Submarine Delivery Agency Non-Executive Director

Message from Chief of Defence Nuclear (CDN), Madelaine McTernan CB

The UK’s independent nuclear deterrent is essential to our nation’s security and is Defence’s highest priority. The Defence Nuclear Enterprise (DNE) is responsible for maintaining the UK’s nuclear deterrent; it is a cohesive network of organisations and arrangements that guarantees strategic deterrence. The DNE works together to deliver its shared mission: ensure nuclear capabilities, deter threats, and protect the nation and its interests.

As part of the DNE, the Submarine Delivery Agency (SDA) works in partnership with the Royal Navy, Defence Nuclear Organisation, and other components of the DNE to provide submarines to the Royal Navy, including those that are critical to sustaining our Deterrent. The SDA Advisory Board’s role is to support the executive team in effectively leading the organisation and delivering its outputs. The Board provides challenge, advice, support and effective governance. It also constructively scrutinises SDA performance on behalf of CDN.

We are seeking an exceptional individual to join the Board to help shape how the SDA delivers for the DNE and strengthens its position as a world-class delivery organisation. Whilst it carries the broad responsibilities of a Non-Executive Director, this role is especially focused on driving digital, AI, and technology transformation. You will help steer the SDA’s evolution into a secure, data-driven enterprise supporting the adoption of digital twin technology, AI-enabled decision-making, and scalable digital infrastructure. Your insight will be key in driving digital outcomes across defence and industry, and in helping the executive team embed a culture ready for tomorrow’s challenges.

You will challenge and inspire the SDA to drive change. You will have the resilience to engage on critical issues and the integrity to handle sensitive information. This is a rare opportunity to play a key role in safeguarding national security through strategic deterrence. If you have the skills and experience to make a difference, we encourage you to apply.

As part of its commitment to strong corporate governance and future-focused leadership, the SDA is seeking to appoint a new Non-Executive Director with deep expertise from across one of more of the following areas: digital, AI, and technology transformation.

This is a unique opportunity to help shape the future of the SDA at a time of profound technological and geopolitical change. The SDA is delivering one of the most complex engineering programmes in the world, and the arrival of the Dreadnought class submarine marks a generational shift—not just in capability, but in how defence platforms are designed, built, and sustained.

Dreadnought will be the UK’s first truly digital submarine, underpinned by digital twin technology, secure data architecture, and AI-enabled support systems. The successful candidate will bring senior leadership experience in digital transformation across large-scale public or private sector organisations, and will play a key role in coaching and mentoring the SDA’s Executive Team, helping to embed a culture of innovation, agility, and resilience.

As a member of the SDA Board, the Non-Executive Director will provide strategic challenge and support, monitoring performance and helping to drive organisational effectiveness. They will help shape how digital capability is deployed across the enterprise—from secure data aggregation and predictive maintenance to open architecture systems and AI integration. This is not a conventional NED role; it is a chance to influence the future of defence delivery, support the SDA’s mission-critical work, and help ensure the UK’s strategic deterrent remains credible, modern, and digitally enabled.

If you have the vision, experience, and commitment to help lead this transformation, we would be delighted to hear from you.

The Submarine Delivery Agency (SDA) exists to deliver submarines to the Royal Navy for the defence of the nation. Every activity undertaken by the SDA is guided by this mission. Working as part of the DNE, our purpose unites us, inspires us, and motivates action. It ensures we never lose focus on the critical national endeavour we support.

Working together across the wider DNE, including with industry partners BAE Systems, Rolls-Royce, and Babcock International, we are focused on delivering the means to strategically deter the most significant threats faced by the nation and our allies. We are responsible for submarines throughout their full lifecycle, including maintenance and disposal.

Our mission:

Safeguard deterrence by ensuring submarine availability.

• Lead the design and construction of all new UK submarines and, in partnership with our customers and suppliers, bring them into service

• Manage the delivery of the nuclear infrastructure needed to support the submarine fleet, including maintenance and new construction

• Safely dispose of submarines that are no longer in service

• Ensure we retain and develop the submarine technology base so that it meets our future requirements and retains capability advantage

• Support and fulfil our roles in international partnerships

• Develop the industrial base for the DNE

Our vision is to be recognised for excellence in submarine delivery. Our mission is to deliver available, capable submarines for the defence of the nation.

As an advisory Board, the role of the SDA Board is to support the Executive Committee in effectively leading the organisation. It scrutinises performance, provides challenge and advice on strategy, maintains high standards of corporate governance, and ensures that appropriate controls are in place to manage risk.

Final decisions rest with the Chief Executive Officer, who remains directly accountable to the Chief of Defence Nuclear and the First Sea Lord.

The SDA Board is comprised of:

• An independent Non-Executive Chair

• A maximum of three Government Non-Executive Directors (NEDs)

• At least three independent NEDs

• The SDA Chief Executive Officer

• The SDA Chief Finance Officer (CFO) and,

• The SDA Deputy Chief Executive

It will also be routinely attended by the Shadow Board members and other members of the Executive Committee as required. The Board’s primary focus is on the efficiency and effectiveness of the SDA, its capacity and capability to meet its remit, and to ensure compliance with its Corporate Framework.

• A proven track record in leading or implementing large-scale digitally-enabled transformations within comparable environments, resulting in service enhancements and cost efficiencies – impacting people, processes, and technology

• Deep knowledge of at least one of the following (with an understanding of the others): cloud computing, data analytics, cyber security, and artificial intelligence

• Senior experience working in the field of digital, data and/or information at executive or board level within an organisation of comparable scale

• Substantial leadership experience across organisations forging collaborative relationships across stakeholders and supply chains

• Proven ability of overcoming technical and delivery challenges in implementing data governance, advanced analytics capabilities, and/or cybersecurity programmes

It is important that in your application you provide evidence and examples of proven experience of the above selection criteria. These responses will be developed and discussed with those candidates invited for interview.