Director of Emerging Technology Delivery
NCC
Location: Emersons Green, Bristol, BS16 7FS
Hybrid Working: 2 days on site, 3 days homeworking
Salary: £83,693 to £107,061 per annum experience dependent + 12.5% employer pension + Package
Security Clearance: due to the nature of our business, employment is subject to a high level of government security clearance.
Closing Date: 16th January 2026 – We reserve the right to close this advert early if required.
“We’re looking for a leader and a visionary, not a day to day manager”, quote from the CTO
We’re a national R&D centre - government-backed, not-for-profit, and mission-driven. We work across 16 sectors and over 100 partners a year. Our people are here to deliver outcomes that matter, and you’ll be involved in how we support, retain and grow them.
Supporting the development of new and emerging technologies within the Defence sector is critical to UK business and defence initiatives. As our work is growing and we have many other UK defence companies that we can expand to support.
This is an exciting role as you’ll have the opportunity to partially form what you decide to focus upon and drive the business to achieve.
Reporting to the Chief Technology Officer, you’ll focus on these areas:
- acting as a visionary leader investigating emerging technology markets and how we can contribute towards them for the benefit of the UK.
- ·overseeing our large-scale technology in defence programmes of work.
- developing then supporting the NCC’s adoption of further agile / matrix managed project methodologies.
The ideal candidate would demonstrate strong leadership, have good knowledge of relevant emerging technology developments, and an ability to proactively develop and unlock opportunities.
A customer-focused approach is essential, as is the ability to work in lockstep with government, industry and academia to deliver even greater impact for the UK.
Specific activities could include:
- Setting strategic direction for delivery aspects of technical programmes, taking a partnership approach with clients to accelerate and drive business growth through a portfolio of technology, capability, and service offerings.
- Develop a network of senior leaders across innovation, industry, professional services and allied organisations and networks.
- Line management of 3 “head of” level staff and wider responsibility for a department of approximately 40 people.
- Budget responsibilities, individual projects range from £10 to £100 million.
- Raise NCC’s profile across this stakeholder landscape to ensure its capabilities and expertise are known and understood.
- Expand NCC’s portfolio of innovative partnership constructs and commercial offerings; informed by latest external analysis, and market insight.
- Represent NCC on relevant business and industry initiatives and networks and inform organisational thought leadership.
- Work collaboratively with NCC Directors and teams to inform the development and delivery of impactful, targeted, and customer-focused external sector campaigns that grow the business and expand its customer pipeline.
- Be committed to developing the talents of the wider organisation.
- Alongside leading day-to-day activities, this role will be central to driving forward high-priority projects and securing the public and private sector funding needed to deliver them.
What we’re looking for in your application:
- Experience working at Director level, or a very senior “head of” ready to make the move into directorship.
- In depth and excellent knowledge of emerging technologies relevant to the manufacturing / defence industries.
- Technology or digital transformation experience including having developed new target operating models and supported business culture change.
- Successful history overseeing large scale and complex technical projects.
- Defence or manufacturing industry experience, ideally both.
- Willingness and ability to undertake a high level of government security clearance.
- A track record of strong leadership, delivering through others in a matrix organisation and of developing high performing teams.
- Successful history running projects and good programme management skills, ideally in an Agile and Waterfall methods.
- Desirable: Experience of supporting companies to grow and scale through developing and or delivering business growth interventions.
- Desirable: Exposure to any of the following industries: Engineering, Aerospace, Marine, Nuclear, Space or Quantum.
What we offer:
- 12.5% employer pension contribution
- Private medical cover
- Flexible and hybrid working as standard
- Clear routes to grow your skills and influence
- A team that gets things done without the drama
Not sure if it’s a fit? Question on the salary or benefits? Happy to have a quick chat first, please reach out to [email protected] or via linked in. Know someone who might be right? Tag or share them with us.
Why NCC?
What we do
We help manufacturers take on bigger challenges - whether that’s building cleaner aircraft, scaling up offshore wind, or strengthening the UK’s supply chains. We’re here to deliver practical outcomes, not prototypes that sit on shelves.
Who we work with
We work across 16 sectors, from defence and energy to infrastructure and space. Some projects are with global tier 1s, others with small UK firms solving one specific problem - the works always varied, and always real.
What it’s like here
We’re not a startup. We’re not a corporate. We’re a national centre with the kit, time and people to do the job properly. The teams are focused, the thinking is sharp, and you’ll be trusted to get on with it.
Why this job matters
This role isn’t just internal support - it’s part of how we deliver nationally important work. If we do our job right, the UK’s manufacturers can do theirs better.