Ensure projects are executed and closed in accordance with defined project management processes.
• Identify, manage, and mitigate project risks and issues.

Reporting and Stakeholder Communication

• Act as the interface between external customers and internal stakeholders.
• Provide regular status updates to customers and project teams.
• Report externally on project technical progress and schedule performance.
• Report internally on financial, technical, schedule, and risk status to Programme leaders and management.

Project Closure

• Conduct gate reviews for production readiness.
• Perform post-project reviews on cost, budget, and technical performance.
• Identify gaps, lessons learned, and follow-up actions.
• Compile and submit formal project closure reports with recommendations.

Our recruitment values:

HENSOLDT South Africa focuses on diversity, equity, and inclusion in our organizational strategy. We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive corporate culture that benefits our employees and delivers better outcomes for our clients. In line with our commitment to equal employment opportunities and our focus on diversity in the operational environment, we welcome applications from all ethnic groups. In line with HENSOLDT's commitment to equal employment opportunities and our focus on diversity in the operational environment, preference will be given to suitable candidates from designated groups.

Application Deadline: 27 August 2026. 

How to Apply:

Please submit your CV by applying directly on the HENSOLDT Careers Page.

If you have not been contacted within 14 days of the closing date, please consider your application unsuccessful.