Defence is a growing employer, and the numbers back that up. 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 MOD supported employment estimates for 2023/24 on GOV.UK. That follows the total number of MOD-supported UK jobs reaching 239,000 in 2022/23, an increase of 6% on the previous financial year, as reported in the earlier MOD estimates for 2022/23.
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 GOV.UK analysis of the defence sector's contribution to the UK economy. Fresh investment is feeding that demand: 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.
For spectrum engineers, who manage radio frequency use, electromagnetic interference and signals work, that growth means more open roles and more competition to fill them.
The simple answer is scarcity. 76% of engineering employers struggle to recruit for key roles, with technical and specialist sustainability skills topping the list, according to the Institution of Engineering and Technology's 2025 skills statistics. Spectrum engineering sits firmly in that technical, specialist bracket.
Retention is the other pressure. 79% of UK technical professionals plan to change employers in 2026, according to recruitment firm Rise Technical's 2025/26 Insights Report surveying over 500 employers and 1000 candidates, as covered by Engineering and Technology Jobs. When this many people are open to moving, the people you want are already being approached by someone else.
The pipeline is thin at the junior end as well. In Engineering, entry-level hiring has fallen to -19% while senior hiring sits at -10%, a 9-percentage-point gap, according to GOV.UK's snapshot of entry-level hiring. Fewer juniors coming through today means fewer experienced spectrum engineers tomorrow, so demand looks set to stay high. Skills England expects occupations in Digital, Adult Social Care, Construction and Engineering to have the greatest additional employment demand between 2025 and 2030, as set out in its assessment of priority skills to 2030.
Start with a tight brief. Spectrum work spans frequency assignment, electromagnetic compatibility, interference analysis and compliance, so be clear about which of these matter most and what clearance level the role needs. A sharper brief gives you a sharper shortlist.
Then plan to recruit from the UK labour market. For the Engineering profession, the vast majority of new hires come from the resident labour force, indicating low reliance on international recruitment, according to GOV.UK's review of professionals in IT and engineering. In defence, where clearance and residency requirements are common, that is especially true, so your plan should centre on domestic talent.
Move quickly and keep the process short. With most technical professionals open to a move, slow stages cost you people. Decide who the decision-makers are up front, book interviews in a tight window, and give feedback fast. Speed and clarity are your best tools when the skills are scarce and senior demand is high.
We built Reed.ai to take the slow parts off your plate. We search a database of 15 million candidates, rank a shortlist in seconds and handle the contacting, matching and interview booking end to end, so you can focus on the right conversations. Our recruitment agent manages recruitment end to end for 8% on a successful hire, with no monthly fee and no upfront cost. Tell us about your spectrum engineering role today and see your shortlist.
