The Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA) finds and funds exploitable innovation to support UK Defence and Security quickly and effectively, and support UK prosperity.

Our vision is for the UK to maintain its strategic advantage over its adversaries and build a safer future for the country and our people. DASA is part of the Ministry of Defence (MoD) but we work across all Government departments who have responsibility for national security.

We are serious about making a difference to those on the front lines in the armed forces, police and elsewhere who protect us, and we are committed to supporting the innovators who can help.

DASA has four mutually supporting Groups; Outreach, Operations, Partnership & Impact and Support Services.

This role is within the Outreach Group, who are responsible for growing and diversifying DASA’s networks across industry and academia, in order to identify new technologies, innovations and ideas that could offer genuine benefit to UK Defence and Security. Outreach then work with this network to encourage quality submissions for DASA funding that are aligned to current and future DASA challenges.

Outreach achieve this through a network of thirteen ‘Innovation Partners’ who act as technology scouts. They live and work across the nine English regions, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and International. The Industrial & Academic Engagement Team Leader is responsible for the leadership and management of this diverse and dispersed team. Given the seniority of the team (all Dstl Level 7), support from the Outreach Group Leader will be available as required. You will also work closely with the Outreach Manager who provides support across the Group.

As part of your technical contribution, you will work across DASA, ensuring coherence between the Innovation Partners and wider DASA, and championing the needs of the Innovation Partners. As such, a working knowledge of industrial engagement and/or business development is required. You will also undertake additional tasks in support of the wider Outreach Group as needed.

DASA is an equal opportunity employer, serious about promoting diversity and inclusion, and we offer flexible working and job share opportunities and part time positions. We provide training and support for all our staff. We employ a wide range of skills to deliver our mission.

As well as Defence and Security expertise our staff have experience in communications, banking, analysis, project management, venture capital, industry, technology, amongst others. If you thrive on wanting to make a difference to national security and prosperity in a friendly, multi-disciplined and diverse team, DASA may be the place for you.

Your primary purpose as a Team Leader is to provide leadership to the people in your team. This has a balance of leading and managing people, and ensuring the development and delivery of the team to meet current and future demand.

In this role you will:

• Manage the team of 13 DASA Innovation Partners embedded across the UK in order to ensure that DASA has strong networks across industry and academia and is able to find innovative solutions to Defence and Security’s most pressing challenges.
• In conjunction with the Outreach Lead, develop & sustain DASA’s Outreach capability and provide technical contribution to current and future projects across DASA, through effective use of the Team's resources/expertise.
• Work closely with the Outreach Manager who provides support across the Group, including to the Innovation Partners.
• Ensure that people have the necessary skills and competencies for the tasks assigned
• Ensure employees have knowledge of and conform to all safety and security and resilience requirements.
• Represent Outreach in discussions across DASA to ensure the group’s requirements are considered and expertise is utilised.
• Build employees engagement and create an environment which nurtures excellence.
• Implement Dstl's policies and ensure compliance with the Management System.

We are looking for someone who has:

• Experience of leading a dispersed team and enabling delivery through others
• A good understanding of working in complex environments
• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal
• The ability to quickly develop good working relationships with a variety of people.
• Good networking skills
• Tact and diplomacy in dealing with a wide range of issues/challenges
• Persistence to see things through to a conclusion
• Passion for developing capability and people
• The ability to lead through change
• Able to communicate coherently and sensitively, explaining complex issues in a way that is easy to understand
• Emotional Intelligence, able to understand own and others reactions, motivations etc
• Able to handle conflicting priorities successfully delivering to changing requirements.
• Able to successfully manage multiple tasks simultaneously

Leadership:

As a leader in Defence you will help shape, role model and bring to life the ‘One Defence’ mindset that will enable us to deliver our vision and strategic objectives. Your leadership style must be inspiring, confident and empowering. Working at every level of our organisation to break down silos, unite teams and create a culture that is trusting, collaborative, innovative, diverse and inclusive. Enabling us to deliver with pace and agility through the skills, commitment and empowerment of our employees and military colleagues.

Important Information:

Our work in defence, security and intelligence requires our employees to be UK Nationals who are able to gain a high level of security clearance to undertake the projects we are involved in to protect us from security threats. For this reason, only UK Nationals will be able to apply for this role. If you are an international or dual-national candidate, and you think you have the skills we need, please consider applying to any of our government, security or defence partners.

This role will require full UK security clearance and you should have resided in the UK for the past 5 years. For some roles Developed Vetting will also be required, in this case you should have resided in the UK for the past 10 years.

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Leadership
• Seeing the Big Picture
• Communicating and Influencing
• Developing Self and Others
• Delivering at Pace
• Changing and Improving

We only ask for evidence of these behaviours on your application form:

• Leadership

Benefits

Dstl’s full range of great benefits can be found in the information pack which includes:

• Financial: An excellent pension scheme starting from 26% employer contribution (find out more here). In Year Rewarding Achievement bonuses and thank you vouchers. Rental deposit scheme and cycle to work scheme.

• Flexible working: Options include alternative working patterns such as; compressed hours (e.g. working a 4 day week/ 9 day fortnight), job shares and annualised hours (agreed number of hours per annum paid monthly i.e. working term-time only).

• Working hours: Flexibility around your working day (e.g. start time, finish time). Ability to bank hours in a 12 month reference period including the ability to accrue and use 3 days per calendar month.

• Where you work: Depending on your role, blended working may be available including remote working to suit you and your team. This can be discussed at interview.

• Annual leave: 25 days pro rata (rising to 30 after 5 years) plus 8 public holidays with the ability to buy/sell 5 additional days per annum.

• Family: Maternity, adoption or shared parental leave of up to 26 weeks with full pay, an additional 13 weeks statutory pay and a further 13 weeks unpaid

• Learning and Development: Dstl encourages and supports charterships, accreditations and provides employees access to fully funded apprenticeships up to level 7 (Masters Degree). Dstl will pay for 2 memberships with relevant bodies/institutions. Employees also have access to Civil Service Learning.

• Facilities: Onsite parking, EV Charging points, restaurants, cafés and gyms.