Minister Counsellor for Defence Acquisition and Technology, British Embassy, Washington

UK Ministry of Defence; Washington (District of Columbia); On-site; GBP 81,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

The UK Ministry of Defence seeks a Minister Counsellor for Defence Acquisition and Technology at the British Embassy in Washington DC. This high-profile position involves leadership within a significant team, focusing on trans-Atlantic defence relations, acquisition strategies, and enhancing UK-US collaboration in defence and technology. The ideal candidate will possess substantial leadership experience in defence policy and possess strong stakeholder management skills.

Benefits

Defined Benefit Pension Scheme

Learning and development opportunities

Flexible working options

Inclusive workplace culture

Qualifications

• Experience in international policy formulation and strategy.
• Proven track record in defence acquisition and technology leadership.
• Excellent influencing skills to achieve common goals.

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage a team focused on UK defence acquisition.
• Influence US and UK policy decisions on defence and technology.
• Build relationships with senior US decision-makers.

Skills

Leadership

Stakeholder management

Strategic communication

Education

Extensive experience in Defence or National Security

Job description

Minister Counsellor for Defence Acquisition and Technology, British Embassy, Washington

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British Embassy, Washington DC, United States

Job Summary

This post is based in the British Embassy in Washington DC as part of the British Defence Staff US (BDSUS). The British Embassy's mission in the US is to ensure a strong and energetic relationship with the US, that the UK remains the US’ partner of choice, supports UK interests and helps embed our shared values on the global stage. The role of the British Defence Staff in the US is to strengthen the trans-Atlantic defence and security relationship to defend the UK and her interests.

The Minister Counsellor for Defence Acquisition and Technology is one of two Minister Counsellors reporting to the Minister Defence, alongside the Minister Counsellor for Defence Policy and Nuclear. You will be a member of the BDSUS Management Board, which directs the work of around 150 military, UK-based civilian and country-based staff in the British Embassy and has oversight of the wider US-based footprint of c.850 military and civilian staff.

This will be a very busy, high-profile post with significant exposure to Ministers and senior leaders in both the UK and US. The Defence Acquisition and Technology team are responsible for building and sustaining a strong relationship with the US for defence acquisition and industrial strategy , trade, growth, capability cooperation and defence science and technology (S&T). The team enables stakeholders to deliver innovative, cost-effective UK defence capability, and to ensure high levels of interoperability with the United States, as our most important ally.

Job Description

Minister Counsellor for Defence Acquisition and Technology oversees a team of around 30 staff, and direct line management of four G6 Counsellors, covering: ‘Acquisition and Trade’, ‘Science and Technology’ and ‘Legal’.

It also plays a key leadership role across the British Defence Staff US Strategy. Most notably:

• A Global Leader and Dependable Ally: Ensuring that the UK Armed Forces of the future will be useful, useable and interoperable alongside the US.
• Modernised and Interoperable: Positioning the UK as the capability and technology partner of choice to the US Armed Forces, to secure our technology advantage.
• Enhancing Access, Information Sharing, Innovation and Prosperity: Enabling closer UK-US collaboration on joint threat assessment, planning and wargaming, force and capability development, technology and industrial cooperation by breaking down US cultural, bureaucratic and regulatory obstacles to sharing information, data and technology, including export controls.
  
  

Key Responsibilities

The current responsibilities of the role include:

• Building and influencing a strong network of senior decision-makers across the US Administration, Congress, think tanks and industry, and pursuing private and public diplomacy to contribute to the UK’s profile and reputation as the US’ Number one Ally.
• Contributing to His Majesty’s Government policy decisions on industrial policy and strategy, export control policy, economic security and foreign investments.
• Advancing the cost-effective acquisition and delivery of UK military capability, through efficient and timely management of a portfolio of $16.5bn UK Foreign Military Sales (FMS) programme and Direct Commercial Sales (DCS) with the US.
• Maintaining the UK's position as a Science and Technology partner of choice for the US, ensuring that UK/US collaboration is in line with the Strategic Defence Review and Defence Industrial Strategy, departmental priorities and contributes full to technology-led modernisation.
• Advancing bilateral capability cooperation by actively advocating strategic UK investment and deepening US/UK cooperation to secure and extend our collective technology advantage.
• Oversight of British Defence Staff US’ contribution to Pillar 2 (advanced capabilities) of the trilateral (UK-US-Australian) AUKUS security partnership.
• Leadership of British Defence Staff US 'Improved Access' campaign engaging with DoD, State Department, Congress and Industry to Influence US strategic direction and legislative measures enabling Improved collaboration bilaterally as well as under AUKUS, building on the success of the International Trafficking In Arms Regulation exemption and reciprocal agreements of 2024, led by the DAT team.
• Creating an environment in which a team of UK and country-based civilian staff can flourish and where the diversity, talent and experience in the team can be fully exploited. This includes representing a diverse staff base across British Defence Staff.
  
  

Minister Counsellor for Defence Acquisition and Technology oversees a team of around 30 staff, and direct line management of four G6 Counsellors, covering: ‘Acquisition and Trade’, ‘Science and Technology’ and ‘Legal’.

It also plays a key leadership role across the British Defence Staff US Strategy. Most notably:

• A Global Leader and Dependable Ally: Ensuring that the UK Armed Forces of the future will be useful, useable and interoperable alongside the US.
• Modernised and Interoperable: Positioning the UK as the capability and technology partner of choice to the US Armed Forces, to secure our technology advantage.
• Enhancing Access, Information Sharing, Innovation and Prosperity: Enabling closer UK-US collaboration on joint threat assessment, planning and wargaming, force and capability development, technology and industrial cooperation by breaking down US cultural, bureaucratic and regulatory obstacles to sharing information, data and technology, including export controls.
  
  

The Current Responsibilities Of The Role Include

• Building and influencing a strong network of senior decision-makers across the US Administration, Congress, think tanks and industry, and pursuing private and public diplomacy to contribute to the UK’s profile and reputation as the US’ Number one Ally.
• Contributing to His Majesty’s Government policy decisions on industrial policy and strategy, export control policy, economic security and foreign investments.
• Advancing the cost-effective acquisition and delivery of UK military capability, through efficient and timely management of a portfolio of $16.5bn UK Foreign Military Sales (FMS) programme and Direct Commercial Sales (DCS) with the US.
• Maintaining the UK's position as a Science and Technology partner of choice for the US, ensuring that UK/US collaboration is in line with the Strategic Defence Review and Defence Industrial Strategy, departmental priorities and contributes full to technology-led modernisation.
• Advancing bilateral capability cooperation by actively advocating strategic UK investment and deepening US/UK cooperation to secure and extend our collective technology advantage.
• Oversight of British Defence Staff US’ contribution to Pillar 2 (advanced capabilities) of the trilateral (UK-US-Australian) AUKUS security partnership.
• Leadership of British Defence Staff US 'Improved Access' campaign engaging with DoD, State Department, Congress and Industry to Influence US strategic direction and legislative measures enabling Improved collaboration bilaterally as well as under AUKUS, building on the success of the International Trafficking In Arms Regulation exemption and reciprocal agreements of 2024, led by the DAT team.
• Creating an environment in which a team of UK and country-based civilian staff can flourish and where the diversity, talent and experience in the team can be fully exploited. This includes representing a diverse staff base across British Defence Staff.
  
  

Person specification

• Extensive experience of formulating international policy and strategy, at a high level, within a complex Defence, National Security environment, or any other related field.
• A track record of leadership in challenging defence acquisition, trade and technology issues across a broad portfolio.
• Proven leadership skills, with the ability to motivate, develop and support a diverse and inclusive team to their full potential.
• A persuasive communicator, with a track record of successfully leading cross-organisational working with a variety of partners across industry and governments to deliver policy and plans. You will need to be comfortable in building and developing effective relationships with Government Departments, showcasing how you build trust quickly and use your network to good effect, building strategic vision.
• Extensive senior stakeholder management experience, with evidence of being able to build and maintain a strong network of working relationships at Board level, including external delivery partners. You will also need to demonstrate your excellent influencing skills to secure mutually beneficial outcomes which achieve common goals.
  
  

Alongside your salary of £81,000, Ministry of Defence contributes £23,465 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

• Learning and development tailored to your role
• An environment with flexible working options
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%
  
  

Selection process details

To apply for this post, you will need to complete the online application process no later than 23:55 on Sunday 29th June 2025 and will involve providing the two documents outlined below via the Civil Service Jobs portal:

• A CV (no more than 2 pages) setting out your career history, with key responsibilities and achievements. Please ensure you have provided reasons for any gaps within the last two years.
• A Personal Statement (no more than 2 pages) explaining how your personal skills, qualities and experience provide evidence of your suitability for the role.
  
  

We understand that you might use AI and other resources for your application; however, please ensure all information you provide is factually accurate, truthful, and original and doesn’t include ideas or work that isn’t your own. This is so that your application is authentically and credibly your own.

External candidates who join the MOD and are new to the Civil Service will be subject to a six-month probation period.

For further information about the role and full application process, please refer to the candidate pack attached below. If you wish to receive any material in a different format for accessibility, then please contact [e-mail].

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

This role has a minimum assignment duration of 3 years. An assignment duration is the period of time a Senior Civil Servant is expected to remain in the same post to enable them to deliver on the agreed key business outcomes. The assignment duration also supports your career through building your depth of expertise.

As part of accepting this role you will be agreeing to the expected assignment duration set out above. This will not result in a contractual change to your terms and conditions. Please note this is an expectation only, it is not something which is written into your terms and conditions or indeed which the employing organisation or you are bound by. It will depend on your personal circumstances at a particular time and business needs, for example, would not preclude any absence like family friendly leave. It is nonetheless an important expectation, which is why we ask you to confirm you agree to the assignment duration set out above.

Security

Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is developed vetting (opens in a new window).See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).

People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is developed vetting (opens in a new window).See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).

People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

Open to UK nationals only.

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).

The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.

The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).

The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.

The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.

Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants

Job Contact

• Name : SCS Recruitment Team
• Email : [e-mail]
  
  

Recruitment team

• Email : [e-mail]

Seniority level

• Seniority level

  Executive

Employment type

• Employment type

  Full-time

Job function

• Job function

  Other

• Industries

  Defense and Space Manufacturing

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