Job Description

An exciting opportunity has arisen to influence and shape the future of the Defence business in India. The role will provide the successful candidate an opportunity to develop valuable expertise in Government Relations, Programmes and leadership as well as become a part of the team shaping regional business agenda and future growth strategy.
The position will be based in Delhi. A key element of the role will be to liaise and support in establishing and developing key stakeholder relationships across the Indian Ecosystem and to strategically position Defence Business for future growth in India.
This role will also be accountable to manage relationship with the Government of India which will include the Ministry of Defence, Services and DRDO on behalf of Rolls-Royce Defence. The role operates in collaboration with the VP Defence (India) ensuring that all opportunities which could be developed under a Government to Government framework are positioned appropriately to develop strategic direction for Defence in India. The role also works in close collaboration with the VP Government Relations (Defence, UK) and the team in the Regional office, ensuring that opportunities for strengthening relations between the UKG and the GoI are identified and executed in line with the Defence strategy in India. The successful individual will work across various Ministries of the GoI to position Rolls-Royce Defence as having National Strategic Relevance for India and maximising our opportunities to grow the business.
What we are looking for:

• A focussed individual, driven to succeed and rise to challenging goals.
• An understanding of the structure and formal, and informal, decision making processes of the Government of India.
• A good understanding and experience of working with the Indian procurement procedures.
• A persuasive capability to meet with the various departments across the Government of India.
• Political awareness of regional and in country sensitivities and nuances and an ability to translate this understanding into business outcomes.
• Someone capable of connecting the dots from delivering today's commitments to growing tomorrow's business.
• A good listener who can understand different perspectives and bring people together to deliver business solutions.
• Self-starter with a strong sense of ownership and hunger to develop Government Relations in support of the broader Defence strategy.
• Capable relationship manager to manage day to day connections with political stakeholders and address perception challenges with a focus on business outcomes
• A capable communicator who can interact across all levels in an organisation and build high-value relationships internally, externally and globally.
• An ability to drive collaborative leadership and experience interfacing with and influencing senior external and internal stakeholders.
• Someone who is intensely curious and continuously improves Government Relations expertise, business understanding and personal performance.

The role:

• Accountable for all elements of Defence relationship with the Government of India and continuously improving this relationship to build a strong foundation for future growth.
• Administratively supporting G2G agreements aligned with the Defence Growth Strategy.
• Administratively supporting Key strategic pursuits in country.
• Identifying future opportunities which could be positioned under a G2G Framework and internally supporting these opportunities, in collaboration with cross functional teams, to maturity.
• Ensuring the Government Relations team in the UK understand the workings of the GoI and coach the UK Government to position appropriately within this political system.
• Driving to find solutions to perception challenges which exist for Rolls-Royce in India.
• Collaborate with VP India to support the growth strategy for Defence in assigned markets, and specifically identify those opportunities for execution through a UK/India G2G Framework.
• Developing relationships across the Indian Ecosystem to understand the landscape of G2G deals in India, identifying opportunities and best practices with Defence PSUs and private industries also pursuing G2G projects.
• Support opportunities for Defence to grow its core business and to expand beyond the core into adjacent markets.
• Develop an understanding of the Indian Defence market, customers and partners and drive capturing insights from a Governmental angle to improve business positioning and competitiveness.
• Lead the relationship with the British High Commission in India to leverage positioning Defence for growth in India.

Pioneer the performance of the future. Join us and you'll develop your skills and expertise to the very highest levels, working in an international environment for a company known the world over for brilliance and innovation.
Technology for Tomorrow, Fast
We are an equal opportunities employer. We're committed to developing a diverse workforce and an inclusive working environment. We believe that people from different backgrounds and cultures give us different perspectives. And the more perspectives we have, the more successful we'll be. By building a culture of respect and appreciation, we give everyone who works here the opportunity to realize their full potential.
Job Category
Global Strategy & Business Development
Posting Date
01 Jul 2025; 00:07