Programme Manager

INTRODUCTION SUMMARY We are on the lookout for a talented and ambitious Project Manager or, Technical Team Leader with an interest in moving into Project Management, to join our Programme Management team here in Cambridge, UK. The role will work with our Defence & Security clients, undertaking the development of innovative new products across the entire product life cycle. The role will be primarily project management for our defence and security clients within UK government, although there may be scope to get involved in a variety of projects for our commercial and wider public sector clients. Projects typically consist of early concept work, through prototype manufacture, to new product introduction, often surmounting considerable technical challenges as we push the boundary of what is possible. We combine highly creative lateral thinking with excellent technical skills and we’re looking for broad defence and security industry experience to help us form powerful development teams. WHAT WE CAN OFFER We can offer you variety, and the chance to work in a dynamic environment buzzing with the excitement of innovation that is having a real effect on people’s lives. The projects you will lead will typically be highly complex, spanning the entire product development lifecycle. You will take full responsibility for delivering the agreed project objectives within the authorised time and budget constraints whilst managing multi-disciplinary teams of talented engineers, scientists, and designers in delivering novel products and services to market for a wide variety of clients. You will always have the support of experienced Programme Managers ready to guide you towards more complex projects as your career develops. We believe that a supportive environment is the way to bring the best out of each other. We will actively promote your progression and provide you with the opportunity to take on increasingly challenging tasks. Your specific responsibilities will vary according to your expertise but are likely to include: * Developing project proposals that meet our government clients’ commercial and technical requirements – this will be primarily for UK-based government clients * Delivering projects with a significant amount of S&T (Science and Technology) or Research and Development content * Management of the delivery of projects that solve complex, multi-disciplinary technical challenges, across multi-office teams * Team building and leadership of multiple project teams * Capturing technical product requirements and resolving system level discussions, requiring a strong technical background * Experience of managing end‑to‑end bidding and tendering processes, including bid management, stakeholder engagement and governance. * Running meetings with clients, presenting and communicating ideas and concepts to all disciplines * Working with Business Developers in building relationships with clients to understand their programme needs. * The ability to lead, influence and motivate an extensive team to deliver exploitable project outputs; * The ability to manage and influence stakeholders to ensure project success. This role will require some domestic UK-based travel but is focussed on managing project teams within the Cambridge office. We have adopted a hybrid working model, with a mix of both home and office working, based on project need but the expectation for 3 days on site per week.   WHAT YOU CAN BRING You will have experience of project managing small to medium sized technical product development projects or are a technical lead of an engineering discipline within a larger project.  Ideally you will have a degree in engineering, or a relevant scientific discipline, with hands-on experience of planning tasks and tracking the progress of a team to deliver against those tasks whilst addressing issue as they arise. Naturally you will also have strong time management, written and verbal communication, and organisational skills. Our UK government work and client base coves a very broad spectrum, so we would also be very interested if you have any of the following: * UK Government security clearance * A passion for innovation * A technical background in Mechanical, Electrical, Software, Physics, Chemistry or Sensing systems * New product introduction / design for manufacture experience * Previous experience of working at a consulting / fee for service organisation * A strong desire to deliver outputs for Defence through Science and Technology * Existing knowledge of best practice in the delivery of projects * People skills and networks to build strong working relationships across the defence and security innovation ecosystem, including UK MOD, DSTL, Defence Innovation Unit and Innovation Hubs, a range of security customers and Government departments * Formal project management credentials such as APMP, PRINCE2 etc. * Successful candidates must pass a disclosure and barring security check, be able to obtain  UK government security clearance and must be a UK passport holder.     ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- By submitting an application to Cambridge Consultants, you confirm that the information provided in this application, together with any supporting documentation, is true, complete, and accurate to the best of your knowledge and belief. You understand that any false statement, misleading information, or material omission may render you liable to disqualification from the recruitment process, withdrawal of any offer of employment, or dismissal without notice if discovered following appointment. You acknowledge that the organisation reserves the right to verify the information supplied. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Relay is fundamentally reshaping how goods move in an online era. Backed by Europe’s largest-ever logistics Series A ($35M), led by deep-tech investors Plural (whose portfolio spans fusion energy and space exploration), Relay is scaling faster than 99.98% of venture-backed startups. We're assembling the most talent-dense team the logistics industry has ever seen Relay’s Mission is to free commerce from friction. Today, high delivery costs act as a hidden tax on e-commerce, quietly shaping what can be sold online and limiting who can participate. We envision a world where more goods move more freely between more people, making the online shopping experience seamless and accessible to everyone. THE TEAM • ~110 people, more than half in engineering, product and data • 45+ advanced degrees across computer science, mathematics and operations research • Thousands of data points captured, calculated, analysed and predicted for every single parcel we handle • An intellectually vibrant culture of first‑principles thinking, tight feedback loops and relentless experimentation The Opportunity Relay's Network squad builds the forecasting engine that powers every operational decision in the business. Demand forecasts drive shift release in sortation. Expansion models determine where the network grows. Parcel intelligence feeds route planning and vehicle loading. When the squad ships a better model, the impact multiplies across five consuming squads, Finance, and ultimately Relay's cost per parcel. The squad is growing from four people to ten: Data Scientists, Analysts, and a Software Engineer, each contributing to a system that spans demand forecasting, expansion modelling, parcel dimensions, sortation predictions, and demand management. That system has dependencies on Sortation, Middle Mile, Last Mile, Routing, and Commercial - plus Finance, who extend the operational forecasts into longer-range financial projections. It also supports four embedded analysts sitting in other squads across the business. As Programme Manager for the Network squad, you coordinate the delivery of this system. The role involves taking the squad's roadmap and turning it into a structured programme - tracking commitments, managing cross-squad dependencies, removing blockers, and keeping stakeholders informed. The specifics of the programme will develop as you ramp up and learn how the squad and its consuming teams work together. The squad lead sets technical direction and manages people. You work alongside them to keep the programme on track, supported by a team that values coordination and wants to deliver well. Relay operates a centralised data team of around 30 data engineers, analysts, and data scientists. The Network squad sits within this team and serves every operational squad in the business. You will work with the squad lead, the Data Scientists and analysts in the squad, and the leads of the five consuming squads. What You'll Do * Coordinate the delivery programme for the Network squad: roadmap tracking, sprint management, cross-squad coordination, and dependency management across a 10-person team * Manage dependencies with five consuming squads (Sortation, Middle Mile, Last Mile, Routing, Commercial) and Finance, ensuring that what Network delivers matches what those teams need and when they need it * Run the squad's delivery cadence: cycle planning, triage, standups, retros, and cross-functional syncs * Track commitments and surface risks early - identifying which initiatives are on track, which are slipping, and what needs to change * Remove blockers that sit outside the squad: engineering dependencies, data access, stakeholder alignment, prioritisation conflicts with other squads * Coordinate the work of four embedded analysts in other squads (Routing, Sortation, Middle Mile, and one TBC), ensuring alignment with Network's priorities * Keep stakeholders informed with regular updates on what's shipped, what's in progress, and what's changed * Support the squad lead by taking on operational coordination, freeing them to focus on technical direction, model quality, and strategic relationships Who Will Thrive in This Role? * You have at least 5 years of experience in programme management, delivery management, or a similar coordination role, ideally in a technical or data-heavy environment. You have experience managing multiple workstreams. * You have experience working in technical environments even if you're not a data scientist yourself. You can follow a conversation about model accuracy, forecast horizons, and pipeline reliability enough to know when something is blocked, behind, or being under-scoped. The squad will help you build domain knowledge as you ramp up. * You have experience tracking commitments and following up when things stall. You bring structure to how teams track and deliver their work. * You have experience coordinating across teams without direct authority - helping squads understand what's expected and when. * You have experience communicating with stakeholders at different levels - giving a squad lead a quick update on a dependency, giving senior leadership a picture of the programme's health, and giving a Data Scientist an answer on when their work will be prioritised. * You have experience managing dependencies and how work connects across teams. You plan for how one squad's timeline affects another's. * Experience in logistics, data platforms, or forecasting environments is a plus, but what matters more is the ability to learn a complex technical domain quickly and manage a programme within it effectively. Who Thrives at Relay? * Aim with Precision: You define problems clearly and measure your impact meticulously. * Play to Win: You chase bold bets, tackle the hard stuff, and view constraints as fuel, not friction. * 1% Better Every Day: You believe that small, consistent improvements lead to exponential growth. You move quickly, deliver results, and learn from every experience. * All In, All the Time: You show up and step up. You take ownership from start to finish and do what it takes to deliver when it counts. * People-Powered Greatness: You invest in your teammates. You give and receive feedback with care and candour. You build trust through high standards and shared success. * Grow the Whole Pie: You seek out win-win solutions for merchants, couriers, and our customers, because when they thrive, so do we. If these resonate, and you combine strong technical fundamentals with entrepreneurial drive, let’s connect. Relay is an equal-opportunity employer committed to diversity, inclusion, and fostering a workplace where everyone thrives.