Chief Technology Officer Defence

Chief Technology Officer Defence – Pre-Sales Clearance: SC Clearance required; DV strongly preferred Location: Remote, with regular travel to customer sites primarily across the South and Midlands Defence Experience Ideally, you will have experience working within or closely alongside the UK Defence ecosystem, with exposure to organisations and environments such as: - Defence Digital - Front Line Commands (FLCs) - Defence Equipment & Support (DE&S) - Ministry of Defence (MOD) - Wider UK Defence and National Security programmes What We're Looking For This role would suit a senior CTO, Defence CTO, Pre-Sales CTO, Chief Technologist, Solutions Director, Solution Architect or senior Pre-Sales professional who combines strong technical breadth with commercial awareness and genuine Defence sector credibility. You will need to be comfortable operating at the intersection of technology, customer strategy and commercial opportunity, with the ability to take an initial customer requirement and help turn it into a compelling, deliverable solution. Most importantly, you will be someone who can build trusted relationships, shape complex opportunities and provide the technical leadership required to win and deliver major Defence programmes. The Opportunity We are looking for an experienced Defence CTO / Pre-Sales Technologist to play a key role in the continued growth of a leading technology and services organisation's Defence and National Security business. Working closely with the Head of Defence, Account Directors, Account Managers and Business Development teams, you will provide senior technical leadership throughout the sales and capture lifecycle. This is a highly customer-facing position, requiring someone who can engage credibly with senior Defence stakeholders, understand complex requirements and translate them into compelling, secure and commercially viable technology solutions. You will act as the technical authority during early-stage opportunity capture, helping shape opportunities from initial concept through to solution design, bid and proposal development. Key Responsibilities - Act as the senior technical authority across Defence pre-sales and early-stage opportunity capture. - Work closely with the Head of Defence and wider sales leadership to identify, shape and develop new opportunities. - Engage directly with Defence customers and stakeholders to understand their strategic, operational and technical requirements. - Shape mission-aligned technical solutions across secure IT, Cloud, Data, AI/Analytics, Cyber Security and Resilience. - Lead and contribute to bid, tender and proposal development, ensuring solutions are technically compelling and aligned to customer requirements. - Translate complex technical concepts into clear, commercially compelling propositions for both technical and non-technical stakeholders. - Support the development of services-led growth across Defence and National Security programmes. - Build strong and credible technical relationships with Defence customers and establish trust quickly. - Work collaboratively with internal technical, delivery, commercial and sales teams to develop end-to-end solutions. - Identify opportunities for technology-led transformation and help position the organisation as a strategic technology partner. - Maintain strong awareness of the UK Defence technology landscape, emerging requirements and customer priorities. - Represent the organisation at customer meetings, workshops, industry events and relevant Defence forums. Key Requirements We are looking for an individual with a strong combination of Defence sector knowledge, technical breadth, customer engagement and pre-sales capability. Essential - Current SC Clearance is required. - Strong customer-facing pre-sales / technical sales experience within Defence, National Security or a closely related environment. - Proven experience across a broad technology landscape, including: - Cloud - Data - AI / Analytics - Cyber Security - Resilience - Secure IT and digital transformation - Demonstrable experience shaping technical solutions and propositions for complex enterprise or Defence customers. - Experience supporting bids, tenders and proposal development. - Ability to operate as a technical authority during early-stage capture and opportunity development. - Strong understanding of the UK Defence sector and its technology environment. - Experience engaging with senior Defence stakeholders and the ability to establish credibility and trust quickly. - Strong communication, presentation and stakeholder management skills. - Willingness and ability to travel regularly to customer sites and SCC locations, primarily across the South and Midlands. For more information please reach out to Louise Wright Director of IT Recruitment at PropRec Search