Director Digital Engineering Consultancy (Aerospace and Finance) in Hampshire, Portsmouth

This is an opportunity to build and lead a high-growth digital engineering business at the intersection of aerospace, defense, engineering, and advanced technology.

The Director will have significant influence over the company's strategy, customer relationships, technology roadmap, organizational development, and financial performance.

The successful candidate will have the opportunity to shape how aerospace and defense organizations adopt digital engineering, MBSE, digital thread, simulation, AI, and other advanced technologies to design, manufacture, and sustain the next generation of aerospace and defense systems.

Key Responsibilities

• Business Strategy & Leadership
• Develop and execute the company's strategic plan and long-term growth strategy.
• Establish the company's position as a leading provider of digital engineering and technology-enabled consulting services to aerospace and defense customers.
• Identify new markets, customers, technologies, and service offerings that can accelerate growth.
• Establish organizational priorities, performance objectives, and operating plans.
• Build a scalable organization capable of supporting significant revenue and headcount growth.
• Serve as the senior executive and primary representative of the business with customers, partners, employees, and the broader industry.
• Business Development & Customer Growth
• Develop and execute a comprehensive business development strategy focused on aerospace and defense.
• Build and maintain relationships with senior executives and technical leaders at major aerospace and defense organizations.
• Identify opportunities to expand existing customer relationships and develop new strategic accounts.
• Lead major pursuits, proposals, contract negotiations, and strategic customer engagements.
• Develop relationships with OEMs, Tier 1 suppliers, defense contractors, government agencies, and emerging aerospace companies.
• Establish differentiated value propositions around digital engineering, engineering transformation, and advanced technology.
• Develop strategic partnerships with technology providers, engineering firms, software companies, and other complementary organizations.
• Establish and manage sales pipelines, bookings, revenue, and customer-growth objectives.
• Digital Engineering & Technical Services
• Provide strategic leadership across digital engineering capabilities such as:
• Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE)
• Digital Thread and Digital Twin
• Systems Engineering
• Requirements Engineering and Management
• Product Lifecycle Management (PLM)
• Computer-Aided Engineering (CAE)
• CAD / CAM / CFD
• Simulation and Modeling
• Software and Embedded Systems Engineering
• Systems Integration
• Engineering Data Management
• Manufacturing Digitalization
• Product Development and Engineering Transformation
• Automation and Advanced Analytics
• Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning applications in engineering
• Engineering process optimization and digital transformation
• Operations & Program Delivery
• Establish operational processes that consistently deliver high-quality engineering services.
• Ensure projects are delivered on time, within budget, and according to customer requirements.
• Develop appropriate project governance, resource planning, utilization, and performance-management processes.
• Establish metrics for project profitability, utilization, customer satisfaction, quality, and delivery performance.
• Ensure appropriate risk management across customer programs.
• Develop repeatable delivery methodologies that allow the business to scale without compromising technical quality.
• Financial Management
• Have full accountability for the financial performance of the business.
• Develop annual operating plans, budgets, forecasts, and long-term financial objectives.
• Manage revenue growth, gross margin, operating expenses, EBITDA, cash flow, and working capital.
• Establish appropriate pricing strategies for consulting and engineering services.
• Monitor project economics and ensure disciplined resource utilization.
• Identify opportunities to improve profitability and operating leverage.
• Talent & Organizational Development
• Recruit, develop, and retain highly skilled engineering and consulting professionals.
• Build an organization capable of supporting both current customers and future growth.
• Establish a strong leadership team across Engineering, Sales, Program Management, Finance, and Operations.
• Develop career paths and professional-development programs for technical employees.
• Create a culture focused on technical excellence, customer success, accountability, and innovation.
• Ensure the organization has the technical capabilities required to support emerging digital engineering technologies.
• Aerospace & Defense Industry Leadership
• Maintain a strong understanding of aerospace and defense industry trends, technologies, and customer requirements.
• Monitor developments in digital engineering, MBSE, AI, digital twins, advanced manufacturing, autonomous systems, and engineering transformation.
• Represent the company at industry conferences, customer events, trade associations, and technical forums.
• Develop relationships with senior leaders throughout the aerospace and defense ecosystem.
• Ensure the company maintains an understanding of applicable defense, aerospace, cybersecurity, export-control, quality, and regulatory requirements.
• Ideal Candidate Profile

The ideal candidate will be an experienced executive who has successfully built, grown, or led an engineering consulting or technology-enabled professional services organization serving aerospace and defense customers.

The individual should possess

• 15+ years of progressive experience in engineering, consulting, technology, or professional services.
• Significant leadership experience within aerospace and/or defense.
• Demonstrated experience managing a P&L and operating a services-based business.
• Proven success developing new customers and expanding strategic accounts.
• Experience selling complex engineering or technology solutions to senior executives.
• Strong understanding of digital engineering and engineering transformation.
• Experience leading multidisciplinary engineering organizations.
• Demonstrated ability to recruit, develop, and retain highly technical talent.
• Strong commercial, financial, and operational management skills.
• Excellent executive communication and relationship-building capabilities.
• Experience working with major aerospace OEMs, defense contractors, Tier 1 suppliers, or government organizations.
• Preferred Background

Candidates may come from organizations such as

• Digital engineering consulting firms
• Engineering services companies
• Aerospace engineering organizations
• Defense engineering organizations
• Systems engineering companies
• Product development consultancies
• PLM / MBSE consulting organizations
• Engineering software and technology companies
• Aerospace and defense Tier 1 suppliers
• Aerospace and defense OEMs

Experience with organizations such as

Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, RTX, BAE Systems, General Dynamics, Airbus, Safran, GE Aerospace, Honeywell, Collins Aerospace, L3Harris, Leidos, Jacobs, Capgemini, Accenture, Siemens Digital Industries Software, Dassault Systèmes, or similar organizations would be highly relevant.