Business Development Director – Defence & Nuclear

Job description

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Position Description:

CGI is driving digital transformation across the UK’s Defence Nuclear Enterprise, helping organisations strengthen operational resilience, embrace innovation and deliver critical national defence capabilities. As Business Development Director, you will play a pivotal role in expanding our presence in this strategically important market, shaping high-value opportunities and building trusted partnerships across defence and nuclear organisations.
You will have the autonomy to develop ambitious growth strategies, bring creative solutions to complex challenges and influence the future of secure digital services.
Working alongside a collaborative network of industry experts, you will be empowered to turn strategic opportunities into lasting client relationships, profitable growth and meaningful outcomes for the UK’s defence community.

CGI was recognised in the Sunday Times Best Places to Work List 2025 and has been named a UK ‘Best Employer’ by the Financial Times. We offer a competitive salary, excellent pension, private healthcare, plus a share scheme (3.5% + 3.5% matching) which makes you a CGI Partner not just an employee. We are committed to inclusivity, building a genuinely diverse community of tech talent and inspiring everyone to pursue careers in our sector, including our Armed Forces, and are proud to hold a Gold Award in recognition of our support of the Armed Forces Corporate Covenant. Join us and you’ll be part of an open, friendly community of experts. We’ll train and support you in taking your career wherever you want it to go.

Due to the secure nature of the programme, you will need to hold UK Security Clearance or be eligible to go through this clearance. This is a hybrid position.

Your future duties and responsibilities:

In this role, you will lead CGI’s business development strategy across the UK Defence Nuclear Enterprise (DNE), identifying and securing strategic opportunities that accelerate growth and strengthen our market position. You will take ownership of developing senior client relationships, shaping innovative digital and technology propositions, and converting complex opportunities into profitable contracts. Working closely with CGI’s consulting, technical and delivery specialists, you will have the freedom to influence market strategy, develop differentiated solutions and drive measurable commercial success.

As a key member of the Digital Experience & Innovation (DXI) leadership team, you will collaborate across CGI’s defence and nuclear capabilities to build compelling campaigns, establish strategic partnerships and lead multidisciplinary teams through the full business development lifecycle. You will be supported by experienced colleagues and an established network of industry expertise, enabling you to pursue ambitious growth opportunities while delivering lasting value for our clients.

Key responsibilities:

·  Lead & Grow: Own and execute CGI’s Defence Nuclear Enterprise growth strategy, developing targeted account plans, market campaigns and commercial opportunities.

·  Engage & Influence: Build trusted relationships with senior stakeholders across the Ministry of Defence, Royal Navy, defence primes, nuclear organisations and strategic partners.

·  Identify & Shape: Proactively identify, qualify and influence high-value opportunities ahead of formal procurement, positioning CGI as a trusted technology and consulting partner.

·  Innovate & Differentiate: Collaborate with technical specialists to develop compelling propositions across digital transformation, cyber resilience, secure infrastructure, data and digital engineering.

·  Develop & Deliver: Lead strategic campaigns, competitive pursuits, bid teams and commercial negotiations through to successful contract award.

·  Partner & Collaborate: Strengthen relationships with industry partners, specialist SMEs and technology providers to create new routes to market and enhance CGI’s capabilities.

·  Represent & Promote: Champion CGI through defence industry events, professional networks, thought leadership and strategic engagement activities.

·  Own & Optimise: Manage sales pipelines, forecasts, bid investment and commercial performance, delivering agreed contract value, revenue and margin objectives.

·  Lead & Inspire: Bring together multidisciplinary teams across CGI, encouraging collaboration, creative thinking and shared accountability for business success.

Required qualifications to be successful in this role:

You will bring significant experience in strategic business development within defence, nuclear or similarly complex, highly regulated environments, combined with a proven ability to secure high-value technology and consulting contracts. Your commercial expertise, established industry relationships and understanding of defence procurement will enable you to identify opportunities, influence senior decision-makers and deliver sustainable growth. You will thrive in a collaborative environment where initiative, strategic thinking and the ability to bring people together are essential to success.

Essential skills and experience:

·  Proven Business Development Success: Extensive experience securing complex, high-value contracts within defence, nuclear, IT services, systems integration or consulting.

·  Defence & Nuclear Market Knowledge: Direct experience in the Defence Nuclear Enterprise, Royal Navy, submarine programmes or MOD, with strong knowledge of defence stakeholders, operational priorities and supply chains, and established relationships with defence primes, nuclear organisations and industry networks.

·  Strategic Relationship Management: Demonstrable ability to build trusted relationships with senior government, military, commercial and industry stakeholders.

·  Growth Strategy & Campaign Leadership: Experience developing and executing go-to-market strategies, account growth plans and coordinated business development campaigns.

·  Commercial & Bid Management: Proven expertise in opportunity qualification, competitive bids, pricing strategies, contract negotiations and commercial risk management.

·  Defence Procurement Expertise: Good understanding of MOD acquisition processes, procurement frameworks and prime contractor supply chains.

·  Leadership & Collaboration: Strong influencing, presentation and negotiation skills, with experience leading multidisciplinary pursuit teams.

·  Digital & Technology Awareness: Ability to articulate the business value of digital transformation, cyber security, data, software and secure technology solutions.

·  Performance & Pipeline Management: Proven ability to manage complex sales pipelines, deliver revenue and margin targets, and maintain accurate commercial forecasts.

·  Security & Mobility: Eligibility to obtain and maintain SC and DV security clearance as required, with flexibility to travel regularly to UK client locations.

Desirable experience and qualifications:

·  Knowledge of secure-by-design principles, MOD information assurance, nuclear assurance, digital engineering or modelling and simulation.

·  Experience contributing to defence industry bodies, professional forums or thought leadership initiatives.

·  Relevant business, engineering, sales or nuclear qualifications, professional accreditation or equivalent experience.

·  Existing SC or DV security clearance.

Skills:

·  Business Development
·  Client management
·  Network
·  Sales
·  Leadership

What you can expect from us:

Together, as owners, let’s turn meaningful insights into action.

Life at CGI is rooted in ownership, teamwork, respect and belonging. Here, you’ll reach your full potential because…

You are invited to be an owner from day 1 as we work together to bring our Dream to life. That’s why we call ourselves CGI Partners rather than employees. We benefit from our collective success and actively shape our company’s strategy and direction.

Your work creates value. You’ll develop innovative solutions and build relationships with teammates and clients while accessing global capabilities to scale your ideas, embrace new opportunities, and benefit from expansive industry and technology expertise.

You’ll shape your career by joining a company built to grow and last. You’ll be supported by leaders who care about your health and well-being and provide you with opportunities to deepen your skills and broaden your horizons.

That same commitment to fairness extends to how we use technology. To support our recruitment team, AI tools may be used to help assess applications though they never replace human judgement. All hiring decisions remain entirely in the hands of our recruitment professionals.

Come join our team—one of the largest IT and business consulting services firms in the world.