Technology Consultant, Advanced Communication Technologies

The Role's Purpose

The Advanced Communications Technology Technical Consultant will play a key role in delivering Plexal-led innovation and technology consulting programmes, helping organisations navigate the emerging communications technology landscape, make strategic and operational decisions and de-risk potential investments.

Advanced communications technology is a critical enabler of commercial connectivity and essential government and defence operations. The role will contribute technical and strategic insight across advanced telecommunications, radio frequency systems, satellite communications, free-space optics and related technologies, including spectrum management, network resilience, interoperability, secure communications and the convergence of civil and defence requirements.

Working within cross-functional teams, the post holder will map how technologies are evolving, identify relevant capability in the UK and beyond, analyse technical and market risks, opportunities and trade-offs, and translate findings into clear, actionable recommendations for clients.

What You'll Do

• Shape insights about the future of advanced communications and related emerging technology sectors.
• Design and deliver research and consulting activity for clients, including scoping questions, applying qualitative and quantitative methodologies, interpreting results and presenting findings through impactful reports and presentations.
• Create high-impact deliverables that help clients make decisions on advanced communications and emerging technology strategy.
• Monitor technology trends, market needs and wider drivers across telecommunications, RF systems, satellite communications, free-space optics, secure communications, spectrum and network resilience.
• Assess technology propositions, interrogate vendor claims and evaluate robustness, risks, opportunities and trade-offs with appropriate technical rigour.
• Help clients engage effectively with the emerging technology ecosystem, including startups, scaleups, researchers, corporate partners and public-sector stakeholders.
• Support the design and delivery of innovation programmes, challenge-led activity, pilots and practical technology evaluation.
• Manage inputs across several workstreams, maintaining high standards of delivery, documentation and stakeholder communication.
• Proactively manage regular interaction, communication and collaboration with external stakeholders.
• Support business development by contributing to public-sector bids and bespoke client proposals.

Your Skills

• Highly organised with a good understanding of innovation, collaboration and project management practices, tools and methodologies.
• Research and analysis skills, including analytical reasoning, methodological thinking and the ability to frame ambiguous problems.
• Good understanding of advanced communications across consumer, enterprise, government or defence applications.
• Ability to interrogate vendor claims and assess technology robustness, risks and trade-offs.
• Ability to translate technical concepts, risks and opportunities for audiences ranging from senior leaders to technical specialists.
• A structured, concise communicator able to produce high-quality reports, recommendations and presentations for senior external audiences.
• Ability to work proactively, planning and organising own work with reference to relevant strategies, policies, processes and protocols.
• Excellent Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint skills

Your Experience

• Experience in at least one of the following (multiple preferable): an innovation function, consultancy, technology startup or scaleup, research organisation, telecommunications business, defence technology organisation or accelerator.
• Experience contributing to research or consulting projects using qualitative and/or quantitative methods and turning evidence into accessible recommendations.
• Demonstrable awareness of advanced communications markets and technologies, such as telecommunications, RF systems, satellite communications, free-space optics, spectrum, secure communications or network resilience.
• Experience working collaboratively within delivery teams and managing inputs across multiple workstreams.
• Evidence of building effective relationships with internal and external stakeholders, including startups, corporate clients, public-sector organisations, researchers or technical specialists.
• Ability to provide an outside-in perspective on emerging market needs, trends, opportunities and technologies.

Who You Are

Due to the nature of this position, our work and our client engagements, the post holder must be willing and eligible to achieve a minimum of SC clearance. Pre-existing SC or DV clearance is welcome.

Educated to degree level or equivalent relevant experience

An interest in advanced communication, emerging technology, technology policy, innovation or applied research is desirable.

This role may require national travel for project delivery and travel to all Plexal sites.

Energised by solving problems and by the challenges and opportunities of working for a high-growth company.

Passionate about advanced communications and other emerging technologies, with a commitment to continual learning.

Flexible when working within a matrix structure with changing organisational and operational requirements.

Team player and motivated self-starter.

Personally resilient, able to remain focused on the overall objective and respond to challenges calmly and constructively

Why us?

As a start-up, we thrive in a dynamic and fast-paced work environment dedicated to empowering innovators. We embrace individuals who leverage technology and creativity to tackle our greatest challenges head-on. We strongly advocate for maintaining a harmonious work-life balance, our goal is to ensure every member of our team can authentically be themselves and live their best lives. We firmly believe that innovation and creativity flourish when we cultivate a diverse workforce, comprising highly skilled individuals with a wide range of perspectives to contribute.

In return we will offer you:

• Salary: £45,000 - £65,000 depending on skills and experience
• Annual bonus scheme
• A generous pension scheme (with a company contribution of up to 10%)
• Private healthcare, life assurance and critical illness cover
• 25 days holiday plus bank holidays
• Volunteering day

Plexal is an equal opportunities employer and we actively encourage applicants from individuals from all backgrounds. We are a Disability Committed employer and are willing to make reasonable adjustments throughout the recruitment process.

About us

Plexal is the innovation and growth company helping to strengthen the UK’s technology capabilities through collaboration.

With teams in London, Manchester and Cheltenham, we work closely with government, industry, startups and academia to drive economic growth and reinforce national security.

Founded by Delancey in 2017, Plexal delivers four core services: creating workspaces for innovators, running innovation programmes and consultancy, building regional tech clusters and helping SMEs scale strategically.

By closing the gap between early-stage and established organisations – across the public and private sectors at home and abroad – we’ve impacted over 1,200 businesses, added £731m to the UK economy and helped create 9,400 jobs.

Headquartered at Here East on the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, Plexal partners with organisations including the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, the National Cyber Security Centre, Airbus, Amazon, Barclays Eagle Labs, Google Cloud, TfL, The Alan Turing Institute and the University of Oxford.