Capability Manager - Digital Warfare

Leonardo UK Ltd; Luton; Hybrid; GBP 95,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Time to recharge: flexi-days

Pension scheme

Hybrid working

Learning & development

Employee referral program

Job summary

Leonardo UK Ltd, based in Luton, seeks a Capability Manager – Digital Warfare to lead the IA product strategy, drive R&D investment, and align technology maturation with customer needs across government and industry partners.

You will guide multi‑discipline teams, shape technology roadmaps, and support business development while ensuring IP protection and successful transition to operations. This role requires UK security awareness and travel flexibility.

Qualifications

• Experience working within defence software/cyber.
• Software R&D management and innovation, including developing technology strategies, investment cases, industrial and academic partnerships, technology road maps, technology readiness level assessments and transition to operational delivery.
• Government‑funded R&D, rapid prototyping and test & evaluation activities.
• The ability to motivate and influence multi‑discipline teams.
• Experience formulating business plans and keen business and commercial acumen, to identify and develop business opportunities while protecting company interests and IP.
• The ability to clearly articulate strategies, complex concepts and solution design.

Responsibilities

• Own and maintain the Information Advantage product business plan.
• Develop compelling technical value propositions and guide company R&D investment in IA, leveraging our digital platform and advanced sensing, processing and effects technologies.
• Provide strategic technical direction to R&D activities, working closely with programme management and finance to ensure that technology maturation outcomes are achieved within time, funding and resource constraints.
• Lead the definition of technology route maps to align with future operational capability needs and market demands.
• Work with engineering delivery teams and product owners to ensure coherence between technology maturation activities and product development.
• Support business development, strategy and bid activities to grow the Information Advantage business, building strong relationships across government, industry and academia.
• Chair solution reviews to ensure our IA product offerings meet customer requirements.
• Identify and prioritise R&D in emerging technologies, and manage Intellectual Property, trade secrets and patents.

Job description

Job Description

Your Impact: Do you want to work at the cutting edge of battlespace digitisation technologies to deliver advanced sensing, situational awareness and intelligence capabilities? Leonardo UK operates at the forefront of advanced digital technology development for next-generation advanced tactical sensing, fusion, communications and electronic effects. Our growing Information Advantage (IA) team is exploiting software‑defined technologies across the modern battlespace to deliver enhanced and resilient intelligence, situational awareness and a unified targeting approach on military operations. We have an exciting opportunity for a dynamic and technically minded individual, with the passion, drive and forward‑thinking mindset, to shape the future of our IA capability. As the Capability Manager – Digital Warfare, you will have a formidable blend of technical leadership, strategic thinking, business acumen and stakeholder engagement.

What you will do

• Own and maintain the Information Advantage product business plan.
• Develop compelling technical value propositions and guide company R&D investment in IA, leveraging our digital platform and advanced sensing, processing and effects technologies.
• Provide strategic technical direction to R&D activities, working closely with programme management and finance to ensure that technology maturation outcomes are achieved within time, funding and resource constraints.
• Lead the definition of technology route maps to align with future operational capability needs and market demands.
• Work with engineering delivery teams and product owners to ensure coherence between technology maturation activities and product development.
• Support business development, strategy and bid activities to grow the Information Advantage business, building strong relationships across government, industry and academia.
• Chair solution reviews to ensure our IA product offerings meet customer requirements.
• Identify and prioritise R&D in emerging technologies, and manage Intellectual Property, trade secrets and patents.

What you will bring

• Experience working within defence software/cyber.
• Software R&D management and innovation, including developing technology strategies, investment cases, industrial and academic partnerships, technology road maps, technology readiness level assessments and transition to operational delivery.
• Government‑funded R&D, rapid prototyping and test & evaluation activities.
• The ability to motivate and influence multi‑discipline teams.
• Experience formulating business plans and keen business and commercial acumen, to identify and develop business opportunities while protecting company interests and IP.
• The ability to clearly articulate strategies, complex concepts and solution design.
• Willing to travel to customer and partner locations in the UK and overseas.

Desirable

• Development of intelligence, targeting, and battlespace management systems.
• Software‑Defined Systems, Open Systems Architectures and Interoperability Standards.
• Systems Integration, AI and Autonomous Mission Capabilities.
• Data Architectures, Fusion, Mission Critical Computing, Command & Control, Cyber Resilience.

Security Clearance

This role is subject to pre‑employment screening in line with the UK Government’s Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS). An additional range of Personnel Security Controls referred to as National Security Vetting (NSV) may apply, this could include meeting the eligibility requirements for The Security Check (SC) or Developed Vetting (DV). For more information and guidance please visit: https://careers.uk.leonardo.com/gb/en/security-and-vetting

Why join us

At Leonardo, our people are at the heart of everything we do. We offer a comprehensive, company‑funded benefits package that supports your wellbeing, career development, and work‑life balance. Whether you're looking to grow professionally, care for your health, or plan for the future, we’re here to help you thrive.

• Time to Recharge: Enjoy generous leave with the opportunity to accrue up to 12 additional flexi‑days each year.
• Secure your Future: Benefit from our award‑winning pension scheme with up to 15% employer contribution.
• Your Wellbeing Matters: Free access to mental health support, financial advice, and employee‑led networks championing inclusion and diversity (Enable, Pride, Equalise, Armed Forces, Carers, Wellbeing and Ethnicity).
• Rewarding Performance: All employees at management level and below are eligible for our bonus scheme.
• Never Stop Learning: Free access to 4,000+ online courses via Coursera and LinkedIn Learning.
• Refer a friend: Receive a financial reward through our referral programme.
• Tailored Perks: Spend up to £500 annually on flexible benefits including private healthcare, dental, family cover, tech & lifestyle discounts, gym memberships and more.
• Flexible working: Flexible hours with hybrid working options. For part time opportunities, please talk to us about what might be possible for this role.
• The salary range shown reflects the approved grade band for this role, or a narrower hiring range published within that band, and is benchmarked against the external market. Exceptions above the standard range are managed through governance controls to protect internal equity.

Location and Working Arrangements

Primary Location: GB - Luton - Cap. Green 300

Contract Type: Permanent

Hybrid Working: Hybrid International, multicultural, innovative, technological: this is Leonardo.

Flexible working: Flexible hours with hybrid working options. For part time opportunities, please talk to us about what might be possible for this role.

Company Information

Leonardo is a global leader in Aerospace, Defence, and Security. Leonardo is a global leader in Aerospace, Defence, and Security. Headquartered in Italy, we employ over 53,000 people worldwide including 8,500 across 9 sites in the UK. Our employees are not just part of a team—they are key contributors to shaping innovation, advancing technology, and enhancing global safety.

We believe that a diverse workforce sparks creativity, drives innovation, and leads to better outcomes for our people and our customers. If you have any accessibility requirements to support you during the recruitment process, just let us know.