Rolls-Royce

Programme Lead – Early Lifecycle

Bristol Full time

Job Description

Programme Lead – Early Lifecycle

Full Time

Solihull

SNBG 7 - 10

The Early Lifecycle team is at the heart of securing the future growth of the Defence business.  We are delivering tomorrows technology fast, by bringing together the company’s best engineers, programme managers and business professionals. Working in partnership with Governments, primes and new technology companies across the globe, we deliver future solutions, new and innovative power and propulsion concepts, technology, and applications to meet the customers emerging requirements.

An exciting opportunity for a Programme Lead has arisen within our Defence Early Lifecycle team to support the full range of activities from managing contract finances and external customer interactions to supporting our business teams, where this specific role supports our controls sub-system with the co-ordination of engineering and technology work packages. In all areas these roles involve working with a range of key business stakeholders to support the delivery of key programme milestones thus enabling the delivery of our Defence Combat strategy for the next 50 years.

Rolls-Royce’s customers and the company have entrusted us to deliver the future technologies, people, processes and programmes.  Successful delivery of these programmes will ensure both the UK and Rolls-Royce retains combat capability, ensuring freedom of action for the UK and enabling the company to maintain our market share in the Naval, Defence Aero and combat markets.

We offer excellent development, a competitive salary, and exceptional benefits. These include bonus, employee support assistance and employee discounts.

Join us and we’ll provide an environment where you can be yourself. An inclusive, digital-first culture that invests in you, gives you a platform for continuous learning, and access to an incredible breadth and depth of opportunities to grow your career.

We offer excellent development, a competitive salary and exceptional benefits. These include bonus, employee support assistance and employee discounts.

Hybrid working is a way in which our people can balance their time between the office, home or another remote location.  It’s a locally managed and flexed informal discretionary arrangement.  As a minimum we’re all expected to attend the workplace for collaboration and other specific reasons, frequency will depend on business needs, nature of role, what works for the team and for the individual.


This role is predominantly Solihull based however, an element of travel to the Bristol office will be required to ensure alignment with the broader Power Thermal Management System (PTMS) leadership team.  Discover more on our GBS Service Portal about hybrid working.

What you will be doing

  • Accountable for the successful delivery to cost, specification and time for a defined package of work.
  • Establish, develop and maintain the documentation necessary to deliver the package of work.
  • Act as the focal point for all aspects related to the packages of work.
  • Provide information necessary to make management decisions.
  • Ensure the creation and management of an integrated set of plans / schedules.
  • Organise and chair schedule review meetings and provide reports where executive decisions need to be made.
  • Provision of basic guidance to others regarding the Project Management processes and the operation of the project management systems / tools / methods.

Programme Management Team (Governance)

  • Review and report the status of projects in accordance with the project plan and agreed with the Programme Manager
  • Assist the Project Manager in the development of project management documents such as project budgets, project schedules, scope statements and project plans
  • Manage and report variances to project baseline and report programme Key Performance Indicators.
  • Review programme data. Identify and report trends, highlight anomalies and corrective action if performance is outside specification.
  • Accurate reporting to relevant stakeholders in accordance with the defined timescales

Who we’re looking for

  • Being a part of Rolls-Royce you’ll know we put safety first, do the right thing, keep it simple and make a difference with and in everything we do.  These principles form our values and behaviours and are an essential component of our assessment process and are fundamental qualities that we seek for all roles.
  • Network across Stakeholders and develop key relationships which is critical for this role.
  • Display excellent interpersonal skills with the ability to easily build rapport within all levels of an organisation.
  • Demonstrate initiative and self-motivation.
  • Indicate a good level of knowledge and experience of Microsoft Office tools.

Being a part of Rolls-Royce you’ll know we embrace agility, are bold, pursue collaboration and seek simplicity in everything we do.  These principles form our values and behaviours and are an essential component of our assessment process and are fundamental qualities that we seek for all roles.

Please be aware that the priority will be given to employees identified as being at high risk.

The professional level and salary of the position will be dependent on the skills and experience of the successful candidate but is anticipated to be Staff Grade SNBG 7 - 10

This job is advertised at the grades shown, and this is the desired operating level for this role. We encourage applications from candidates with relevant experience from any grade

It is advised that you inform your current manager of your application for this role.  

We are an equal opportunities employer. We’re committed to developing a diverse workforce and an inclusive working environment. We believe that people from different backgrounds and cultures give us different perspectives. And the more perspectives we have, the more successful we’ll be. By building a culture of respect and appreciation, we give everyone who works here the opportunity to realise their full potential.

You can learn more about our global Inclusion strategy here

Grade:  SNBG 7 - 10

For further information please contact:  Lizzie Moore - Lizzie.moore@rolls-royce.com

Job Category

Project Management

Posting Date

05 Nov 2025; 00:11

Posting End Date

11 Nov 2025