Technology Futures Analyst (Scientist or Engineer)

About the role:

This is an exciting opportunity to join our Research & Innovation (R&I) Delivery Team. The R&I Delivery Team exploits the unique breadth and depth of QinetiQ’s technical personnel to add real value as a research prime, linking across multiple domains. We provide the expert people and innovation to deliver future products and services for our customers, working to encourage novel ideas as well as insight focused on customer need.

We are seeking a Science and Technology Analyst that is keen to be part of exciting growth in Futures and Innovation understanding, to enable Defence and Security to mitigate future challenges, whilst identifying and exploiting opportunities. This is a strategic role where you will lead and support projects and activities such as Technology Watch and Horizon Scanning. You will be responsible for identifying future technology trends and developments, as well as laying out roadmaps to help projects visualise when new developments will come into play and be applicable to their specific areas.

What Will I Be Doing?

Reporting to QinetiQ’s Technology Futures lead, this is a very varied role, with the chance to work on a wide range of technology areas and use cases. You will be working on internal projects, as well as supporting one of our key customers (MoD Defence Science & Technology Laboratory - Dstl) in areas such as:

• Insights – identifying, assessing and advising on emerging technologies and capabilities. Applying system approaches, horizon scanning and technology road-mapping.
• Transformative concepts and systems – developing understanding of long-term future concepts and operating environments, and the impact of generation-after-next technologies. Imagining and developing transformative concepts and systems.
• Futures Capability Development – developing and identifying new approaches for futures analysis, promoting and helping to embed their use.

You will also have the opportunity to:

• Support the technology watch, tracking and forecasting capability across QinetiQ. Support bids on futures and horizon scanning work and identify potential opportunities in this domain.
• Act as technical lead to bids (leading a pan-QinetiQ team if required).
• Supply technical advice to Technology Futures work both in QinetiQ and in other organisations.
• Influence futures thinking at a strategic level across QinetiQ and other organisations.
• Develop yourself and be recognised as a QinetiQ point of contact for technology-oriented futures work, horizon scanning, road mapping and technology forecasting.
• Champion the need for futures work in QinetiQ and in other organisations, whilst supporting and assisting the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) and other senior staff as appropriate.

Key Skills and Experience:

A wide range of skillsets and backgrounds are suitable for this role, from a range of fields. If you have an interest in technology, we would like to hear from you. It is not expected that you will have experience with all of these skills and areas, so we welcome applications from people with experience in multiple of the following:

• Degree or higher within Science Technology, Engineering or Mathematics (STEM)
• A passion for and familiarity with technology areas and their uses
• Experience in research in any field or application
• The ability to rapidly seek out information and understand new topics
• A fluent writer, able to translate technical concepts into a language understandable by the informed layperson
• Comfortable presenting results and findings to senior staff, customers and stakeholders

Desirable Skills and Experience:

• Experience leading projects or programmes, especially in technology fields
• Experience writing bids and project proposals
• Defence experience in any area
• Supervising junior staff and graduates

This role is likely to require some travel to customer sites, typically only within the UK.

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

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

Our Benefits

• Adaptive and flexible working
• Generous holiday allowance
• Health Cash Plan, Private Medical Insurance and Dental Insurance
• Matched contribution pension scheme, with life assurance
• Employee discount portal: Personal Accident Insurance, Travel Insurance, Restaurants, Cinema Tickets and much more
• Holiday Trading is a benefit that allows most employees to buy up to 5 days’ additional leave
• We are proud to support the Armed Forces community by honouring the Armed Forces Covenant
• Payroll Giving and Volunteering - helping charities and local community

Our volunteering programme enables our people to use their professional skills to make a positive difference in our local communities, for example STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) ambassador days in schools. We support a number of charities that are important to our people, including those which help the defence community. 

Why Join QinetiQ?
As we continue to grow into new markets around the world, there’s never been a more exciting time to join QinetiQ. The formula for success is our appetite for innovation and having the courage to take on a wide variety of complex challenges.

You’ll experience a unique working environment where teams from different backgrounds, disciplines and experience enjoy collaborating widely and openly as we undertake this exciting and rewarding journey. Through effective teamwork, and pulling together, you’ll get to experience what happens when we all share different perspectives, blend disciplines, and link technologies; constantly discovering new ways of solving complex problems in a diverse and inclusive environment where you can be authentic, feel valued and realise your full potential. Visit our website to read more about our diverse and inclusive workplace culture.

About QinetiQ
As a company of thousands of dedicated professionals, we are a world-centre of excellence in research and development and act as a catalyst for fast-track innovation, offering outstanding experimentation facilities, and technical, engineering and scientific expertise. QinetiQ is made up of dedicated experts in defence, aerospace, security and related markets, all working together to explore new ways of protecting what matters most. Being part of QinetiQ means being central to the safety and security of the world around us. Partnering with our customers, we help to save lives; reduce risks to society; and maintain the global infrastructure on which we all depend. Come and find out how you can play a role.

Security
Please note that many roles in QinetiQ are subject to national security vetting. Applicants who already hold the appropriate level of vetting may be able to transfer it upon appointment, subject to approval. A number of roles are also subject to restrictions on access to information, which mean factors such as nationality, previous nationalities held and the country in which you were born may affect the roles that you can be employed in.

Application Guidance
If you have a disability or need any reasonable adjustments during the application and selection stages, please contact your regional recruiting team in strictest confidence. We’re committed to building an inclusive culture where everyone’s free to thrive. We are happy to talk about flexible working - please ask about alternative patterns of work at interview.