SPECIALIST TALENT FOR SECURE, MISSION-CRITICAL PROGRAMMES
Talent Locker partners with organisations delivering defence engineering, secure technology, and national security programmes, providing access to highly skilled engineering, technology, and security-cleared professionals.
We support defence contractors, aerospace organisations, and secure technology providers in building teams capable of delivering complex, regulated, and mission-critical programmes.
Our approach combines sector expertise, discretion, and access to established cleared talent networks, ensuring organisations can secure the specialist skills required to deliver with confidence in highly sensitive environments.
Looking for your next role?
Looking to hire specialist talent?
Different hiring challenges require different recruitment approaches. At Talent Locker, we offer three flexible recruitment solutions designed to help organisations secure the right technology talent quickly and effectively.
Contingent
Need recruitment support without long-term commitment?
Our contingent recruitment model is ideal for organisations hiring for mid-level roles or time-sensitive vacancies. You gain access to Talent Locker’s expert sourcing, screening and candidate networks when you need it, with no exclusivity required.
Why choose Contingent?
Benefit from Talent Locker’s specialist technology recruitment expertise while maintaining the flexibility to hire without long-term commitment.
Exclusive
Need your role prioritised to secure candidates faster?
Our exclusive recruitment partnership provides a more proactive search for urgent, niche or hard-to-fill roles. We dedicate focused delivery, headhunting and targeted market mapping to identify and secure high-quality permanent or contract professionals.
Why choose Exclusive?
Exclusive partnerships allow us to prioritise your search, giving you faster access to highly relevant candidates and a more structured hiring process.
Retained
Hiring for a senior or strategic role?
Our retained search service is designed for senior leadership and executive hires. Acting as an extension of your organisation, we manage the entire process from role definition and market mapping through to shortlist delivery and final hire.
Why choose Retained?
A bespoke, end-to-end executive search partnership designed to secure senior talent within a clearly defined timeframe.
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SECURITY CLEARED RECRUITMENT (SC & DV CLEARED ROLES)
Talent Locker specialises in security-cleared recruitment, supporting organisations delivering secure government and defence programmes across the UK.
We provide access to experienced professionals with active or previously held SC and DV clearance, including:
- SC Cleared professionals
- DV Cleared professionals
- Secure Systems Engineerss
- Cleared Programme and Project Managers
- Cleared Engineering and Technical Specialists
Recruiting within secure environments requires discretion, compliance expertise, and a clear understanding of clearance protocols. Our team manages the recruitment process with care, ensuring full alignment with security requirements and regulatory standards.
Need SC or DV cleared talent?
Speak with our team to access established networks of security-cleared professionals.
Book a call
CASE STUDY
Delivering Cleared Talent at Scale
A UK consultancy supporting a national security programme needed to secure over 20 BPSS and SC-cleared professionals within strict timelines.
Through our established cleared talent networks and targeted sourcing approach, we delivered fully vetted candidates aligned to both technical requirements and clearance criteria.
This enabled the successful mobilisation of contractors on time, ensuring programme continuity, compliance, and uninterrupted delivery.
ACCREDITED & RECOGNISED SUPPLIER
Operating within the Defence and Security sector requires the highest standards of compliance, security, and trust.
Talent Locker is:
- JOSCAR Registered, recognised within the Aerospace, Defence and Security supply chain
- Cyber Essentials Certified, demonstrating robust data security and information protection standards
- Armed Forces Covenant signatory, committed to supporting Armed Forces personnel, veterans, and their families
These accreditations reflect our commitment to delivering secure, compliant, and responsible recruitment solutions within highly regulated environments.
MEET OUR DEFENCE & NATIONAL SECURITY SPECIALISTS
Emma Homann
Lead Consultant, Defence & National Security
Emma specialises in supporting your recruitment needs across the Defence & National Security sector and Professional Services, providing end-to-end solutions from the initial briefing to successful placement.
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Rebecca Kelly
Lead Consultant, Defence & National Security
Rebecca specialises in supporting recruitment across the Defence & Security sector, helping organisations attract highly skilled engineering, technology and programme delivery professionals into complex and secure environments.
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Georgia Field
Delivery Consultant
Georgia is a Delivery Consultant specialising in Technology, Defence and AI recruitment, helping organisations secure talent for complex technology and business change programmes. With over six years’ recruitment experience, she partners with consultancies, retail organisations, insurers and manufacturing businesses to hire specialist technology professionals.
Mark Burgess
Head of Delivery
Mark manages Talent Locker's resourcing function, filling roles across our specialist market sectors: Business Change & Technology, Defence & Security, Dynamics 365, ERP & CRM, AI, Machine Learning & Data Science, and Workplace Change.
DEFENCE & SECURITY SALARY AND RATE GUIDE 2026 (UK)
Hiring within the UK Defence and Security sector is highly competitive, specialist, and constantly evolving. Our 2026 Salary & Rate Guide provides the latest market insight to help you stay competitive and secure the right talent.
Inside the guide you'll find:
- UK salary benchmarks for key Defence & Security roles
- Contractor day rate insights across engineering and technical positions
- Current hiring trends shaping the Defence and National Security market
- Data-driven insight based on Talent Locker’s placements and market expertise
Developed by Emma Homann, Lead Defence & Security Consultant, the guide covers roles including Systems Engineers, Software Engineers, Cloud & Infrastructure Engineers, Solutions Architects, and Engineering Managers.
Download the guide to benchmark your salaries, contractor rates, and hiring strategy with confidence.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Do you recruit for SC and DV cleared roles?
Yes. Talent Locker supports recruitment for professionals with SC and DV clearance across engineering, technology, and programme delivery roles.
Do you provide contract Defence recruitment?
Yes. We provide both permanent and contract recruitment solutions across Defence Engineering and Defence Technology programmes.
What types of organisations do you support?
We work with a range of organisations across the Defence and Security sector, including defence contractors, aerospace organisations, engineering companies, and secure technology providers operating in regulated environments.
EXPLORE OUR OTHER SECTORS
Discover how Talent Locker supports organisations across Technology & Transformation, ERP & CRM, and AI, Machine Learning & Data recruitment.
Technology & Transformation
We are experts in the supply of experienced programme leaders, business analysts, architects and transformation specialists who have delivered large-scale digital change before.
AI, ML & Data
Our AI and data network covers experts including machine learning engineers, data scientists, MLOps specialists and data architects actively shaping AI-enabled platforms.
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ERP & CRM
As a trusted specialist supplier to many leading UK consultancies and end users, we deliver exceptional talent across D365, Oracle and SAP.
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Defence & Security
We provide niche SC and DV-cleared experts operating across secure technology, cyber and mission-critical programme delivery.
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SPEAK WITH A DEFENCE & SECURITY RECRUITMENT SPECIALIST
Whether you’re hiring engineers for complex defence programmes, building national security capability, or exploring your next role in defence, engineering, or cyber, Talent Locker connects organisations and professionals with the specialist talent required to deliver in secure, mission-critical environments.
book a call