Director of Defence and Security

Our client is a UK based space innovation organisation operating at the forefront of national security and defence capability. They are seeking a senior Director Defence and Security to lead strategic engagement across the UK defence and security ecosystem.

This is a high impact leadership role for an individual motivated by the application of space technology to real world defence and security challenges in the UK and internationally. The role sits at the intersection of space, defence, and government priorities, with a clear mandate to deliver national impact, support sovereign capability, and contribute to economic growth.

As Defence Lead, the successful candidate will shape and deliver defence strategy, build trusted senior relationships across government and industry, and lead initiatives that strengthen national resilience through cutting edge, dual use space capabilities, aligned to the UK National Space Strategy and UK Defence Space Strategy.

Role Purpose

As Director Defence and Security, you will shape and deliver the organisation’s defence strategy, building trusted relationships across the defence and security landscape and ensuring readiness to meet evolving customer needs. You will lead a small team and work across a matrix organisation to deliver high impact outcomes, including mission led programmes. You will also support high potential businesses operating in the defence and space sector, helping accelerate their growth to meet customer demand.

Key Responsibilities

• Strategic Leadership: Refine and execute the defence and security strategy in alignment with national priorities and defence space policy.
• Demand Creation: Drive opportunity generation and develop a robust pipeline to support sustainable growth.
• Team Leadership: Lead a small core team and coordinate cross functional matrix teams across multiple programmes.
• Delivery Oversight: Ensure effective delivery of defence related activities and strengthen organisational capability to service defence contracts.
• Stakeholder Engagement: Lead senior level customer engagement and build trusted relationships across defence, security, government, and industry.
• Capability Development: Support the development of technical, cultural, and infrastructure capabilities required by defence customers.
• Financial Management: Manage budgets and maintain strong financial oversight to support long term sustainability.
• Performance Tracking: Monitor progress against milestones and KPIs to maintain momentum and accountability.

Skills and Attributes

• Strong leadership, influencing, and communication skills, with the ability to build long term trusted relationships across government, industry, and internal teams.
• Confident public speaker, experienced in presenting to senior stakeholders and diverse audiences.
• Skilled in producing compelling stakeholder presentations and proposals for both technical and non technical audiences.
• Ability to develop creative, client focused solutions to complex problems.
• Comfortable operating at a strategic and conceptual level, articulating clear value propositions.
• Collaborative mindset, with experience horizon scanning emerging technologies and capabilities.
• Ability to co create and deliver joined up market engagement strategies.
• Experience aligning corporate marketing and communications with sector specific messaging to support lead generation.
• Strong focus on measurable impact, revenue generation, and outcomes.
• Effective operator within matrix organisations, leveraging cross functional expertise.
• Proactive in identifying and resolving internal blockers to maintain delivery pace.
• Able to shift between long term strategy and near term operational delivery as required.
• Must hold, or be eligible to obtain, UK Security Clearance, with potential requirement for DV clearance.

Desirable Experience

• Background working with or within defence, space, government innovation bodies, or public private partnerships.
• Understanding of mission led innovation models within defence and space contexts.
• Knowledge of dual use technologies and their role in national resilience and security