It's a strong moment to be hiring. 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, according to Defence dividend delivers thousands of UK jobs following exceptional foreign investment - GOV.UK. That capital turns into projects, and projects turn into vacancies that need filling quickly.
The scale underneath that growth is substantial. 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, as reported in MOD supported employment estimates 2023/24 - GOV.UK. When headcount rises at that pace, demand for people who understand compliance rises with it.
Recruitment itself is picking up too. The defence sector continued to be an attractive employer, with surveyed recruitment growing by 17.8% in 2022, according to Defence sector continues contributing significantly to UK economy - GOV.UK. So the question for employers isn't whether to hire, it's how to write roles that attract the right regulated skills.
Export control is the set of rules governing how controlled goods, software and technology move across borders and to foreign nationals. In a live defence posting, the duties usually break down into a few clear areas, and naming them helps the right people recognise themselves in the advert.
A good posting states which of these the role owns outright and which it supports. A compliance lead might own the whole list, while a design engineer only needs to flag deemed-export risks. Clarity here saves time on both sides.
Most regulated defence roles need security clearance, and the level depends on the material the person handles. Be specific in the advert: say whether you need someone already cleared, or whether you will sponsor the process after a successful hire. People plan their applications around this, so vagueness costs you strong applicants.
Beyond clearance, look for familiarity with UK export control legislation and the licensing systems that sit under it. Experience with classification ratings, end-user documentation and audit trails matters more than a long list of certificates. Where a qualification genuinely helps, name it; where hands-on judgement matters more, say that instead.
Start with an honest role definition. Separate the must-haves, such as current clearance or proven classification experience, from the nice-to-haves you can train. Overloading the must-haves shrinks your pool at a time when demand is already high across the sector.
Move quickly once someone qualified appears. In a growing market, strong compliance people hold several conversations at once, so a slow process loses them. Build your screening questions around real scenarios, a tricky classification call or a deemed-export query, so you test judgement rather than jargon. And keep people informed: clear communication on timelines and clearance steps is itself a selling point.
The right tool handles the whole process for you, from writing the advert to surfacing people who match your regulated requirements. It searches 15 million candidates and ranks a shortlist in under 30 seconds, so you spend your time on the people worth interviewing, not on sifting. Our recruitment agent manages recruitment end to end for 8% on a successful hire, with no monthly fee and no upfront cost. If you're hiring for export control or wider defence roles, start a role with Reed.ai today.
