Futures Director

Job Title: Futures Director

Location: Flexible, UK + Hybrid Working Arrangements

Compensation: Competitive Salary + Benefits

Role Type: Full time / Permanent

Role ID: SF70621

Lead the future of defence and engineering innovation.

At Babcock, we’re working to create a safe and secure world, together. If you join us, you can play your part as a Futures Director, based across our UK hubs with hybrid working options.

The role

Defence has never been more critical. Combined with our refreshed Babcock strategy placing greater emphasis on international markets, collaboration with industry, and a blended product and services mix, this is an exciting opportunity to lead the Future Business and Capability discipline in the Land and UK Aviation (UKA) sector.

As part of the Land & UKA Leadership Team, reporting directly to the CEO Land & UKA, you’ll shape the future by identifying emerging markets and capabilities, translating these into early-stage capture opportunities across multiple domains in the UK and internationally. You’ll ensure we have the right people, technology, and processes to deliver our strategy and drive growth.

Day-to-day, you’ll be required to:

Provide strategic leadership for the Future Business and Capability discipline across the Land & UKA sector, ensuring alignment with long‑term organisational objectives. Shape market strategies and engage senior stakeholders to drive informed decision‑making and prioritisation. Identify emerging markets and future capability needs, translating insights into tangible opportunities that position the business for sustained growth. Enable future‑focused growth initiatives by ensuring the organisation has the right skills, capacity, and capability pipeline. Demonstrate external gravitas and thought leadership, representing the sector in key forums, influencing industry direction, and strengthening the organisation’s profile and credibility. Collaborate closely with the senior leadership team to advance sector‑wide strategic priorities and deliver high‑impact outcomes.

This is a permanent, full-time role working 37.5 hours per week, Monday to Friday, with hybrid working across UK locations.

Essential experience of the Futures Director:

A visionary leader who can unite and inspire a high-performing team Significant experience within a large, complex, global organisation Strategic thinker with the ability to anticipate future possibilities Resilient and adaptable, able to navigate ambiguity and complexity Pragmatic approach to applying skills and knowledge in a dynamic context.

Qualifications for the Futures Director:

We value difference and don’t have a fixed idea when it comes to background or education, provided you can show the required level of experience and/or willingness to learn then we would like to hear from you.

Security Clearance

The successful candidate must be able to achieve and maintain Security Check (SC) clearance for this role.

Many of the positions within our company are subject to national security clearance and Trade Control restrictions. This means that your eligibility for certain roles may be affected by your place of birth, nationality, current or former citizenship, and any residency you hold or have held. Further details are available at United Kingdom Security Vetting: clearance levels - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).

What we offer

Generous holiday allowance Matched contribution pension scheme, with life assurance Access to a Digital GP, annual health check, and nutritional consultations through Aviva DigiCare+ Employee share scheme Employee shopping savings portal Payment of Professional Fees Reservists in the armed forces receive 10-days special paid leave Holiday Trading is a benefit that allows UK Babcock employees to buy additional leave or to sell up to one working week of annual leave from their annual entitlement. This Window opens February through to March annually. ‘Be Kind Day’ enables employees to take one working day's paid leave a year (or equivalent hours) to undertake volunteering work with their chosen organisation or registered charity Excellent development opportunities and benefits package including an employee assistance programme supporting physical, mental and financial wellbeing.

Babcock International

For over a century Babcock has helped to defend nations, protect communities and build a better world. To continue, we must adapt, advance and be a sustainable business with a shared goal.

We are a disability confident committed employer. If you have a disability or need any reasonable adjustments during the application and selection stages, please email [email protected] with the subject header ‘Reasonable adjustments requirement’. We’re committed to building an inclusive culture where everyone’s free to thrive. We are happy to talk about flexible working – please ask about alternative patterns of work at interview.

Closing date: 28/01/2026