About this role
Driving commercial strategy across the UK defence and national security sector involves owning the pipeline and closing contracts with key organisations like the Ministry of Defence, Defence Digital, UK Strategic Command, DE&S, and Dstl. Scale develops dependable AI applications powered by the Scale GenAI Platform, moving public sector clients away from pilots and toward operational capability. This appointment requires carrying a commercial target, finding and shaping deals, and eventually hiring a small team to support the expanding workload.
The organisation looks for someone who understands how defence procurement actually operates rather than relying solely on official charts. Candidates must navigate complex routes to market, manage security clearances, and act as a credible peer to senior military and civil service leaders. Individuals who thrive in ambiguous, fast-moving environments and have a background in defence technology sales or leadership will find a strong fit here.
What you will do
- Own the commercial plan and pipeline for UK defence and security accounts.
- Find, shape, and close deals independently from initial conversations through to delivery.
- Leverage existing relationships across the MOD, Defence Digital, UK Strategic Command, DE&S, Dstl, and the intelligence community.
- Navigate defence routes to market including the Defence Sourcing Portal, DASA, JOSCAR registration, single-source arrangements, and main CCS frameworks.
- Serve as a credible counterpart to senior military and civil service leaders to translate requirements into deliverable work.
- Manage security clearance, accreditation, and information-handling requirements for defence projects.
- Collaborate with product and delivery teams to ensure sales align with technical capabilities.
- Hire and lead a small team over time while contributing to the wider UK public sector strategy.
What you need
- Demonstrated experience selling and delivering technology or transformation work into UK defence or national security from a vendor, systems integrator, or internal MOD and Armed Forces role.
- Deep knowledge of at least one part of defence and its specific purchasing mechanisms.
- Familiarity with public sector procurement frameworks, tenders, single-source rules, and stakeholder-heavy buying processes.
- Track record of opening doors, executing complex pursuits, and owning commercial results.
- Established professional relationships with senior figures in the defence sector.
- Possession of or eligibility for UK security clearance, with SC as a minimum and DV desirable.
Nice to have
- Experience with AI or data-heavy platforms
- Regulated, mission-critical, or classified government programmes
- Experience building or running a small commercial team
Skills and tech stack
Questions candidates ask
What is the remote work policy for this role?
The posting specifies the location as London, UK, but does not detail a specific remote work policy.
What is the compensation for this position?
The salary and specific compensation details are not stated in the posting.
What is the tech stack used by the team?
The engineering work relies on the Scale GenAI Platform to build full applications using organisation data and expertise.
What is the hiring process timeline or policy?
Company policy requires a 90-day waiting period before reconsidering candidates who previously applied for the same role.
Who does this role report to?
This position reports directly to the new Public Sector leader.