31 Aug 2025
31 Aug 2025
Birmingham, United Kingdom
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UK Telecoms Lab
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Not Specified
Permanent

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Senior Project Manager

About the Role
UK Telecoms Lab (UKTL)

UK Telecoms Lab is building cutting edge Telecoms testing facilities to keep the UK telecommunications networks safe, accelerate the roll-out of new technologies and grow our world leading telecoms sector to maintain resiliency and security. Read more about the UKTL here!

Successful candidates will join a state-of-the-art testing facility and be supporting the team building and conducting testing and research on the latest technologies and innovations in the industry. You will work alongside our infrastructure and Cybersecurity professionals to ensure that the UK’s world class Telecoms infrastructure grows in a resilient and secure manner underpinning growth in other industry sectors.

As a trusted and independent national capability, UKTL interacts with standards bodies, Academia, and government departments as well as Communications Service Providers and equipment vendors.

We strive to offer a great work life balance - if you are looking for full time, part time or flexible options, we will try to make this work where business demands permit. This will be dependent on the kind of role you do and the area of the business you work in.

Successful Applicants must be able to commute to the UKTL offices in Birmingham at least twice a week
About You
Key Responsibilities:
- Deployment of Data Centre Architecture to support Telecoms systems under test: manage the delivery of the IT architectures required to support modern containerised/virtualised Telecom Applications in a “secure-by-design” environment. This encompasses the compute server architecture, switching fabric, container management, containers and applications.
- Deployment of Telecom systems: deliver projects including fixed and mobile containerised/virtualised core, and RAN/O-RAN systems plus new technologies.
- Architecture Maintenance and Evolution: manage maintenance, upgrades, and evolution of the telecoms test lab architecture including the physical environment, ensuring alignment with industry advancements and compliance with standards.
- Requirements capture: elicit and document technical and business requirements by working with the build, operations, test and evaluation teams to ensure that lab architectures meet their needs.
- Reporting: produce regular reports and contribute to other regular reports to keep internal and external stakeholders up to date.
- Vendor Management: manage third-party supplier performance, ensuring that design artefacts are documented, updated and stored in the appropriate locations.
- Test Tool Deployment: manage the deployment and upgrading of specialist test tools within the lab environment.
- Cross-Functional Coordination: facilitate and manage the teams drawn from a matrix organization to deliver on technical and business outcomes.
- Continuous Improvement: build in stakeholder feedback and continuous improvement into project plans.
Essential Skills and Experience:
- Project Management: Project management qualifications in both Agile and Waterfall methodologies, with experience in the use of Jira and Confluence. The successful candidate will also demonstrate effective management of project risks and issues.
- Budget Management: Experience in effective management of project budgets, controlling costs and project forecasting.
- Proficiency with IT architectures: to support modern containerised/ virtualised Telecom Applications in a “secure-by-design” environment. This encompasses software, infrastructure and switching fabrics.
- Telecom Expertise: familiarity with mobile core networks including 4G & 5GSA, RAN and ORAN architectures plus fixed networks.
- Technological Agility: aptitude for quickly understanding and implementing new technologies.
- Stakeholder management: Understand and influence agendas, outcomes and key decision making, whilst facilitating internal teams and external suppliers to achieve project goals.
- Communication: excellent written and verbal communication within a technical organisation.
We actively recruit citizens of all backgrounds, but the nature of our work in this specific area means that nationality, residency and security requirements are more tightly defined than others. To work in this role, you will need to have an SC clearance with no restrictions, or you must have the ability to obtain an SC clearance.
About Us
UKTL is run as a semi-autonomous arm of The National Physical Laboratory (NPL) which is a world-leading centre of excellence that provides cutting-edge measurement science, engineering and technology to underpin prosperity and quality of life in the UK.

NPL and UKTL have strong commitments to diversity and equality of opportunity, and welcome applications from candidates irrespective of their background, gender, race, sexual orientation, religion, or age, providing they meet the required criteria. Applications from women, disabled and black, Asian and minority ethnic candidates in particular are encouraged. All disabled candidates (as defined by the Equality Act 2010) who satisfy the minimum criteria for the role will be guaranteed an interview under the Disability Confident Scheme.

At NPL, we believe our success is a result of the diversity and talent of our people. We strive to nurture and respect individuals to ensure everyone feels valued by treating everyone on the basis of their own individual merits and abilities regardless of their own or perceived identity, as part of our commitment to diversity & inclusion, we hold memberships and accreditations to ensure we’re creating an environment where all our colleagues feel supported and welcome, please see our Diversity & Inclusion page.

To ensure everyone has an equal chance, we’re always willing to make reasonable adjustments to the recruitment process. If you would like to discuss, please contact us.