Digital Solutions Business Partner - GCAP & MAP

Job Description:

Your Impact

The Digital Solutions Business Partner is responsible for leading strategic engagement between Digital Solutions and a broad ecosystem of senior internal and external stakeholders within the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP).

Operating beyond traditional internal business partnering, the role will develop a deep understanding of GCAP strategy, customer requirements, partner priorities and the wider industry environment, translating these into clear implications, opportunities and priorities for Digital Solutions.

The role will act as the senior Digital Solutions interface across GCAP stakeholders, customers, third parties, industry partners and international joint venture members, building trusted relationships and ensuring effective alignment across organisational boundaries.

The DS Business Partner will influence strategic planning and decision-making, shape future digital requirements and investment priorities, and ensure Digital Solutions capabilities, dependencies, risks and opportunities are considered early within programme and partnership discussions.

Key Activities

• Own the strategic Digital Solutions relationship and engagement model across GCAP and its wider stakeholder ecosystem.
• Develop trusted relationships with senior GCAP stakeholders, understanding programme strategy, priorities, dependencies and future capability requirements.
• Build and maintain effective engagement with the customer, ensuring Digital Solutions understands evolving customer priorities, expectations and technology requirements.
• Establish strategic relationships with relevant third parties and industry partners, identifying opportunities for collaboration, capability development, innovation and reuse.
• Represent Digital Solutions in engagement with international joint venture members, supporting alignment of digital strategies, capabilities, standards, dependencies and ways of working across partner organisations.
• Act as the senior Digital Solutions representative within appropriate programme, customer, partner and joint venture forums.
• Provide strategic insight into how technology, data and digital capabilities can support GCAP outcomes and longer-term objectives.
• Shape emerging requirements at the earliest opportunity, ensuring Digital Solutions considerations are embedded before solutions, commitments or investment decisions are established.
• Develop a forward-looking view of digital demand, identifying future capability requirements, investment needs, dependencies and potential constraints.
• Influence GCAP and Digital Solutions roadmaps to ensure appropriate alignment between business outcomes, customer expectations and technology strategy.
• Lead Digital Solutions engagement through the Integrated Business Planning (IBP) process, ensuring future programme requirements and investment needs are identified, shaped, evidenced and appropriately prioritised.
• Identify opportunities to leverage capabilities, technologies and expertise across the wider organisation, industry partners and international joint venture.
• Provide senior stakeholders with clear visibility of significant digital risks, dependencies, opportunities and strategic decisions.
• Navigate competing priorities across programme, customer, partner and Digital Solutions stakeholders, facilitating alignment and driving decisions where required.
• Work closely with Architecture, Delivery, Technology Operations, Commercial, Security and other Digital Solutions functions to develop coordinated responses to strategic GCAP requirements.
• Ensure commercial, security, regulatory, sovereignty and information-sharing considerations are recognised when shaping solutions involving customers, third parties or international partners.
• Champion reuse, interoperability and common approaches across organisational and international boundaries where these support programme outcomes.
• Maintain awareness of relevant industry and technology developments, bringing external insight into GCAP and Digital Solutions strategic planning.
• Provide leadership and guidance to the wider Business Partnering community, sharing insight, relationships and good practice gained through the programme.
• Demonstrate and communicate the value Digital Solutions contributes to GCAP and customer outcomes.

What you'll bring

• Demonstrable experience in a Business Partnering, technology leadership, programme or equivalent strategic role, operating across complex stakeholder environments is desirable.
• Proven experience of building and managing senior strategic relationships across organisational boundaries, including customers, partners, suppliers or other external organisations.
• Experience of working within large-scale, complex programmes, with an understanding of programme governance, dependencies, investment decisions and long-term capability planning.
• Strong understanding of Digital and IT strategy, capabilities and operating models, with the ability to translate business and programme objectives into technology priorities and requirements.
• Experience of strategic demand shaping and portfolio planning, identifying future capability requirements and influencing investment priorities.
• Experience of engaging with third-party technology providers and industry partners, including identifying opportunities for collaboration, innovation and capability development is desirable.
• Ability to operate credibly with senior customer and programme stakeholders, representing Digital Solutions in strategic discussions and governance forums.
• Experience of working across multiple technology disciplines, such as enterprise architecture, infrastructure, applications, cyber security, data and digital services, without necessarily being a technical specialist in each.
• Experience of working within a regulated, security-sensitive or defence environment would be highly advantageous.

This is not an exhaustive list, and we are keen to hear from you even if you might not have experience in all the above. The most important skill is a good attitude and willingness to learn.

Security Clearance

This role is subject to pre-employment screening in line with the UK Government’s Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS). An additional range of Personnel Security Controls referred to as National Security Vetting (NSV) may apply, this could include meeting the eligibility requirements for The Security Check (SC) or Developed Vetting (DV). For more information and guidance please visit: https://careers.uk.leonardo.com/gb/en/security-and-vetting

Why join us

At Leonardo, our people are at the heart of everything we do. We offer a comprehensive, company-funded benefits package that supports your wellbeing, career development, and work–life balance. Whether you're looking to grow professionally, care for your health, or plan for the future, we’re here to help you thrive.

• Time to Recharge: Enjoy generous leave with the opportunity to accrue up to 12 additional flexi-days each year.
• Secure your Future: Benefit from our award-winning pension scheme with up to 15% employer contribution.
• Your Wellbeing Matters: Free access to mental health support, financial advice, and employee-led networks championing inclusion and diversity (Enable, Pride, Equalise, Armed Forces, Carers, Wellbeing and Ethnicity).
• Rewarding Performance: All employees at management level and below are eligible for our bonus scheme.
• Never Stop Learning: Free access to 4,000+ online courses via Coursera and LinkedIn Learning.
• Refer a friend: Receive a financial reward through our referral programme.
• Tailored Perks: Spend up to £500 annually on flexible benefits including private healthcare, dental, family cover, tech & lifestyle discounts, gym memberships and more.
• Flexible working: Flexible hours with hybrid working options. For part time opportunities, please talk to us about what might be possible for this role.

For a full list of our company benefits please visit our website.

Leonardo UK operates a grade-based salary framework with broad bands. The salary range shown reflects the approved grade band for this role, or a narrower hiring range published within that band, and is benchmarked against the external market. Exceptions above the standard range are managed through governance controls to protect internal equity.

Leonardo is a global leader in Aerospace, Defence, and Security. Headquartered in Italy, we employ over 53,000 people worldwide including 8,500 across 9 sites in the UK. Our employees are not just part of a team—they are key contributors to shaping innovation, advancing technology, and enhancing global safety.

At Leonardo we are committed to building an inclusive, accessible, and welcoming workplace. We believe that a diverse workforce sparks creativity, drives innovation, and leads to better outcomes for our people and our customers. If you have any accessibility requirements to support you during the recruitment process, just let us know.

Be part of something bigger - apply now!

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Primary Location:

GB - Luton - Cap. Green 300

Additional Locations:

GB - Basildon, GB - Edinburgh, GB - Southampton

Contract Type:

Permanent

Hybrid Working:

Hybrid