Aerospace, Aviation and Defence Executive Search

Every search begins with a detailed briefing – not a template, but a genuine working session with the hiring team to understand the strategic context behind the appointment. We map the candidate landscape across civil aviation, defence contracting, advanced manufacturing, and adjacent sectors, then approach individuals directly and confidentially. Shortlists are built on substance: deep sector understanding, leadership track record, and cultural fit with your organisation. Throughout the process, Ryan Mills and the team maintain close contact with both client and candidate, ensuring alignment at every stage.

We work across the full C-suite and senior leadership tier – CEOs, MDs, CFOs, CTOs, Operations Directors, and VP-level appointments. As well as board-level roles including Non-Executive Directors. We also handle divisional leadership and General Manager appointments where the role carries significant P&L or strategic responsibility. If the role shapes the direction of the business or a major function within it, it falls within our scope.

Aerospace and defence is a relationship business, and so is executive search. Our network in the sector has been built over decades of retained work with civil aviation manufacturers, prime defence contractors, MRO operators, and advanced engineering businesses. The candidates who drive real value in this sector rarely respond to job boards. They are identified through direct research and approached with discretion. That is precisely what retained executive search is designed to do.

Yes. We have significant experience managing searches where SC or DV clearance is a prerequisite, as well as roles requiring candidates with an existing understanding of the MOD procurement environment and UK defence policy. Clearance requirements are factored into the search strategy from the outset, and we work within all appropriate confidentiality protocols throughout.

Retained search means we are exclusively engaged to fill the role, funded in stages, and fully committed to delivering a structured, research-led process. Contingency recruitment operates on a no-placement, no-fee basis, typically drawing from a database rather than conducting original research. For senior aerospace and defence appointments, where the wrong hire carries significant cost and the right candidate is rarely actively looking, retained search delivers materially better outcomes. It is the model Novo operates.

A well-run retained search typically delivers a qualified shortlist within six to eight weeks of briefing. Board-level and highly specialised technical leadership appointments may require additional time, particularly where clearance constraints or international candidate identification are factors. We will agree a realistic timeline with you at the outset and keep you updated at defined milestones throughout.

Yes. While Novo is headquartered in the UK with offices across London, Birmingham, Manchester, Bristol, Glasgow, and Cardiff, we conduct international searches regularly, sourcing leaders across Europe, the Middle East, and North America where mandates demand it. Our international executive search capability is a formal service line, and we bring the same rigour to cross-border searches as we do to domestic appointments.

Our work spans the full breadth of the sector: commercial aviation and airline operations, defence prime contracting, aerospace manufacturing and systems integration, satellite and space technology, UAV and autonomous systems, MRO, and dual-use advanced engineering. We also work with private equity-backed businesses operating in the sector, where leadership requirements often combine deep technical credibility with commercial and investor-facing capability.

Contact Ryan Mills directly – he leads Novo’s aerospace, aviation and defence practice. You can reach him by email or phone, and the initial conversation is confidential and without obligation. Whether you have a defined brief or are still working through what the role should look like, we are happy to talk.

Yes. Alongside our retained executive search practice, we place interim executives into aerospace and defence businesses where leadership continuity, transformation, or a specific programme of change demands an immediate appointment. Interim engagements are often the right solution during post-acquisition integration, operational restructuring, a period of succession, or where a business needs proven leadership at pace without the lead time of a permanent search. Our interim candidates are experienced operators who can contribute from day one.

Frequently. Chief Executive and Managing Director searches tend to require the broadest candidate brief, balancing sector knowledge, P&L scale, and the ability to operate at board and government level simultaneously. CFO and Finance Director searches in the sector demand candidates who understand programme accounting, long-cycle contracts, and defence procurement financing. CTO and Engineering Director roles require a rare combination of deep technical authority and the commercial credibility to drive investment decisions. We run these searches regularly and maintain active networks in each functional area across the sector.

Retained executive search fees are typically structured as a percentage of the appointed executive’s first-year total compensation, billed in three stages: on engagement, at shortlist, and on completion. For senior aerospace and defence appointments, this generally falls in the range of 25–33% of total remuneration, depending on the complexity of the brief, the seniority of the role, and the scope of international candidate identification required. We are transparent about fees from the first conversation and will provide a clear engagement letter before any search begins.

The large generalist firms bring brand recognition and broad infrastructure. What they rarely offer is undivided focus on your specific appointment. At Novo, aerospace and defence mandates are handled by dedicated sector specialists, not allocated to whichever consultant happens to have capacity. Our network is built on long-term relationships within the sector, not repurposed from adjacent industries. For organisations that want a firm genuinely invested in the outcome rather than managing a portfolio of competing global mandates, the difference is material.