Head of Product & Technology in Ely

This is a key role responsible for supporting the development and delivery of Marshall Land Systems’ future technology and product strategy. Operating as a strategic team of one, you will sit at the intersection of customers, engineering and growth — identifying what defence customers will need before they articulate it, translating emerging operational requirements into product direction, and ensuring MLS develops differentiated, manufacturable and commercially viable solutions. Reporting to the Chief Revenue Officer, you will support and shape the end-to-end Product & Technology strategy that underpins the MLS Growth Strategy — directly contributing to bids, tenders and long-term competitive positioning across UK MOD, international B2G customers and major prime defence contractors. This role blends technical authority, commercial acumen and entrepreneurial thinking. You will work across engineering, design authority, manufacturing, sales and executive leadership to expand and evolve the MLS offering.

Responsibilities

• Technology & Product Strategy
  • Contribute to the development of MLS Technology and Product Roadmap aligned to long-term growth and competitive advantage.
  • Translate emerging defence doctrine, threat evolution and customer pain points into investable product opportunities.
  • Lead structured horizon scanning across technology, regulatory and geopolitical domains.
  • Ensure product strategy anticipates customer needs across UK MOD, NATO and international markets.
• Bid & Opportunity Shaping
  • Support the shaping of major bids and tenders, ensuring technical differentiation and strategic positioning.
  • Work upstream in opportunity capture to influence customer requirements and solution framing.
  • Provide technical credibility in senior customer engagements (military, civil service and prime contractors).
  • Contribute to solution architecture and win strategy development.
• Engineering & Design Authority Integration
  • Work in close partnership with Engineering and the Independent Design Authority (DA) to ensure robust systems engineering practices (INCOSE / ISO15288 aligned).
  • Manufacturability and cost-effective design.
  • Architectural coherence and reuse across platforms.
  • Provide Design Authority input at critical development milestones.
  • Support early identification of technical risk and ensure structured mitigation plans are embedded.
• Product Management Framework
  • Support the development and application of pragmatic product management framework covering market and competitor analysis, feature prioritisation, cost-out strategy, customer-centric design principles, business case development for technology investment, and product lifecycle management.
• Commercial & Growth Alignment
  • Partner closely with Sales, Growth and Business Development to align emerging technology with future pipeline.
  • Support commercialisation strategies including pricing logic, value propositions and margin optimisation.
  • Contribute to investment decisions and capital allocation discussions at Board level.
• Industry & External Engagement
  • Represent MLS externally with senior stakeholders, primes and technology partners.
  • Build strategic partnerships to expand capability and accelerate innovation.
  • Act as a recognised technical authority within the defence ecosystem.

Qualifications

• Degree in Engineering or related discipline (Desirable).
• Proven experience leading complex product development and R&D programmes from concept through to production and in-service support.
• Ability to balance innovation with practical delivery ensuring R&D activity is strategically aligned, commercially justified and executable.
• Significant experience within the defence sector (MOD, primes or equivalent B2G environment).
• Experience supporting/contributing to complex bids or large platform programmes.
• Proven track record of supporting and defining technology roadmaps.
• Strong background in systems engineering and platform integration.
• Experience operating in an engineering-led manufacturing environment.
• Experience engaging C-suite, military and senior government stakeholders.

Additional Local Needs

• This role is hybrid with time spent in Cambridge but there will be local and international travel.
• The successful candidate will need to be eligible to obtain UK Government Security Clearance (SC).

Benefits

• 27 days holiday increasing with service up to 30 days (option to buy/sell).
• Pension contributions up to 9%.
• Private medical insurance for you and your partner.
• Company car allowance.
• Extensive flexible benefit program including Cycle to Work.
• Life assurance at 4x basic salary.
• Enhanced parental leave and pay.
• Paid volunteering leave.
• Access to industry leading wellbeing resources and tools.

Marshall Land Systems is a Canadian-owned global company with an unrivalled pedigree of British engineering excellence. From its origins in Cambridge, UK, through more than a century of innovation, pioneering advances from the nose of Concorde to the early Hydrogen fuel cell technology that ultimately powered the moon landings, Marshall engineers now continue to innovate specialist vehicles and infrastructure for NATO forces across the world. From bomb disposal vehicles to deployed shelters, from command and control to CT scanners on the battlefield, Marshall Land Systems protects people in critical situations with the very best in engineering. It employs 600 people with major facilities in the UK, Canada, and the Netherlands.