Defence and National Security - Lead Contract Recruiter
Fortice, Greater Bristol Area, United Kingdom
Location: Bristol (4 days in Office and 1 WFH)
Type: Full-time
Reports to: Director of National Security
Who We Are
Fortice is an independent, purpose-driven recruitment & search business working across Defence, National Security and Dual-Use Technology.
For nearly two decades, we’ve partnered with some of the most exciting and mission-driven businesses in the UK and Europe, from start-ups building AI-enabled defence platforms to established primes driving critical national capability. We’re intentionally small by design. We value precision over scale, relationships over transactions, and delivery that matters. We’re now looking for a Defence and National Security Contract Recruitment Lead, someone who can help build upon our existing client partnerships and lead the development of this key pillar of the business.
The Role
We’re looking for a driven and commercially minded Contract Recruitment Lead to join our highly respected Defence and National Security division. You’ll play a key role in staffing some of the UK’s most complex and mission-critical projects, working with clients and candidates who operate across the UK’s secure domains.
This is a high-impact role that blends business development, stakeholder engagement, and contract delivery. If you would thrive in a trusted advisory position and you enjoy both the hunt and the nurturing of long-term relationships, you'd enjoy life at Fortice.
Key Responsibilities:
* Business Development
* Leverage existing Fortice relationships within the National Security and Defence ecosystems to win new business and expand current accounts.
* Identify and engage new clients across consultancies, primes, SMEs and scale-ups supporting secure government programmes.
* Negotiate terms of business and lead the full business development cycle.
* Stakeholder Engagement and Management
* Act as a trusted advisor to clients, understanding their technical landscapes, clearance requirements, and delivery challenges.
* Build and maintain close relationships with security-cleared professionals.
* Ensure exceptional communication and service standards throughout all client and candidate interactions.
* Delivery
* Manage the end-to-end contract recruitment process within time-sensitive and compliance-heavy environments.
* Source, qualify, and represent eDV, UKSV DV and SC cleared contractors across technical disciplines.
* Oversee contractor care and manage extensions, renewals, and ongoing performance.
* Work collaboratively with the Fortice Permanent Defence and National Security team to unearth contract opportunities across our client base.
* Network cultivation
* Continuously grow and curate a network of security-cleared professionals, market specialists, and industry influencers. Track everything in the database.
* Maintain up-to-date intelligence on contract rates, skill demand, and programme developments.
* Champion community engagement: attend events, host roundtables, and share insights within the secure domain.
* Leadership
* Fortice envisions the demand across this domain to continue increasing throughout 2026, as we near the end of the current government term. With demand growth comes the opportunity to scale your delivery team.
* Coaching, developing and supporting new contract consultants
* Contribute to shaping the Defence and National Security division’s strategy, identifying growth opportunities, and improving delivery capability.
About You
* Demonstrable recruitment experience within Defence, Public Sector or National Security (either permanent, dual-desk or contract background).
* Strong business development credentials and a track record of building lasting client relationships.
* A confident communicator with the ability to engage stakeholders at all levels.
* Deep understanding of the UK security clearance landscape (SC, DV, eDV).
* Self-motivated, commercially astute, and collaborative in your approach.
What You’ll Get
* Direct mentorship from the Fortice founders, with leadership opportunities as you scale this pillar of the business.
* The opportunity to work on high-impact, long-term programmes of national importance
* A supportive, grown-up culture that values delivery and trust over KPIs
* Real autonomy to own initiatives internally.
* Highly competitive salary + commission + hybrid working flexibility.
Should you want any more information about Fortice or this opportunity, please reach out directly to Alex Rosengren or James Para.
We look forward to hearing from you.
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