NAD Group - Head of Lethality 4 - Engineering, Support & Test
Description
- Job grade: SCS Pay Band 1
- Contract type: Permanent
- Business area: MOD - National Armaments Directorate
- Type of role: Senior leadership
- Working pattern: Full-time
- Number of jobs available: 1
Location
About the job
Job summary
Thank you for your interest in the Head of Lethality 4 Engineering, Support & Test role.
This is a distinct and influential leadership role at the heart of Defence capability delivery, offering the chance to shape the future of some of the UK's most critical weapons, munitions and support programmes.
In this role, you will lead a diverse portfolio of engineering and Ordnance, Munitions & Explosives (OME) support, trials, evaluation and testing services that underpin operational effectiveness of a huge portfolio of diverse capabilities across Defence and support a wide range of government and international partners. With responsibility for a significant programme of activity valued at over £3.7 billion across ten years, this role sits at the intersection of strategy, delivery, safety, engineering excellence and commercial leadership.
As a member of the Senior Leadership Group, you will provide strategic direction to a multidisciplinary workforce, working across multiple locations in the UK and overseas. You will engage regularly with senior military leaders, government officials, regulators, industry executives and international partners to ensure the successful delivery and sustainment of vital Defence capabilities.
We are seeking an exceptional leader with a strong track record of delivering complex programmes, operating in highly regulated environments, and leading through influence at the most senior levels. If you are motivated by challenge, committed to public service, and passionate about delivering outcomes that strengthen Defence and national security, we look forward to hearing from you.
Job description
Head of Lethality 4 Engineering, Support & Test has the following areas of responsibility:
- Set the strategic direction, priorities and operational focus for the Lethality 4 pillar, covering engineering, Ordnance, Munitions and Explosives (OME) support, assurance and Test & Evaluation activities within Lethality & Protect and the wider NAD Group.
- Provide authoritative engineering leadership and expert advice on the safety and environmental management of OME, influencing senior decision-making and supporting Executive and Senior Safety Responsible Owners in the delivery of safe, effective and compliant outcomes.
- Lead and be accountable for the performance, delivery and output of OME engineering support including WESCOE, WTS, engineering assurance and TEST activity. Leading a team of c200 FTE and c£350M annual spend.
- Shape and contribute to the development and delivery of strategic Defence priorities in OME capabilities and test and evaluation, providing expert insight into industrial capability, influencing long-term planning and supporting future investment decisions.
- Drive operational delivery and balance resources, priorities and risk across the diverse L&P portfolio to meet evolving Defence requirements.
- Shape and oversee commercial, procurement and category management strategies that support L&P objectives, deliver value for money and strengthen industrial partnerships.
- Build and lead strategic relationships with regulators, industry partners and senior stakeholders, driving continuous improvement, innovation and engineering excellence across the defence enterprise.
- Provide centralised decision making on resourcing priorities for L&P 4 engineering resource.
Person specification
To be successful with your application, you’ll need to be able to demonstrate the following 6 essential criteria (please refer to these in your supporting statement):
- Significant senior-level experience in strategic capability planning, acquisition, sustainment, logistics and supply chain management within Defence or another complex, safety-critical, capital-intensive environment.
- Demonstrable experience of strategic safety leadership, including making safety decisions within a regulated environment, exercising Senior Safety Responsible accountability (or equivalent), and embedding effective safety management practices across complex programmes or systems.*
- Demonstrable expertise in risk management, including the identification, assessment, mitigation and governance of strategic, operational and safety risks.
- Proven track record of developing and delivering commercial strategies, managing complex supplier relationships, and operating across a range of commercial and contracting models.
- Strong experience of engaging and influencing senior stakeholders, building effective partnerships, providing constructive challenge, and working collaboratively across organisational and international boundaries.
- A visible leader, with a proactive commitment to diversity and inclusion and demonstrable experience of creating and maintaining a psychologically safe and inclusive environment while driving positive outcomes.
*Senior Safety Responsible accountability experience in weapons/OME and/or the Air regulated environment is desirable.
Essential Qualifications:
- Chartered Engineer
Benefits
- Learning and development tailored to your role
- An environment with flexible working options
- A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
- A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%
Things you need to know
Artificial intelligence
Selection process details
This is an external competition and we welcome applications from candidates in both the public or private sector. To apply for this post, you will need to submit the following documents, via the following link (Apply here) by 23:55 on 23 November 2026.
- A CV setting out your career history, with key responsibilities and achievements. Please ensure you have provided reasons for any gaps.
- A Supporting Statement of no more than 1200 words (font Arial, size 11), outlining how you consider your personal skills, leadership attributes, qualities and experience match the essential criteria above. Applications that exceed the word limit will not be considered. For assistance with Supporting Statements or if you experience any technical issues with submitting your application, please do reach out to the recruitment team prior to the closing deadline. Late submissions will not be considered.
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
As part of accepting this role you will be agreeing to the expected assignment duration set out above. This will not result in a contractual change to your terms and conditions. Please note this is an expectation only, it is not something which is written into your terms and conditions or indeed which the employing organisation or you are bound by. It will depend on your personal circumstances at a particular time and business needs, for example, would not preclude any absence like family friendly leave. It is nonetheless an important expectation, which is why we ask you to confirm you agree to the assignment duration set out above.
Security
See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).
Nationality requirements
Working for the Civil Service
We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).
Diversity and Inclusion
Apply and further information
Contact point for applicants
Job contact :
- Name : NAD Group SCS Talent Acquisition Team
- Email : [email protected]
Recruitment team
- Email : [email protected]
Further information
Service Commissioners at [email protected]
Attachments
| Candidate Pack - Head of Lethality 4 - Engineering, Support & Test Opens in new window (pdf, 1712kB) |
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