The picture is one of sustained growth. MOD expenditure with industry supported a total of 272,000 direct jobs in 2023/24, an increase of 11% compared to the previous financial year MOD supported employment estimates 2023/24 - GOV.UK. That builds on the year before, when the total number of MOD-supported UK jobs reached 239,000 in 2022/23, an increase of 6% on the previous financial year MOD supported employment estimates 2022/23 - GOV.UK.
Hiring momentum sits behind those numbers. The defence sector continued to be an attractive employer, with surveyed recruitment growing by 17.8% in 2022 Defence sector continues contributing significantly to UK economy - GOV.UK. When demand grows this fast, the people who plan, cost and deliver programmes quickly become the limiting factor.
Export growth and inward investment are turning into concrete headcount. More than 1,700 new jobs are being created across the UK defence sector following at least £1.4 billion in foreign direct investment committed since July 2024 Defence dividend delivers thousands of UK jobs following exceptional foreign investment - GOV.UK. New contracts and overseas programmes need teams to run them, and that pressure lands first on programme functions.
Think programme managers, project controllers, systems and integration engineers, supply chain and procurement specialists, bid and commercial leads, and the quality and compliance roles that keep export-controlled work on track. These are the people who connect a signed deal to a delivered capability, so demand for them tends to rise fastest when order books grow.
Start with a clear brief. Export and defence programmes carry security clearance requirements, export-control obligations and tight schedules, so define which are must-haves and which you can develop on the job. Being precise early widens your pool and speeds up every stage that follows.
Move quickly, because the best programme people rarely stay on the market for long. Shortlist on evidence of delivery, not just job titles, and keep interviews short and structured. With recruitment across the sector growing by 17.8% in 2022 Defence sector continues contributing significantly to UK economy - GOV.UK, you are competing for the same talent as every other employer scaling up, so a responsive, respectful process is a real advantage.
We built Reed.ai to help you find the right person and manage recruitment end to end. We search a database of 15 million candidates to surface and rank people who match your programme brief, so you can focus on the ones worth meeting. Our recruitment agent manages recruitment end to end for 8% on a successful hire, with no monthly fee and no upfront cost. If you are growing a defence programme team, tell us what you need and we will get started today.
