Client Lead - National Security

Are you ready to be part of the future? At QinetiQ, we’re not just imagining tomorrow we are creating it. From cutting edge defence technology to ground breaking innovations our mission is to empower and protect lives. Join us as a Senior Client Manager, where you will have the opportunity to work with cutting-edge technology in partnership with some of the most brilliant minds.

Role Purpose

• Provide central focus and orchestration for all QinetiQ engagement with National Security Client to ensure coherence of Go to market strategy and all engagements with this client.
• Build strong relationships and network across customer community, lead on development of coherent engagement plan and oversee its implementation across this community.
• Build in depth understanding of National Security Clients’ strategic aims, budgets and funded programme lines.
• Build, coach and mentor Client Management team who report directly into this role and who are aligned with key client accounts that sit within this market segment.
• Day to day leadership and mentoring of this Client Management team.
• Implement and support ongoing development of operational tempo and heartbeat to drive coherent engagement across all relevant QQ stakeholders engaging with National Security
• Working with Sector MDs and BD Director develop and implement GTM strategy for National Security
• Ensure coherency of our GTM strategy across Defence and wider Government as appropriate
• Ensure ongoing alignment with IDTs to ensure effective and efficient development and execution of farmed opportunities

Key Accountabilities

1. Leadership: provide direct and “hands on” leadership and coordination of all QinetiQ engagements into this client. Nurture and develop Client Management team aligned with the client and ensure that the team is appropriately trained in Company Best practice and that it follows this routinely in the execution of all Business Winning activities in this area.
2. Stakeholder management: build thorough understanding of Client stakeholders, organisational construct and ways of working. Coordinate all QinetiQ engagements into this community to ensure alignment of messaging across our business. Similarly, in conjunction with the Client Management team reporting in to this role, develop strong relationships across all QinetiQ stakeholders engaging with this Client.
3. Got to market Strategy: working across internal and external stakeholders develop a coherent Go To market Strategy for this client. This GTM strategy should leverage thorough and in depth understanding of the clients own strategy, budget and forecasted spend on future procurements.
4. Support Development of QinetiQ strategy: engage with UKI Strategy Director and TOE functions to ensure that QinetiQ’s own strategic growth plans are aligned with those of National Security Clients and that we are building skills and capacity necessary to execute on that strategy.
5. Order Intake Number for National Security secure in year orders in line with Targets for this area whilst building credible pipeline and platform for future growth and delivery of longer term ISBP order intake commitments
6. Capture/Bid Management: engage with UK Intelligence Head of Capture and Bid Management to ensure that approved Capture plans are in place and are being executed for all major opportunities being executed within the Defence and Training Market. Ensure that best practice is applied at all times in the execution of these captures through “hands on” leadership of all major Captures.
7. Forward planning resourcing: Proactively engage with the Intelligence Sector BDD and Operations Lead to ensure that there is a clear forward view of the pipeline and resourcing requirements. Ensure that opportunities can be resourced correctly from a Capture/Bid Management perspective and that requirements for technical resource from the business are known and understood.
8. Wider engagement: Proactively engage with the Global Campaigns and UK Defence Sectors to ensure areas of cross collaboration are known and understood. Maintain visibility of cross collaboration execution plan to ensure that this is known and understood within the Intelligence Sector and that it is being followed correctly.
9. Best Practice: Proactively engage with Group Business Winning Excellence to ensure that activities within the Sector follow accepted best practice and that the team is trained in accordance with Company requirements/schedules. Demonstrate leadership in the usage of SAP C4C CRM. Feedback to Group Business Winning Excellence any areas of potential improvements/refinements in best practice or training based upon experience within the Sector of Capture execution.
10. Compliance: Ensure all business winning activities are conducted in full compliance to Group business winning policies and procedures. Ensure that Group policies relating to Ethical Trading Policy, Exports and the appointment and use of third party Commercial Intermediaries are fully complied with.

Key Competencies

• Leadership: Ability to lead teams of senior professionals that span business and functional boundaries. Ability to operate in a complex matrix structure using influential leadership to bring best of capabilities to bear to enable development of strategic GTM plan, secure pipeline and win complex, competed tenders
• Business Development: Proven track record in leading teams to build credible pipeline at scale with high conversion rate. Ability to repeatedly deliver challenging OI targets.
• Execution of Win Strategy: Track record of win strategy development and implementation for complex, competed deals at scale (over c£30m),
• Domain Relevance: Relevant experience of winning business with customers and industrial partners across Defence with particular focus on Stratcom (Defence Digital/Defence Intelligence), DSTL and Front Line Commands.
• Deep customer domain knowledge and relationships: ability to provide thought leadership to customers in complex domains (spanning the above) and develop compelling QinetiQ propositions to meet deliver on this thought leadership.
• Wider industry relationships: established relationships at executive level and ability to engage at this level in order to build partnering strategies and detailed understanding of the competitive terrain.

Experience & Qualifications

• Proven track record in hands on development and execution of scale pipeline (c£200m) with high conversion rate (delivering c£100m) of orders in year.
• Proven track record in cradle to grave execution of win strategies with demonstrated ability to win competitive tenders (over c£30m).
• Proven track record in the leadership/mentorship of business development teams, in order to enable development and implementation of compelling strategy and winning tender responses.
• Proven track record of ability to influence across matrixed internal organisational structure in order to harness wider capabilities in the development and implementation of compelling strategy and winning tender responses.
• Technical background with sufficient knowledge of Data Intelligence, Communications, Cyber Security and Sensor technologies to link technology with client business problems and engage confidently with client/internal technical communities.
• Track record in navigation of complex and multi-disciplinary stakeholder communities within customer organisations. Ability to influence and shape decision making at executive levels within the customer community.
• Over 10 years’ experience working in Defence and Secure Government environment with particular focus on Defence Digital, Defence Intelligence, DSTL and front line commands
• Established network within this community with strong reputation built upon consistent delivery.
• Established network within other commercial organisations that operate within this market with strong reputation built upon trust and mutual respect.
• Security clearances to allow access to core clients and access to operational requirements and procurement strategies within the above customer communities.

Many roles in QinetiQ are subject to national security vetting being completed, applicants who already hold the appropriate level of vetting may be able to transfer it upon appointment. A number of roles are also subject to additional restrictions, which mean factors such as nationality or previous nationalities may affect the roles that you can be employed in.

Please note that all applicants for this role must be eligible for SC clearance, as a minimum.

UKSV National Security Vetting Solution: guidance for applicants - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)