Senior Project Manager — Mechanical Systems & Precision Engineering | Oxford | £75K + Bonus

Do you have hands-on experience delivering technically complex projects involving mechanical systems, noise and vibration, or high-precision motion control, and do you want to be the person actually driving the work, not overseeing someone else who is?

An Advanced technology company based in Oxfordshire is looking for 2 Senior Project Managers with real engineering substance to lead complex, high-impact projects from the front. This is a rare opportunity to work on genuinely cutting-edge technology used by leading global manufacturers, where your technical credibility matters as much as your project management capability.

The Role

You’ll own the full project lifecycle - planning, execution, and delivery - working directly with PhDs, scientists, and engineering specialists. This is a hands-on leadership role. You’ll be on the ground, solving problems, making decisions, and driving outcomes. If you’re used to managing other project managers rather than leading projects yourself, this probably isn’t the right fit.

The projects you’ll be leading sit at the intersection of mechanical engineering, precision motion systems, and data-driven performance analysis - specifically in environments where noise, vibration, stability, and throughput directly affect results.

What We’re Looking For

The combination of experience that matters most for this role:

• Proven hands-on project management, you’ve delivered complex technical projects yourself. You’ve owned the risk, managed the stakeholders, and driven delivery personally.
• Mechanical systems experience — particularly in the context of noise, vibration, and dynamic system behaviour. You understand how mechanical design choices affect performance at a practical level.
• Motors and controllers — hands-on project experience in high-precision, stability-critical, or throughput-driven environments. You’re comfortable engaging with the technical detail, not just the timeline.
• Data analysis for performance and preventative monitoring - you’re confident in interpreting results data and using it to inform decisions. No coding required.

You’ll also bring:

• A degree in Engineering, Physics, Materials Science, Nanotechnology, or a related technical discipline
• A track record across engineering, R&D, or precision manufacturing environments
• Experience working in organisations of different sizes - enterprise, SME, and ideally startup or scale-up
• Senior project management certification — PRINCE2 Practitioner, APM, MSP or equivalent

What's On Offer:

• Competitive salary: £75,000 (dependent on experience)
• Annual performance bonus
• Flexible working hours (hybrid working available after successful probation)

Apply now or call me directly on 07791 615703 to discuss further.

Ascent People is acting as an Employment agency for this role. Candidates must have full UK working rights as no sponsorship is on offer.