Strategy Consultant - Defence & National Security

Darter is hiring a Strategy Consultant to work on digital and strategic challenges in UK Defence and national security. You would join a small, senior team working directly with clients across the MOD, the Armed Forces, and partners across the wider Defence enterprise.

The work involves supporting senior leaders on strategy and technology‐related problems with complex priorities and delivery challenges. The emphasis is on helping teams get to clarity on outcomes, constraints, options and next steps, so that decisions can be made and work can move forward.

You will need to be able to hold UK Security Clearance for this role.

What you would do

• Shape and structure client problems, helping to define scope, objectives, constraints, and lines of inquiry.
• Conduct analysis across inputs and sources, turning complexity into clear options and recommendations.
• Lead and contribute to stakeholder interviews, workshops, and working sessions with senior military, civil service, and industry figures.
• Produce high‐quality deliverables, briefings, and papers that stand up to senior scrutiny and support decision‐making.
• Play an active role in planning and managing delivery, including actions, dependencies, risks, and milestones.
• Work closely with colleagues to challenge thinking, refine advice, and maintain quality and coherence across outputs.

What we are looking for

This role suits someone with around three or more years’ experience in consulting or a closely related advisory role.

You bring:

• Experience contributing meaningfully to strategy, transformation, or advisory work in complex environments.
• Strong structured thinking and the ability to work effectively where problems are ambiguous.
• Clear written and verbal communication, particularly with senior stakeholders.
• Sound professional judgement and delivery discipline.
• Curiosity about digital, data, technology, and AI, with the capacity to build understanding quickly.

Experience in Defence, government, or the wider public sector is helpful but not essential.

What it is like to work here

Darter operates on the basis of trust, responsibility, and high professional standards. Consultants work in small teams with early exposure to senior colleagues and clients. The environment suits people who value autonomy, clear expectations, thoughtful challenge, and accountability for the quality of their work.

Our values

• Force for good. We work on problems that matter and consider the wider consequences of our advice.
• Deliver excellence. We take rigour and quality seriously and expect work to be done properly.
• Empathy and integrity. We act with respect and honesty in how we work with clients and with each other.

What we offer

• Salary between £50,000 and £70,000, depending on experience.
• Pension matched up to 10 percent.
• Performance and profit‐share bonus and share options.
• Unlimited holiday.
• Private health insurance including dental and optical cover.
• Dedicated personal development budget and protected learning time.
• Flexible, remote‐first working, with in‐person time when it matters.
• Time off for volunteering and matched charity donations.

Not ticked every box?

If you bring much of what we describe and have the judgement to grow into the rest, we would still like to hear from you. This description outlines the shape of the role rather than a checklist.