Job Description

Overview

Empowering impactful projects in a complex world.

At AtkinsRéalis, our impact is defined by the calibre of our people and the breadth of our technical capability. Across some of the UK's most significant and complex engineering programmes, we bring together diverse perspectives, deep domain expertise and a culture that values professionalism, integrity and collaboration. When you join us, you become part of a community that supports each other to perform at our best – while still recognising the importance of balance, flexibility and life outside of work. Additionally, if you’re returning to your career after a break, we offer structured pathways to help you re-enter the profession with confidence, backed by mentorship and development tailored to your experience.

We are now looking for an Engineering Director to play a pivotal role in our Advanced Engineering Delivery & Consultancy (AEDC) practice. This is a senior position where your decisions will shape programmes that safeguard the UK’s national interests and enable critical capabilities for decades to come. You will guide large, multidisciplinary teams delivering some of the highest-profile and technically demanding programmes in the country – including work with MOD across the equipment acquisition lifecycle.

In this role, you will operate across the full engineering lifecycle, from early concept development through to integration and delivery, spanning land, sea, air and Critical National Infrastructure domains. You’ll provide expert and trusted technical leadership, ensuring alignment across complex systems and bringing a holistic and enterprise-level perspective to decision making.

You will engage directly with senior stakeholders – from engineering specialists to programme executives – working collaboratively to shape strategies and support strong outcomes and ensuring that our solutions stand up to the highest levels of scrutiny. And because the work you lead underpins national security, you’ll know that your contribution delivers real and lasting impact.

Your role

• The purpose of this role is to lead the delivery of high value engineering work for our Defence clients. As Engineering Director, you will act as a senior technical authority on our most complex programmes – setting the standard for delivery excellence, ensuring alignment and providing visible leadership that gives clients confidence their critical challenges are being managed with clarity and accountability.
• Alongside this, you will drive growth across the Defence market by shaping compelling multidisciplinary engineering solutions and strengthening our position with MOD and industry customers. Working closely with market and business development leads, you will identify new opportunities, develop client focused, compelling strategies and help secure programmes of national significance.
• You will provide senior leadership to our major Defence campaigns, ensuring clear technical direction, differentiated value propositions and alignment with wider business priorities. Through your holistic thinking, enterprise level perspective and strong client relationships, you will strengthen our reputation as a trusted, collaborative partner capable of delivering enduring impact for the UK’s national security.
• Central to the role is your ability to inspire confidence – both internally and with clients. You will provide clear, holistic and enterprise-level thinking across the entire engineering lifecycle, giving clients assurance that their most complex challenges are in safe, capable and accountable hands.

Key Attributes

• Influential Leader: Credible at senior levels; able to engage, challenge and influence MOD, industry primes and internal executives.
• Strong Technical Foundation: Deep experience with complex defence systems, safety critical engineering and relevant standards/regulation.
• Financial Awareness: Understanding of budgeting, cost control, business cases and contract structures.
• Commercial Acumen: Understanding of how decisions shape the risk profiles of programmes; balancing technical decisions with commercial realities.
• Holistic Thinker: Sees the whole system – technical, commercial, operational and organisational – and makes decisions with an enterprise wide perspective.
• Strategic Mindset: Sets clear technical direction aligned to organisational and customer priorities; experienced in portfolio-level decision making.
• Delivery Focused: Proven track record delivering major defence programmes to time, cost and quality within governed environments.
• Stakeholder Savvy: Builds trusted relationships with clients, technical authorities and partners; confident representing the organisation in senior forums.
• People Developer: Grows high performing teams, champions professional excellence and fosters an inclusive, collaborative culture.
• Security Minded: Operates with discretion and integrity in classified and security sensitive environments.

About you

Essential

• Proven experience delivering complex, high value engineering consultancy services within the Defence sector, providing senior technical leadership on major programmes.
• Strong engineering management expertise, with the ability to assure alignment across multidisciplinary teams and complex, safety critical environments.
• Credibility with senior Defence stakeholders, including MOD, industry primes, regulators and technical authorities.
• Demonstrable ability to provide expert guidance and assurance, giving clients confidence in delivery, decision making and technical direction.
• Experience shaping and developing engineering solutions and service offerings for Defence clients.
• Commercial acumen, including experience with pricing, commercial models, bids and contract structures.
• Skilled communicator and collaborator, capable of operating at senior levels and shaping outcomes constructively in complex or ambiguous environments.
• Ability to lead major campaigns, working with business development teams to create compelling, technically robust and competitive propositions.
• Strong understanding of Defence standards, governance and security protocols, operating effectively within classified environments.

Desirable

• Experience developing digital engineering solutions, including model based systems engineering, analytics or software enabled services for Defence clients.
• Background working with non-traditional Defence suppliers, technology partners or innovation ecosystems.
• Experience delivering engineering programmes across multiple domains (land, sea, air and CNI).
• Familiarity with collaborative delivery models, including partnerships, alliances or integrated teams.
• Professional Chartership (e.g., CEng) and active participation in relevant professional bodies.
• Experience contributing to strategic growth, including account development, pipeline shaping or market positioning.
• Exposure to export Defence markets or international clients.

Reward & benefits

Explore the rewards and benefits that help you thrive – at every stage of your life and your career. Enjoy competitive salaries, employee rewards and a brilliant range of benefits you can tailor to suit your own health, wellbeing, financial and lifestyle choices. Make the most of a myriad of opportunities for training and professional development to grow your skills and expertise. And combine our hybrid working culture and flexible holiday allowances to balance a great job and fulfilling personal life.

Be rewarded. Find out more.

About AtkinsRéalis

We're AtkinsRéalis, a world-class engineering services and nuclear organization. We connect people, data and technology to transform the world's infrastructure and energy systems. Together, with our industry partners and clients, and our global team of consultants, designers, engineers and project managers, we can change the world. We're committed to leading our clients across our various end markets to engineer a better future for our planet and its people.

Find out more.

Additional information

Security clearance

This role may require security clearance and offers of employment will be dependent on obtaining the relevant level of clearance. If this is necessary, it will be discussed with you at interview. The vetting process is delivered by United Kingdom Security Vetting (UKSV) and may require candidates to provide proof of residency in the UK of 5 years or longer. If applying to this role please do not make reference to (in conversation) or include in your application or CV, details of any current or previously held security clearance.

We are committed to creating a culture where everyone feels that they belong - a place where we can all be ourselves, thrive and develop to be the best we can be. So, we offer a range of family friendly, inclusive employment policies, flexible working arrangements and employee resource groups to support all employees. As an Equal Opportunities Employer, we value applications from all backgrounds, cultures and ability.

Worker Type

Employee

Job Type

Regular

At AtkinsRéalis, we seek to hire individuals with diverse characteristics, backgrounds and perspectives. We strongly believe that world-class talent makes no distinctions based on gender, ethnic or national origin, sexual identity and orientation, age, religion or disability, but enriches itself through these differences.