The UK Defence & National Security Jobs Market in 2026

By Charlie Cairoli

Candidate News & Insight

Client News & Insight

Posted 4 days ago

This isn’t a generic market report.

The insight below comes from more than 600 candidate conversations and 100+ role briefings over the past year. Most of that work has been focused on National Security, supporting SMEs, sub-primes and specialist consultancies delivering genuinely mission-critical work.

Rather than pulling from headlines or desk research, this reflects what the market has actually felt like on the ground. Where hiring has been hardest, where expectations have shifted, and what both hiring managers and candidates should be thinking about as we head into 2026.

What The Market Felt Like in 2025

The Defence and National Security hiring market in 2025 didn’t feel slow. It felt tight.

Organisations are all hiring, but often for the same small talent pool. Shortlists were thinner. Roles stayed open longer. Both candidates and hiring managers became more deliberate in how they moved.

In many cases, employers were willing to tweak or shape roles around the right person, especially where valid clearance was involved. The challenge was finding that person in the first place.

Three pressures stood out clearly:

Clearance scarcity came first. The pool of SC, DV and eDV-cleared engineers did not grow in line with demand. That meant organisations were often competing for the same small group of people, and delivery risk on live programmes became a real issue rather than a future concern.

Next was the mid-level gap. Most demand sat at SFIA Level 3–4. Engineers who can work independently, flex across projects and operate with limited oversight remain in short supply. These candidates are rarely active and often need a strong reason to move.

Finally, external competition continued to grow. Defence teams are no longer just competing with each other. Commercial roles offering more flexibility, fewer on-site requirements and less friction are credible alternatives, even for people who are mission-driven. Purpose still matters, but it no longer offsets slow processes or unclear propositions.

Roles That Really Mattered in 2025

Software, data, cloud and cyber roles all remained in demand, but the biggest shift we saw wasn’t about job titles. It was about what teams actually valued once hiring got underway.

Across Defence and National Security, organisations became less focused on finding a perfect tech stack match and more focused on how engineers think and work.

A few patterns came up again and again:

Software Engineering remained central to most programmes. Certain languages and frameworks cropped up regularly, but the specific stack was often secondary. Engineers who showed strong fundamentals, understood testing and quality, and had an appreciation of DevOps, Cloud and Cyber tended to stand out. Those who could explain how their work fitted into a wider system often performed well in interview, even without every tool on the job description.

Data roles continued to evolve. Many teams initially asked for Data Scientists, but in practice found more value in Data Engineers. Building secure, reliable data pipelines mattered more than isolated modelling. Where this was recognised early, hiring outcomes were noticeably stronger.

DevOps and Platform Engineering remained one of the most competitive areas of the market. The engineers in highest demand were those who combined automation and infrastructure skills with some hands-on coding experience. This made it easier for them to work closely with development teams and influence delivery, rather than operating purely as infrastructure specialists.

AI and ML roles attracted a lot of interest, but remain scarce and highly competitive, both inside Defence and outside it. Cleared experience at DV and eDV level is particularly limited. Some of the most effective teams focused on strong foundations and adjacent skills, then supported people to grow into AI-focused roles over time.

NB: We explored this in more depth in our Secure Perspectives episode on Interviewing for AI.

Across all of these roles, one thing was consistent. Organisations that were open to shaping roles around the right person, rather than hiring rigidly to a checklist, tended to get better results.

Defence & Security Hiring Advice For 2026

Most Defence and National Security roles are already constrained before interviews even begin. Clearance requirements, location, on-site expectations and limited talent pools narrow the field quickly.

Where teams run into trouble is when process adds friction on top of that. We regularly see roles stall not because there is no suitable talent, but because the journey from first conversation to offer becomes drawn out. Interview stages multiply. Feedback slows. Candidates are left unclear on next steps.

In a tight market, this matters. Strong engineers are usually already in work and selective about where they invest their time. If momentum is lost, they move on.

The teams that hire well tend to keep things simple. They:

Keep interview stages focused and purposeful
Move quickly once there is alignment, often in days rather than weeks
Give clear, timely feedback
Treat interviews as two-way conversations
Are upfront about constraints while clearly explaining the mission and team environment

We’ve seen clients who take pride in short lead times secure excellent hires in highly competitive markets. At the same time, we regularly see other organisations lose strong candidates simply because processes drift on for weeks.

In an already constrained market, reducing friction makes a real difference.

Advice For Candidates in 2026

From the candidate side, a few misconceptions come up repeatedly.

Clearance timelines are still underestimated.
Even when interest is genuine, vetting can pause or reshape opportunities. Candidates who plan with clearance in mind tend to make better long-term decisions.

Not all high-side work feels the same.
We hear from engineers who feel overstretched or underused in highly restricted environments. What makes the difference is context. Teams that can explain why work is classified, how often people will be high-side, and how development is supported tend to retain people more effectively.

Salary matters, but trajectory matters more.
Immediate compensation is important, but long-term progression, exposure to different programmes and the chance to build scarce experience often have a bigger impact over time.

Soft skills are not optional.
Clear communication, humility and the ability to work across disciplines consistently set strong candidates apart, especially in Defence environments where technical work often intersects with non-technical stakeholders.

Candidates who understand these dynamics tend to navigate the market with more confidence and better outcomes.

A Strong Year Ahead For the Security & Defence Market

There are reasons to be optimistic about the year ahead.

Demand for technical capability remains strong, driven by the growing importance of software, data, cloud and digital delivery across Defence programmes. There is also a clearer recognition that hiring processes, role design and flexibility need to evolve if organisations are to compete effectively for scarce talent.

At the same time, uncertainty remains. Continued ambiguity around the Defence Investment Plan risks reinforcing an already cautious approach across parts of the sector. In practice, this can mean delayed decisions, paused hiring or extended approval cycles, adding further friction to a market that is already tight.

The challenges seen over the past year are unlikely to disappear overnight. Clearance bottlenecks will continue to shape hiring decisions. Mid-level talent will remain in short supply. Retention will matter just as much as attraction.

The teams that perform best in 2026 are likely to be those that:

Take time to define what really matters in a role
Reduce friction in their hiring processes
Hire for adaptability and mindset, not just specific tools
Treat candidates as long-term partners, not short-term fixes

For candidates, the opportunities are there, but the strongest moves will come from clear thinking, realistic expectations and a focus on long-term progression rather than short-term gain.

How Forward Role Secure Can Help

We support organisations and individuals operating across the UK Defence and National Security ecosystem, with a particular focus on technical roles where clearance, context and complexity matter.

Alongside our day-to-day work with clients and candidates, we also host the Cyber & Secure Perspectives podcast as a team. It’s a space where we speak with practitioners across Defence and National Security about the realities of building teams, delivering capability and navigating careers in this sector.

If you’re building a team, or considering your next move in the space, we’re always happy to share what we’re seeing and offer an honest view of the market - Get in touch

You can view our latest roles on our website, listen to the podcast, or get in touch directly to start a conversation.