Engineering Project Manager

Employer: Breathe Technology Ltd

Department: Technical Services

Reports to: Technical Director, with regular reporting to the Managing Director

Location: Cambridge headquarters, Breathe sites and customer locations, with hybrid working by agreement

Working pattern: Full time, 37.5 hours per week, with reasonable travel and occasional out of hours project work

Contract: Permanent, subject to the terms stated in the employment contract

Occupation classification: SOC 2020 code 2127 Engineering project managers and project engineers

Salary: As stated in the employment contract and Certificate of Sponsorship

Role purpose

The Engineering Project Manager plans and leads the delivery of Breathe's engineering and technical infrastructure projects from initial requirement through commissioning and handover. The role converts customer and business requirements into controlled project plans, coordinates the people and suppliers needed to deliver them and remains accountable for scope, programme, cost, risk, quality and technical acceptance. Many of these projects will relate to customers occupying or refurbishing buildings and there will be an emphasis on IT, Smart and Clean Energy Technologies.

Role context

Projects may include IT infrastructure, server and cloud platforms, data centre systems, connectivity, structured cabling, telephony, mobile signal solutions, cyber security infrastructure, Solar and battery Storage, IP Lighting design and related physical installations. The postholder works closely with Breathe's technical leadership, consultants, engineers, commercial teams, suppliers and customer stakeholders.

This is a project engineering role. It does not replace responsibility for day to day service desk management or routine account management.

Main responsibilities

Project definition and engineering requirements

• Clarify the business need, technical scope, operating constraints, interfaces, dependencies and acceptance criteria for each project
• Coordinate technical site surveys and discovery activities with consultants, engineers, customers and specialist suppliers
• Prepare or coordinate scopes of work, technical requirements, design information, bills of materials and implementation assumptions
• Confirm that the proposed solution is deliverable, supportable and consistent with Breathe's technical standards before work begins

Project planning and governance

• Create and maintain project plans covering milestones, tasks, resource requirements, procurement lead times, dependencies, testing and handover.
• Establish clear ownership, decision points and reporting arrangements for internal staff, customers, subcontractors and suppliers.
• Maintain accurate risk, issue, action, decision and change records, escalating matters early when they could affect delivery.
• Control project documentation so that approved scope, decisions and current plans are available to everyone who needs them.

Engineering delivery

• Lead project kick off meetings, technical coordination sessions, progress reviews and readiness checks.
• Coordinate engineers, consultants, subcontractors, vendors and customer teams across remote and on site activities
• Monitor installation, configuration, integration and commissioning work against the approved design and project plan
• Work with technical specialists to resolve engineering problems without losing control of safety, quality, cost or programme
• Ensure relevant risk assessments, method statements, permits and site requirements are completed before controlled work starts

Commercial and resource control

• Track committed and forecast project costs, labour, materials, supplier charges and authorised customer variations
• Provide timely information for purchasing, scheduling, invoicing and commercial review
• Identify scope changes and obtain approval before committing additional time or cost, except where urgent action is required to protect people or assets
• Balance resource requirements across concurrent projects and raise capacity conflicts with the Technical Director

Customer and stakeholder management

• Act as the main project contact for agreed customer stakeholders and provide concise, accurate progress reporting
• Translate technical information into clear decisions, actions and delivery implications for non technical stakeholders
• Manage expectations against agreed scope and timescales, recording decisions and resolving concerns promptly
• Escalate material risks, delays, technical conflicts and commercial issues through the appropriate Breathe governance route

Testing commissioning and handover

• Agree test, commissioning and acceptance plans before the final delivery stage
• Confirm that defects and outstanding actions are recorded, owned and resolved to the agreed standard
• Coordinate customer acceptance, operational handover, knowledge transfer and the transition into managed support where applicable
• Ensure the project record includes current designs, as built information, configuration records, asset details, warranties, test evidence and support documentation
• Complete a project review and capture lessons that should change future designs, estimates, delivery methods or controls

Standards and continuous improvement

• Apply Breathe's quality, information security, health and safety and change control requirements throughout the project lifecycle
• Develop practical templates, checklists and reporting methods that improve consistency without adding unnecessary administration
• Support the development of engineering delivery standards and provide constructive feedback to technical and commercial teams
• Maintain current professional knowledge relevant to the technologies, suppliers and engineering environments used in Breathe projects

Expected outcomes

Performance will be assessed against agreed objectives and the following continuing outcomes

• Projects are delivered against approved scope, programme, budget and acceptance criteria
• Forecasts, status reports and project records are current and reliable
• Risks, changes and dependencies are identified early and controlled visibly
• Engineering work meets applicable safety, quality, security and technical standards
• Customers and internal stakeholders receive clear communication and timely decisions
• Commissioning, handover and support documentation are complete before project closure

Working relationships

Relationship & Key contacts

Internal: Managing Director, Technical Director, technical managers, IT consultants, support and installation engineers, account managers, business support, finance and sales teams

External: Customer project sponsors, site contacts, facilities teams, professional advisers, manufacturers, distributors, carriers, subcontractors and specialist suppliers

Person specification

Project delivery experience

Essential: Substantial experience of leading engineering, infrastructure or technically complex installation projects through planning, delivery, commissioning and handover.

Desirable: Experience in a managed technology provider, systems integrator, telecommunications, data centre, construction technology or related environment.

Engineering understanding

Essential: Able to understand technical requirements, dependencies, site constraints, design information, test evidence and acceptance criteria, and to obtain specialist input where required.

Desirable: Experience across several of Breathe's delivery areas, such as networks, connectivity, data centres, communications, audiovisual systems, security infrastructure or structured cabling.

Project controls

Essential: Demonstrable control of schedules, resources, budgets, risks, issues, changes, suppliers and project documentation.

Desirable: A recognised project management qualification such as APM, PRINCE2 or PMP, or an engineering qualification relevant to the role.

Commercial judgement

Essential: Able to distinguish included work from change, forecast cost and resource implications, and support purchasing and invoicing decisions with accurate information.

Desirable: Experience working with project quotations, bills of materials, subcontractors and supplier contracts.

Communication

Essential: Clear written and spoken communication, including the ability to explain technical matters to customers and senior stakeholders and to record decisions accurately.

Desirable: Experience managing customers and multidisciplinary delivery teams across different locations.

Quality and safety

Essential: A disciplined approach to quality, information security, health and safety, method statements, site controls and audit ready records.

Desirable: Working knowledge of RAMS, CDM duties or other relevant installation and site safety controls.

Working approach

Essential: Organised, accountable and calm under pressure, with sound judgement about priorities and escalation. Able to travel to Breathe and customer sites as required.

Desirable: A full driving licence and flexibility to support planned out of hours implementation work where needed.

Specific Skillsets required

Essential: Project Management Account Management IT & Telecoms Commercial Lighting Smart Technologies Clean Energy

Authority and accountability

• The postholder may coordinate assigned project resources and suppliers within approved project scope, budgets and delegated authority
• Material changes to scope, cost, programme, architecture, contractual commitments or customer acceptance must be approved through the appropriate Breathe process
• The postholder must stop or escalate work where safety, security, legality, quality or material commercial exposure is at risk

Role review

This specification records the principal responsibilities and requirements of the role. Reasonable duties may be adjusted as Breathe's services and project portfolio develop, provided the role remains consistent with its engineering project management purpose. Any substantive change affecting sponsored employment must be reviewed before implementation and recorded through the appropriate sponsor process.