Director of Innovation and Engineering
About this role.
DIGI2AL is an employee-owned defense-focused digital services consultancy. A vendor-agnostic UK Crown Commercial Services accredited supplier, we have delivered over 120 cloud-hosted digital services across the public sector, working in partnership with clients to research and develop outcomes and services spanning artificial intelligence, data science, low code and complex code software engineering, cyber security, cloud engineering, and user-centred design. At DIGI2AL, our technology values drive everything we do. We are committed to open, contemporary and secure solutions that put users first. We embrace cutting-edge technologies while ensuring interoperability, resilience and ethical innovation. By prioritising transparency, adaptability and security, we enable organisations to build future-proof digital services that deliver real impact. Role purpose The Innovation Director is responsible for translating novel technology opportunities into great solutions for our clients. Your mission is to lead early lifecycle/ pre-sales engagements, architecting the high-level technical strategies that win bids and set our delivery teams up for success. You will be both proactive and reactive. Proactive in interpreting government strategy, world events and delivery priority from primes into solutions that Digi2al can deliver to bring pace, precision and productivity. Reactive in shaping and responding to customer requirements through informal conversations and more substantive solution design for RFPs. A thorough understanding of the deployment of cutting edge technology into the real world and the pace of change of new technology is essential.
Skills.
What you’ll be doing
-Technical Pre-Sales & Bid Architecture
Solution Design: Lead the technical architecture for major tenders, ensuring proposals are highly innovative yet rooted in the realities of MOD delivery. Design architectures supporting hybrid navy frameworks, uncrewed systems command-and-control (C2), multi-sensor data fusion, and tactical edge computing. Capitalise on major MOD enterprise agreements by designing solutions optimized for Google Cloud Platform’s Secret Community Cloud platform, scaling internal Microsoft (M365/Azure/Power Platform) integrations, and developing joint partner propositions within the emerging Palantir ecosystem framework.
Win Strategy: Partner with the Sales lead to identify the win strategy that differentiates Digi2al. You own the technical narrative of the bid, from executive summaries to deep-dive methodology chapters, drawing in experts as required.
Prototyping & Demos: If needed oversee the creation of proof of concepts (PoCs) or technical demos that make our vision tangible for clients during the discovery phase.
Service Offering Design: Work with Practice Leads and the DIGI2AL Labs team to package our technical research, bespoke code, and custom hardware/software developments into repeatable service offerings, blueprints, and playbooks. Your objective is to productise innovation, establishing scalable pipelines that successfully bridge the gap between low-TRL experimental engineering and formalised programs of record.
-Strategic Client Engagement & Thought Leadership
Trusted Advisor: Act as the technical anchor for C-suite government and military stakeholders across Navy Digital, the Submarine Delivery Agency (SDA), RAF Digital, Army Digital, DE&S, and Front Line Commands, helping them navigate complex digital roadmaps and evaluate novel tech adoption before formal tenders are released.
Market Presence: Represent Digi2al at industry events and in white papers. You are the face of our technical go to market positioning the firm as a thought leader in high-consequence digital transformation.
Handover Governance: Ensure a seamless transition from bidding to delivery briefing the Delivery Director and Practice Leads on the technical vision and client expectations.
Experience.
The experience you’ll bring
- Experience: A proven track record of winning multi-million pound contracts within the UK Government or Defence sectors.
- Framework Fluency: Deep familiarity with the Digital, Data and Technology (DDaT) capability framework and public sector commercial procurement models, with specific technical insight into leveraging or partnering via strategic commercial vehicles such as TS4
- Experience: Background in modern engineering practices but with a clear commercial nose. A thorough understanding of the deployment of cutting edge technology into the real world and the pace of change of new technology is essential
- Skill: The ability to spot an opportunity for innovation where others see a routine problem. You should be able to estimate technical effort accurately, ensuring our innovative solutions are also profitable and deliverable
Your personal qualities
- Persuasive Writing: The ability to draft compelling, high-scoring technical responses for formal tenders.
- Outcome-Obsessed: You care more about the client's mission success than the specific tool used to get there.
- Intellectual Curiosity: A natural early adopter who is genuinely excited by solving complex problems with unconventional solutions.
- The Relatable Expert: You can explain high-level technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders without losing the business value in the jargon.
- Entrepreneurial Spirit: You thrive in a smaller, agile environment where you need to be both the strategist and the person who gets the prototype over the line.
- Ethical & Compliant Mindset: You champion Innovation by Design, ensuring all new ventures respect UK GDPR, ethical AI guidelines, and inclusivity standards.
SFIA Level: 6
Minimum security level: DV Preferred but can start with SC
