Head of Uncrewed Air Systems

Job summary

The Head of Uncrewed Air Systems (UAS) is an exciting role with responsibility for procuring and sustaining the UK’s core suite of UAS to cost, time and performance, meeting safety and environmental protection standards and maintaining availability through life. In this role you would provide strategic leadership of this full range of project delivery within National Armaments - Materiel works in concert with the wider Air – Rotary Wing & UAS senior leadership team and is a key member of the senior uncrewed and autonomous community across the wider Defence Industrial Enterprise. ​

The Head of Uncrewed Air Systems carries out high profile work under significant Ministerial, Parliamentary, media and wider stakeholder scrutiny, requiring personal resilience and good senior stakeholder management. Uncrewed and autonomous systems is a rapidly growing Defence field that is driving the evolution of procurement practices and regulatory requirement, and as an SCS1 Head you will play a pivotal role in promoting that culture by championing efficiency and pace whilst safeguarding essential rigour.​

At it’s heart this role is about people and as a member of the Air-RWUAS Senior Leadership Team you would have the responsibility to inspire people to achieve the NAD objectives to deliver for Defence. If this sounds exciting to you, we look forward to receiving your application.​

Job description

The Head of Uncrewed Air Systems has the following areas of responsibility:​

• Deliver and sustain the complex suite of Uncrewed Air Systems (UAS) projects, informing early concept work with UK Defence Innovation and NAD Plans & Portfolios to ensure deliverability, coherence and through-life planning.​
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• Provide leadership to enable UAS Senior Safety Responsible and Senior Environment Responsible delegation holders so that the products, systems and services they deliver are acceptable, safe to operate, environmentally sound and compliant with the relevant Health and Safety, Environmental and Defence Regulations.​
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• Be accountable for the technical integration of equipment and systems provided by other areas into UAS and support integration with other platforms/systems within Defence to ensure optimum military capability.​
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• Contribute to Strategic Defence Review (SDR) outcomes, Defence Investment Plan (DIP), Defence Industrial Strategy (DIS) as required, providing insight into industry capability to influence Industrial planning.​
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• Balance available resources against the suite of projects, prioritising as requires across Front Line Commands and Centre, whilst optimising delivery, implementing change to deliver ongoing operational sustainment capabilities and support to operations.​
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• Develop Commercial and Procurement Strategies to deliver Defence Industrial Strategy (DIS) including Category Management strategies for the suite of projects.​
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• Monitor and develop Supply Chain resilience to assure equipment supply.​
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• Act as the principal interlocutor with relevant Senior Responsible Owners and Programme Directors to align procurement activity, capacity and the delivery ofcapability that meets the needs of the warfighter. ​

Person specification

​To be successful with your application, you’ll need to be able to demonstrate the following 5 essential criteria (please reference each of these in your supporting statement):​

• Experience of delivering complex programmes within the Defence or other technology and support focussed sectors, including instances of international cooperation.
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• Evidence of engaged and visible leadership, and of a proactive commitment to diversity and inclusion with demonstrable experience of creating and maintaining a psychologically safe and inclusive environment.​
  
  
• Good understanding of leading teams through complex change to adapt and optimise whilst continuing to deliver seamless acquisition, in-service support, logistics and supply chain management services.​
  
  
• Demonstrable experience of engaging with broad customer and senior stakeholder communities, along with an ability to embed partnering and promote constructive challenge in the interests of common goals.​
  
  
• Demonstrable experience in safety & risk management, the use of standard programme management techniques and financial control within a Defence or similar industry context.
  
  

ESSENTIAL QUALIFICATIONS:​

• Chartered Projects Professional or equivalent experience​

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £93,600, Ministry of Defence contributes £27,115 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).

• 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

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

HOW TO APPLY​

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 link by 23:55 on Sunday 4th October 2026.​​

• A copy of your CV preferably in MS Word format 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 1500 words (font Arial, size 11), outlining how you consider your personal skills, leadership attributes, qualities and experience match the essential criteria on page 7 of the attached candidate pack.​ Applications that exceed the word limit will not be considered.

AFTER YOU’VE APPLIED​

Shortlist​​

All submissions will receive an email acknowledgement upon application. If you do not receive confirmation of receipt of your application 3 working days post-closing date, please contact us at [email removed]. The panel will consider the evidence you have provided against the essential criteria set out at page 7 of the attached candidate pack to determine their shortlist. ​​

Interview​​

Shortlisted candidates will be asked to attend a panel interview for an in-depth discussion of your previous experience and professional competence in relation to the essential criteria. Full details of the interview process will be made available to shortlisted candidates. The Panel will consist of Mark Langrill (Director Air Rotary, Uncrewed Air