Engineering Portfolio Manager

Salary: Up to £57,500 depending on experience
Location: Bolton, hybrid – typically 2-3 days per week on-site
Security Clearance: British Citizen or Dual UK National with British citizenship

The Opportunity

We are currently recruiting for a Engineering Portfolio Manager to join a leading organisation within the defence and complex engineering sector.

This is a broad and influential engineering delivery position, responsible for coordinating and managing engineering activities across a complex portfolio of products and programmes.

The role will focus on identifying and managing technical risks, addressing obsolescence challenges and improving Commonality, Modularity & Reuse (CMR) across projects. You will work across multiple engineering functions and project teams to identify opportunities to improve efficiency, reduce duplication and ensure dependencies are effectively managed.

This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced engineer who wants to move beyond an individual project or technical discipline and have a wider portfolio-level impact.

You will also gain exposure to broader business considerations including financial efficiency, operational performance, exportability and maintaining UK freedom of action.

What You'll Be Doing

• Lead and coordinate engineering delivery activities across a complex product portfolio.
• Work collaboratively with projects and engineering teams to improve Commonality, Modularity & Reuse, reducing duplication and engineering challenges.
• Identify, assess and manage technical risks across the portfolio.
• Support the identification and mitigation of product and equipment obsolescence.
• Review predicted and measured engineering benefits, challenging assumptions where necessary to ensure they are realistic and achievable.
• Work with internal engineering functions to ensure appropriate plans are in place for programme dependencies.
• Act as a key interface between engineering functions, equipment teams, centres of excellence and individual projects when risks, issues or dependencies arise.
• Ensure that solutions developed to address portfolio obsolescence do not adversely impact existing programme dependencies.
• Help develop and implement improved ways of working across the portfolio.
• Provide engineering insight and recommendations to support wider portfolio decision-making.
• Communicate complex, multi-faceted engineering issues clearly to stakeholders at all levels.
• Influence and challenge project and engineering teams to achieve the best outcome for the wider portfolio.

What We're Looking For

We're looking for an experienced engineer with a broad technical understanding and the ability to operate effectively across multiple projects and engineering disciplines.

You'll ideally have:

• Significant experience within an engineering environment.
• A strong understanding of the product lifecycle, including design and development processes for electro-mechanical products or equipment.
• Experience working across projects, programmes or a wider engineering portfolio.
• The ability to influence, challenge and engage confidently with senior stakeholders.
• Strong problem-solving skills, with the ability to navigate technically complex situations where there may be uncertainty or conflicting requirements.
• Experience managing multiple priorities and competing demands across different projects.
• A flexible and innovative approach to solving engineering and delivery challenges.
• The ability to take complex, multi-dimensional problems and communicate them clearly and concisely.
• Strong interpersonal and influencing skills, with the confidence to lead and empower teams without necessarily having direct authority.

Experience within defence, aerospace or another highly regulated engineering environment would be advantageous.

What’s On Offer?

• Company bonus: Up to £2,500, dependent on company performance.
• Pension: Total employer and employee contribution of up to 14%.
• Paid overtime: Opportunities available.
• Flexi Leave: Up to 15 additional days.
• Flexible working: Flexible working arrangements considered.
• Enhanced parental leave.
• Excellent site facilities: Including subsidised meals, free parking and more.
• Healthcare Cash Plan: Support towards everyday healthcare costs including optical, dental, health and wellbeing expenses.