Senior Program / Project Manager (EU and Defence R&D)

Overview

Nortal is a global technology consulting company that blends strategic vision with technological innovation to deliver complex, mission-critical digital transformations for leading enterprises and governments worldwide. Guided by the belief that work should be meaningful, challenging, and value-driven, we empower our teams to co-create impactful solutions that shape a better future.Nortal's Applied Defence R&D serves as an innovation engine, transforming complex defence challenges into validated, deployable solutions. By combining cyber resilience, AI, data science, embedded security, and digital engineering, we deliver mission-ready prototypes and architectures. Partnering with governments, armed forces, industry, and academia, we create sovereign IP, dual-use technologies, and NATO/EU-aligned innovations that reduce risk and accelerate capability delivery.We are looking for a Senior Program/Project Manager to lead complex EU and defence R&D projects, and, where needed, a portfolio of related projects. You will own delivery against contractual scope, milestones, budget, and risk, and coordinate the consortium of partners, funding authorities, and internal teams behind a multinational programme.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead complex EU and defence R&D projects independently, from setup through execution, reporting, and closure
• Own project scope, schedule, milestones, deliverables, budget, and risk
• Coordinate multidisciplinary, distributed teams and manage consortium partners, funding authorities, and subcontractors
• Translate Grant Agreement and contractual obligations into executable project plans
• Track progress, spot deviations early, and drive corrective action
• Prepare and lead consortium reviews, steering meetings, and funding-authority presentations
• Own contractual deliverables, periodic reports, and audit-ready evidence through to completion
• Support proposal preparation and consortium formation for new R&D opportunities

Methods & Approaches

• Structured project management adapted to R&D and engineering environments
• Work-package, milestone, and risk management
• Agile and hybrid delivery combined with contractual project controls
• Financial planning and portfolio-level reporting

Deliverables

• Project plans, schedules, budgets, and risk registers
• Reviewed and finalised contractual deliverables and reports
• Decision records, change requests, and stakeholder communications
• Inputs to proposals and delivery models

Skills & Experience

• Significant experience leading complex technology, cyber security, defence, or R&D projects with high autonomy
• Strong project financial management, contract management, and stakeholder management
• Experience managing distributed teams and coordinating multiple external organisations
• Experience with EDF, Horizon Europe, EDA, ESA, NATO, or similar multi-partner programmes is a strong advantage
• Experience with Jira, Confluence, SharePoint, or MS Project
• Degree or equivalent experience in engineering, IT, cyber security, business, or project management
• PMI/PMP, PRINCE2, IPMA, or SAFe certification is an advantage
• Willingness to complete a government security clearance process

Why Nortal?

• We hire people not only for their skills but also for cultural add. We live by our values: commit to delivering value and results, take ownership, empower yourself and others, and own your future and growth. Besides our professionalism, we like to spice things up with good humour
• We care about your growth & development. At Nortal, we support constant improvement and knowledge sharing
• We prioritise your health & well-being by providing a flexible package for health insurance and sports initiatives
• We support your work-life balance and provide flexible working hours
• It's your choice whether you want to work from the office or remotely within Estonia