Chief Engineer

Can you lead the engineering integrity of the UK's most critical national security technologies?

In the world of national security, the stakes couldn't be higher. While the pace of delivery continues to accelerate, our commitment to quality, rigour and long-term sustainability remains. We're looking for someone who can help us maintain that balance and drive excellence at every stage.

We are HMGCC, the engineering specialists at the heart of the UK's national security

.Working across government, industry, academia and with international allies, we bring engineering ingenuity to some of the nation's most complex challenges, developing the tools and technologies that help keep the UK safe

.Our engineers work across an exceptionally broad range of disciplines, from software and hardware through to electronics, manufacturing and specialist engineering. Together, they create capabilities that make a genuine difference to the national security mission. This breadth creates unique challenges and opportunities, requiring engineering leadership that can bring together different disciplines, perspectives and approaches to solve complex problems

.
As the Chief Engineer, you are the guardian of engineering integrit

y.You aren't just managing a team; you are owning the technical health of the entire HMGCC engineering system. Your mission is to ensure that as we innovate and deliver at pace, we never compromise on the coherence, security or resilience of our technical solution

s.You will hold authority across all product areas, acting as the ultimate technical escalation point and the voice of engineering excellence. You will balance the urgent needs of today with the strategic health of tomorrow, ensuring our engineering capabilities remain sustainable, resilient and ready to meet future challenge

s.This is a high-impact leadership role. You will work alongside members of the senior leadership team, influencing the direction of the organisation and sponsoring engineering communities of practice. From defining the guardrails of our engineering standards to shaping how emerging technologies and new ways of working are adopted, you will help define the future of engineering at HMGC

C.You will lead our technical Heads of Profession, cultivating the future talent and ensuring that technical career paths are clear, rewarding and aligned with the national security missio

n.
Key responsibilit

• iesOwn the guardrails: define and evolve the engineering standards, security expectations, and lifecycle processes (from R&D to disposa
• l).Protect the future: ensure that the pressure to deliver does not erode the long-term viability of our syste
• ms.Drive the AI agenda: lead on AI/ML tooling across the organisation, identifying opportunities that move the needle for national securi
• ty.Act as the final word: serve as the ultimate escalation point for technical tensions and provide final sign-off on safety and engineering complian
• ce.Develop the profession: line manage and sponsor Heads of Profession, ensuring our technical skills remain world-cla
• ss.Modernise infrastructure: steer the future of our engineering facilities and act as an intelligent partner to other areas of the organisati

on.
Sa

lary£82,893 - £89

,114This role is available full-time for 37 hours per week Monday to Fr

idayFlexible or compressed working patterns avail

ableThis role will be based predominantly on site with occasional travel to other government s

ites
More abou

t youTo apply for this role, you'll bring a strong engineering foundation and a track record of leading in complex technical environments. You may have developed your expertise within a particular engineering discipline, but you'll also have the breadth, curiosity and leadership capability to work across diverse technical dom

ains.You'll be motivated by engineering excellence and comfortable balancing pace, innovation and delivery with appropriate governance, assurance and risk management. Most importantly, you'll enjoy helping teams make sound engineering decisions whilst supporting the long-term development of engineering capability and technical excellence across an organisa

tion.To apply for this role, you will

• have:Deep technical expertise: an effective background in software engineering, hardware engineering, or a related field, underpinned by engineering princi
• ples.Proven engineering leadership: experience leading large-scale engineering teams or organisations with a track record of driving technical excell
• ence.Strategic foresight: the ability to see the "big picture," balancing immediate delivery pressures with long-term sustainability and technical he
• alth.Influence and communication: the interpersonal skills to collaborate with product and delivery leadership, bridging the gap between fast delivery and engineering ri
• gour.Risk mastery: a proven ability to identify, assess, and mitigate complex technical risks in high-stakes environm

ents.
Additional experience in any of the following areas would be benef

• icial:Experience defining and governing engineering standards and compliance frame
• works.Familiarity with modern practices such as Agile, DevOps, and
• CI/CD.A passion for AI/ML and the ability to implement these technologies within a complex delivery stru
• cture.Experience leading engineering communities of practice or making high-level technical investment deci

sions.
Your personal

skillsYou’ll be someo

• ne who:Leads with vision: you can articulate a clear engineering strategy that inspires others and aligns with our national security
• goals.Collaborates across boundaries: you enjoy working in partnership with peers to find solutions to cross-area technical te
• nsions.Champions quality: you have an uncompromising commitment to excellence and the courage to advocate for long-term health over short-ter
• m wins.Is a catalyst for innovation: you are curious about the future, particularly AI, and know how to integrate new tech into a secure, stable envir
• onment.Empowers others: you value mentorship and are dedicated to helping engineers realise their full pot
• ential.Remains calm under pressure: you are a steady hand during critical decision-making processes and gate r

eviews.
What

we offerNow that we’ve explained what you will be doing, here’s what we can of

• fer you:A positive, collaborative and inclusive work envi
• ronment.25 days annual leave, rising to 30 after 5 years’
• service.8 Bank Holiday days off in addition to your annua
• l leave.2 ½ additional days leave (set dates through th
• e year).Pension. Our Pension scheme is Alpha. It’s comp
• etitive.Flexible or compressed hours to support you to balance your life with yo
• ur work.Paid parental and adoption leave and neonatal
• policy.Training. This can be anything from a ½ day internal course to a distant learning degree. If it’s relevant to your career, we will aim to supp
• ort you.Opportunities for mentoring and c
• oaching.Free secure parking and allocated parking for car
• shares.Affinity groups – whether you are a person with a disability, part of the LGBTQIA+ community and/or from an ethnic minority background, we provide an inclusive environment, support and a variety of networks for e
• veryone.Free onsite gym, open 24 hour
• s a day.Bike to work
• scheme.Multi-faith Prayer room. This is a quiet contemplation room for staff to use for prayer or ref
• lection.3 days paid leave a year to support a registered charity of your
• choice.Sports & Social Society. Whether its classic cars or baking, golf or crafting, we have a society for you. We offer regular subsidised theatre tickets and on-site act
• ivities.On site café and res
• taurant.On site nursery (subject to availa
• bility).New joine

rs loan.
Ab

out HMGCCWe work with the national security community, UK government, academia, private sector partners and international allies to bring engineering ingenuity to the national security mission, creating tools and technologies that drive us ahead and help to protect th

e nation.We invest in our people, not only with training but also support throughout your career with us; to allow you to reach your full potential at work, as well as enjoy the work/life balance many a

spire to.To find out more about us and if we’re right for you, please visit our