Project Controls Lead - Level 7Location: Luton initially, transitioning to Reading from September 2026Working Pattern: 3-4 Days On SiteContract: 12 MonthsRate: £62 - £65 per hour (Outside IR35)Security Clearance: Active SC Clearance RequiredNationality Requirement: Sole British Nationals OnlyTHE ROLEWe are recruiting on behalf of a leading defence and aerospace organisation seeking an experienced GCAP Project Controls Lead to support a major international defence programme.This role will support the FCA GCAP Programme Controls Manager in shaping and delivering a best-practice Project Controls framework within a tri-national consortium involving UK, Italian and Japanese partners.The successful candidate will play a key role in schedule management, programme planning, performance analysis and stakeholder coordination across a highly complex, multi-national engineering programme environment.KEY RESPONSIBILITIES- Support the development and delivery of a best-practice Project Controls framework across the GCAP programme- Develop, maintain and control complex project schedules across large-scale engineering programmes- Apply recognised scheduling methodologies including Critical Path Method (CPM)- Coordinate timelines and planning activities across multi-functional and international teams- Monitor, analyse and report schedule performance, identifying risks and recommending mitigation strategies- Support schedule optimisation and conflict resolution activities- Balance programme re