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, according to the Ministry of Defence's supported employment estimates for 2023/24. That builds on a longer trend: the total number of MOD-supported UK jobs reached 239,000 in 2022/23, an increase of 6% on the previous financial year, as reported in the MOD's 2022/23 employment estimates.
Hiring appetite is climbing too. The defence sector continued to be an attractive employer, with surveyed recruitment growing by 17.8% in 2022, according to GOV.UK's analysis of the sector's economic contribution. Fresh investment is adding to the momentum: 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, as set out by GOV.UK's defence dividend announcement.
Directed energy covers laser and radio-frequency systems designed to counter threats such as drones. Bringing these systems from the lab to the field asks for a mix of disciplines that many teams haven't hired at scale before. Think laser and photonics physicists, high-power electronics and power-systems engineers, thermal management specialists, beam-control and optics designers, and software engineers who tie targeting and sensors together.
Alongside the deep science, there's rising demand for systems integration, test and evaluation, and safety and assurance roles that prove these technologies work reliably in real conditions. This is why hiring is widening rather than simply growing. With MOD-supported jobs up 11% in 2023/24 per the MOD's 2023/24 estimates, and fresh investment creating more than 1,700 new roles per GOV.UK, employers are competing for skills that sit at the edge of what the sector has needed before.
Start by writing the role around capability, not just a job title. Directed energy specialisms are new enough that candidates may come from adjacent fields such as telecoms, advanced manufacturing or academic research. Describe the problem you're solving and the systems you work with, and you'll widen your pool without lowering the bar.
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