Head of Counter-Drone Science and Technology

Apply before 11:55 pm on Monday 16th March 2020

Are you interested in emerging technologies? Does the prospect of running a brand new programme of work motivate you?

Do you want to work in a fast paced, autonomous and stretching role that will offer you significant exposure to industry and senior stakeholders?

If so, this unique and exciting opportunity as our Head of Counter-Drone Science and Technology is for you, and we’d love to hear from you.

Drones have long promised to offer significant societal benefits, such as autonomous search and rescue operations, personal flying taxis or advanced building construction. With the emergence of new technology comes the risk they will be misused for nefarious purposes. This is your opportunity to lead the science and technology development which will secure our transport networks from the malicious use of drones. You will be at the forefront of this new, fascinating and exciting field, setting the future direction for years to come. You will establish and lead a new programme of scientific work to understand the potential threat from drones, now and in the future, and develop the capability to counter them. You will generate robust evidence base, using it to advise ministers and senior officials, influencing decision-making in the UK and internationally. 

The scope of the counter-drone challenge is broad, complex and still ill defined. You will not have control over all the resources you need to tackle this challenge alone, so will need the support and cooperation of others to realise success. Therefore, you will need to build trusted partnerships with other Government departments, manufacturing industry, transport operators, universities and international counterparts, leveraging their counter-drone initiatives to meet Departmental aims.

It is advanced technologies that enable drones to operate. Advanced technologies, such as artificial intelligence, are also likely to play a key role in future drone countermeasures. To succeed in this role you will need to be agile and innovative in your approach to delivery and the technologies you explore to tackle the threat. The speed of drone technological advancement sets the high pace of this role. Not only will you need to address today’s problem, but you will need to anticipate and prepare for tomorrow’s, ensuring solutions are suitably future-proofed.

This post sits in the Department’s Research, Analysis and Development (RAD) Team. The team is responsible for providing technical support in the development of policies and regulation that protects transport systems and the travelling public from terrorist attacks. Provision of advice and evidence in underpinned by a £6.5M research programme, which the team designs, administers and facilitates the exploitation of. We are a diverse, passionate, friendly, technical, dedicated and supportive team that is committed to ensuring the security of transport, as well as the prosperity of the UK and transport industry. We are internationally renowned as a technical authority on transport security, and have strong collaborations with many international partners, including the US and Europe.