Technical Director in Leatherhead

Title: Technical Director

The Role As the Technical Director for KBR’s Defence Nuclear Technology Solutions Division (DNTS) (UK), you will act as the senior technical authority for the business, providing leadership across defence, nuclear and wider public-sector missions and ensuring the technical quality, coherence and successful application of KBR’s differentiated capabilities. Operating as part of the Mission Technology Solutions (MTS) organisation and reporting into DNTS leadership, the role combines strategic technical leadership with accountability for technical strategy, architecture and technical delivery assurance across priority programmes and bids. Working across business units, programmes and major pursuits, you will shape technical direction, inform investment decisions, and play a direct role in enabling delivery success, customer confidence and competitive differentiation as the DNTS CTO-equivalent.

Responsibilities

• Own and drive DNTS (UK) technical direction in alignment with MTS strategy, defence priorities and customer mission needs.
• Be accountable for technical strategy, architectural integrity and technical quality across priority programmes and pursuits.
• Set and maintain the technical bar for DNTS, ensuring consistency, robustness and credibility of solutions and delivery.
• Direct Technical Leadership & Delivery Assurance Provide hands‑on senior technical leadership into complex programmes, including critical design decisions, architecture reviews and technical recovery situations. Act as senior authority for technical risk, trade‑off decisions and architectural integrity where escalation is required. Ensure technical risks are actively managed to protect technical outcomes, programme performance and customer trust.
• Innovation, Capability & Investment Lead the identification, prioritisation and application of emerging technologies such as AI/ML, cyber resilience, digital engineering and secure cloud to mission challenges. Influence technical investment decisions, linking capability development to mission value, delivery performance and return on investment. Balance innovation with delivery realism, ensuring solutions are differentiated, credible and executable.
• Growth, Capture & Customer Engagement Develop a deep understanding of customer operating contexts and translate mission needs into credible, deliverable and differentiated technical approaches. Play a direct and visible role in major bids, captures and customer engagements as a senior technical leader and trusted authority. Represent KBR with defence, government and partner stakeholders, strengthening confidence in technical capability and technical delivery assurance.
• Governance, Standards & Assurance Set and uphold technical standards, governance and best practice across DNTS in alignment with MTS frameworks and strategic priorities. Ensure compliance with UK and international defence standards, including cyber security, export controls and classified systems. Provide independent technical assurance to protect technical quality, programme credibility and customer trust.
• Technical Leadership & Talent Development Act as a senior mentor to the DNTS technical community, including principal- and fellow-level technologists, strengthening technical depth and leadership capability. Build technical leadership capability across DNTS (UK) and MTS through influence, mentorship and shared standards. Foster a culture of accountability, technical excellence, innovation and delivery focus, using Communities of Interest and Centres of Excellence as an extension of leadership rather than a substitute for it.

What we Need

Seeking a highly experienced technical leader (CTO-equivalent) with a strong background in defence, security, nuclear or government sectors. The ideal candidate will have responsibility for technical strategy, architecture, assurance and delivery across complex, high-value programmes, alongside a proven ability to support business development, capture activities and customer engagement. Candidates should have experience working with UK MOD, NATO and/or Five Eyes programmes, and be comfortable operating in complex, federated organisations while maintaining technical authority and influence at senior stakeholder level. Key technical expertise includes secure systems architecture, cyber operations, digital engineering and mission-critical platforms. The successful individual will demonstrate sound technical judgement, balancing risk, innovation, delivery and mission outcomes, while influencing executive-level technical and investment decisions.

Essential Qualifications & Knowledge

• Degree in Engineering, Computer Science, or a related discipline.
• Strong understanding of Defence Digital standards and JSP 604.
• Experience of working within defence and national security environments, including NATO and Five Eyes interoperability considerations.

Desirable Qualifications

• Chartered Engineer (CEng), Chartered Scientist (CSci) or Chartered IT Professional (CITP).
• Master's degree in a relevant technical discipline.
• Experience with NATO STANAGs and multi‑national defence interoperability standards.

Location Leatherhead - 3 days in the office, 2 days WFH

Security Requirements SC Clearance Due to the secure nature of this project, restrictions in relation to UK residency and nationality will apply.

KBR - Delivering Solutions, Changing the World.

KBR brings together the best and brightest to deliver science, technology and engineering solutions that help governments and companies around the world accomplish their most critical missions and objectives. In everything we do, we are guided by our ONE KBR Values: We Value Our People – We create diverse, inclusive environments in which each person can feel safe, respected and valued, and where everyone has opportunities to grow and reach their full potential. We Deliver – We are uncompromising in our commitment to deliver innovative, high-quality, technology‑led solutions for our customers and exceptional, sustainable value for all our stakeholders. We Are People of Integrity – We value honesty, trust, courage, fairness, prudence and tenacity. We believe doing what’s right for the planet, the communities where we work, and our people is good for business. We Empower – We empower our people with a shared purpose, the right tools and the supportive culture they need to be proactive decision‑makers, to be adaptive to change, and to succeed. We Are a Team of Teams – We have a will to succeed, but we value the achievements of our team of teams over individual accomplishments. Our collective focus makes us a better, stronger, more effective company. We have also embedded environmental, social and governance (ESG) principles in every business operation and corporate function. Not only are we committed to operating safely, sustainably and equitably, but we are also committed to using our capabilities and expertise to help our customers accomplish their sustainability goals.

Worldwide, KBR employs a diverse workforce approximately 29,000 people strong, with customers in more than 80 countries and operations in 40 countries. At KBR, We Deliver.