Head of Project Management
Join ICOMAT – Revolutionising the Future of Lightweight Manufacturing!
iCOMAT is an advanced manufacturing company that invented Rapid Tow Shearing (RTS) - the only proven technology for producing defect-free curved-fiber composite parts at industrial scale. We deliver the lightest structures possible for aerospace, automotive, defense, and space, at a rate and cost efficiency that far exceeds existing composite production processes.
We build and operate automated factories for composite materials, delivering components to Tier 1 suppliers and OEMs. The business has three main divisions: development of automated production machines, development of software design and production tools, and operation of the factory. We work with 25+ customers and completed the largest-ever Series A in composites manufacturing to fuel a significant scale-up, with growth plans that will see the business multiply in size over the next two to three years and expand operations into the UK, Europe and the US.
The business has currently more than 130,000 sqm of production capacity with manufacturing facilities in the UK (Gloucester and Swindon) and the US (Dayton, Ohio); a Hardware R&D Centre in Bristol, UK; and a Software R&D Centre in Athens, Greece.
As Head of Project Management you will own how iCOMAT delivers. Every customer production programme, from contract award through industrialisation and first article to full rate production, runs through your function. You will also build that function from the ground up: the processes, the tools, the reporting rhythm and the team of project managers behind it. Today we deliver components to more than 25 customers from a single UK factory. Over the next 2-3 years that becomes multi-site production across UK, US and Europe. The role is based at Factory 1 in Gloucester and reports to the Director of Global Manufacturing Operations.
What will you be doing?
Customer Programme Delivery
Owning delivery of customer production programmes end to end, from contract award through industrialisation and first article to full rate production. You will hold the schedule, the budget and the deliverables, and you will be the one accountable when a milestone is at risk. These are leading OEMs and Tier 1s in aerospace, automotive and space, buying parts that have never been made this way before.
Building the Project Management Function
Designing and standing up the project management function at iCOMAT: the governance, gate reviews, templates, planning tools and reporting cadence that let us run many programmes at once without dropping any of them. You will hire, lead and develop a team of project managers as we scale, and set the standard for how they work.
Planning, Risk & Reporting
Building and maintaining integrated programme plans with real critical paths, resource loading and dependencies. You will run risk and issue management properly: identify early, quantify, mitigate, escalate. Reporting to internal leadership and to the customer is concise, honest and on time, and always paired with the corrective action.
Supply Chain & BOM Management
Owning bills of materials and working with Purchasing and Supply Chain to secure long-lead items, qualify sources and keep material flowing to plan. You will make sure supply chain risk is visible in the programme plan long before it becomes a schedule problem.
Cross-Functional Leadership
Driving Engineering, Manufacturing, Quality and Supply Chain to a single plan. You will chair the programme reviews, resolve the trade-offs, unblock the team and make the calls that keep parts moving. Influence matters more than authority here, and you will need plenty of it.
Commercial & Customer Interface
Acting as the primary delivery contact for customers on progress, risk, change and recovery. You will support the commercial team in forming highly competitive proposals that are also deliverable, with realistic schedules and costs, and manage contract change so scope creep gets priced rather than absorbed.
What do we need from you?
Hands-on project management of manufacturing programmes is the number one requirement: you have delivered physical hardware to customer schedules, through industrialisation and into production
Aerospace, automotive or space experience is essential: 8+ years in project or programme management, with at least 3 years leading a team
A track record of running multiple complex programmes simultaneously without losing control of any of them
Experience building or significantly improving a project management function: process, governance, tooling and reporting
Relevant engineering qualifications are appreciated, but we value practical hands-on technical project management skills just as highly
Exceptional Office 365 skills, particularly Project, Excel and PowerPoint
Strong commercial awareness across contracts, change control, cost and margin
Supply chain and BOM management experience
Exceptional attention to detail, and the credibility to hold senior stakeholders to a plan
Proactive and resilient mindset with a “can do” attitude
Nice to have
Composites manufacturing experience
A track record of successfully managing Innovate UK, ATI or ESA grant-funded projects
Formal project management certification (APM, PMP or PRINCE2)
Experience taking a programme from prototype through to rate production in a fast-growing business
Exposure to AS9100 and OEM customer-specific programme requirements
Working conditions
Manufacturing and office environment, based at Factory 1 in Gloucester
Regular travel to customers, suppliers and our Bristol and Athens sites
Occasional international travel as we expand operations into Europe and the US
Flexibility to work extended hours when a programme milestone needs it
Our Values: Uncompromising Excellence
Discipline over excuses. We commit. We follow through. We hold ourselves and each other to the highest standard, especially when the pressure is on.
Push the edge. iCOMAT was built on a refusal to accept that curved fiber could not be manufactured at scale. We innovate where others hesitate.
Aligned and accountable. Everyone owns their lane, communicates openly, and delivers without being chased. No silos. No ambiguity.
Why iCOMAT?
Competitive Salary & Benefits: We offer a comprehensive benefits package, including private healthcare, pension scheme.
Stock Options: Equity options to give employees a stake in the company’s success
Career Growth Opportunities: Join us at a pivotal time as we scale up, offering unmatched professional growth opportunities in the rapidly advancing field of composite materials.
Innovation-Focused Culture: We pride ourselves on our inclusive, forward-thinking work environment. Recognized by Bloomberg as a "UK Startup to Watch," iCOMAT celebrates diversity and encourages all applicants, regardless of background, to apply.
Global Impact: Be a part of our mission to redefine lightweight structures for the automotive, aerospace, and space industries, working with some of the most influential companies worldwide.Ready to be part of something big?
Apply now to learn more and join us on our exciting journey!
- Department
- Operations
- Locations
- Gloucester, UK
About iCOMAT
iCOMAT is an Advanced Manufacturing business, which provides state-of-the-art lightweighting solutions based on the Rapid Tow Shearing (RTS) process.
We are proud to collaborate with the world’s top OEMs and end-users. Together we develop new frontiers in automated composites manufacturing which revolutionises the aerospace, automotive and space sectors.