What it does: We build integrated solutions with innovative approaches to current and future challenges. Not only can we develop cutting-edge technology and turn it into capability, but we also assess if that capability will work when it is critically needed and ensure your team is trained and operationally ready.
Mission: Delivering better operational outcomes for customers and end-users; working collaboratively to solve complex problems, at pace.
Size and presence: We have over 6,000 employees worldwide.
Best known for: We manage and operate extensive testing and evaluation capabilities for air, land, sea, and target systems. We collaborate closely and responsively to give the UK Ministry of Defence, international, and industry customers a competitive edge through the safe and secure conduct of operational and tactical training exercises that combine both real-world and simulated events.
The good bits: Opportunity to do interesting work.
The not-so-good bits: Some senior management or 'leaders' operate completely separately from the Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) on the shop floor.
QinetiQ was formed in July 2001, when the Ministry of Defence (MOD) split its Defence Evaluation and Research Agency (DERA) in two. The smaller portion of DERA was rebranded by Dstl (Defence Science & Technology Laboratory).
The larger part of DERA, including most of the non-nuclear testing and evaluation establishments, was renamed QinetiQ and prepared for privatization. QinetiQ became a public-private partnership in 2002 with the purchase of a stake by US-based private equity company the Carlyle Group.
In 2003, QinetiQ signed a 25-year long-term partnering agreement (LTPA) under which we provide UK MOD with innovative and realistic tests and evaluation of military and civil platforms, systems, weapons, and components on land, at sea, and in the air. In February 2006, QinetiQ was successfully floated on the London Stock Exchange and the Carlyle Group sold its stake in the company.
What's in a name?
The name 'QinetiQ' results from an extensive analysis of all of our capabilities and strengths. It is derived from the scientific term, kinetic, which means relating to or caused by motion. This in turn comes from the Greek kinetics based on 'Kineo', which means 'to move', with connotations of energetic, enterprising, and dynamic. 'QinetiQ' was seen as particularly distinctive and reflects our spirit of innovation and creativity, but also energy, motion, and progress.
At QinetiQ, you’ll find a dedicated and talented group of people who enjoy their work and take pride in their accomplishments.
Our values - Integrity, Collaboration, and performance - underpin who we are and what we do. Our inclusive culture enables all our people to operate at their best. We value diversity. We engage with our people on D&I via our employee networks and communication campaigns.
As a member of our team, you’ll have the opportunity to work with cutting-edge technology and many of the industry’s brilliant minds. We’re dedicated to solving some of the world's most challenging problems, and the ingenuity of our 6,000+ employees across the globe is core to our success. Delivering value through teamwork, we work in close collaboration with our colleagues, customers, industry, and academic partners to bring together the best thinking, the smartest talent, and breadth and depth in capability to our projects.
As part of the QinetiQ team, our people play a critical role in what makes our company a great place to work. It’s important that working for us is inspiring, that there are opportunities to realize potential, and that our people feel recognized for their contribution.
Our strategy is to build an integrated global defense and security company that responds to the needs of our customers. Our people are part of that, working in an environment where they can give their best, feel proud of what they do, and enjoy working here.
What you can expect in return for your contribution is explained in our employee offering; from the opportunities to grow your career to the chance to get involved in meaningful and interesting projects, to clear reward and recognition, and the pride we have in our impact on the world around us. It is dynamic; changing and evolving to create choice and meet the needs of the five generations who work here. Responding to business needs and listening to feedback, we continue to explore how we can make the best of our investment, enabling us to attract and retain talented people who are proud of what they do.
Our people are critical to our success, so we must create an inclusive workplace; where our differences are not only embraced but make us stronger.
We’re creating a company where our differences are not only embraced but make us stronger. A place where we can connect and benefit from the experiences and thinking of people with varied backgrounds, and at different stages in their careers. There are several ways to get involved:
Diversity & Inclusion Champions are in each of our businesses and functions, focusing on promoting inclusion through raising awareness and providing support.
Employee-led networks, including LGBTQ+ and Neurodiversity, for example, support us in raising awareness, creating connections, and ensuring that all aspects of diversity are considered in our decision-making.
Critical to all of our people feeling included is making sure that their voice is considered in every action, interaction, and change within our company; improving the overall employee experience and creating an environment where we can each achieve our potential. Listening to your views is vital to help us learn and improve what it feels like to work here and there are several channels through which our people can contribute and provide feedback.
Two-way communication channels – including our Global Portal intranet, monthly live events through Q-talk, and virtual communities – encourage us all to share our thoughts, feedback, and experience. Global Employee Roadshows provide an opportunity every quarter to hear from our Global Leadership Team about our market strategy and important topics from across the global business.
Be part of QinetiQ! We have an exciting, diverse range of opportunities for talented individuals at all skill levels.
We offer a challenging but rewarding journey, for apprentices through to experienced professionals.
You’ll be working with dedicated and talented people who enjoy their work and take pride in their accomplishments.
Come and work with cutting-edge technology and some of the industry’s most brilliant minds.
Our greatest asset is our people. To attract and engage the best employees, we need to provide them with all the support they need to enjoy work, develop their skills, and realize their full potential.
As part of the QinetiQ team, our people play a critical role in what makes our company a great place to work. It’s important that working for us is inspiring, that there are opportunities to realize potential, and that our people feel recognized for their contribution.
Our strategy is to build an integrated global defense and security company that responds to the needs of our customers. Our people are part of that, working in an environment where they can give their best, feel proud of what they do, and enjoy working here.
What you can expect in return for your contribution is explained in our employee offering; from the opportunities to grow your career to the chance to get involved in meaningful and interesting projects, to clear reward and recognition, and the pride we have in our impact on the world around us. It is dynamic; changing and evolving to create choice and meet the needs of the five generations who work here. Responding to business needs and listening to feedback, we continue to explore how we can make the best of our investment, enabling us to attract and retain talented people who are proud of what they do.
We want our employees to share in our company’s success, as we wouldn’t be able to deliver for our customers without them. Through our Rewarding for Performance program, which includes an All Employee Incentive Scheme, we ensure there is a clear link between the contribution you make and the reward you receive.
We encourage our employees to say thank you and recognize where their colleagues have gone the extra mile to help them. Our ‘Thank Q’ scheme allows employees to nominate their co-workers (individuals or teams) for a ‘Thank Q award’, which includes a certificate and gift voucher to show appreciation for their hard work.
Wherever possible, we look to offer flexible working in terms of offering part-time roles, flexible hours, and a choice of work location.
Our success depends on all of us being able to realize our potential throughout our careers. Whether early in your working life, as a developing manager, or an established leader, we enable growth, exploration, and endeavor across the group through meaningful learning experiences and established career pathways.
We invest in the long-term learning and development of our people through our in-house Academy, offering high-quality career development training from Early Careers (apprentice and graduate) through all stages of professional development, including further and higher education.
Our Group Competency and Career Frameworks, including Leadership, Business, and Technical areas, provide a structure to help guide our people through their career planning, enabling them to work towards their goals and outline a career pathway that is best suited to their specific expertise and aspirations.
QinetiQ provides opportunities for further growth, and our people are encouraged to develop technical skills and complete professional training. Our people are also entitled to a yearly membership with their relevant professional body, paid for by QinetiQ.
Our established online resources provide rich deep and up-to-date content when you need it. QinetiQ Learning houses a full range of engaging video-based e-learning modules and employees also have access to a virtual business school, a learning portal tailored for QinetiQ. This contains thousands of individual resources to support personal growth across multiple subject areas, in a variety of formats from book summaries and video to audio and downloadable pocketbooks.
We are committed to participating in and making a positive difference in the communities where we operate. Employee volunteering programs are common among many good companies, and it's not surprising; the business case is strong because of the positive impact it has on the community, the opportunities for employee development, and the benefit to the company's reputation.
Across the QinetiQ Group, we provide our employees with time off for skills-based volunteering. This varies across sites, from special paid leave for a team or individual volunteering to bursaries.
The majority of our technical people choose to focus their volunteering efforts on STEM outreach to inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers, and those in non-technical or functional roles can maximize their professional and business skills in a variety of ways (e.g. HR can offer careers advice, IT can offer coaching in digital skills).
Public Procurement Note 06/21 “Taking account of Carbon Reduction Plans in the procurement of major government contracts” requires organizations to have a published Carbon Reduction Plan.
The following are our Carbon Reduction Plans:
Carbon Reduction Plan for QinetiQ Ltd
Carbon Reduction Plan for Inzpire
Each year we report our Scope 1 and Scope 2 greenhouse gas emissions. More information can be found in the documents below:
In 2021, the UK Defence Suppliers Forum launched a new Steering Group focused on Climate Change and Sustainability. We were actively involved in the development of a new Code of Practice and are delighted to be part of this program, collaborating with our sector to work towards Net-Zero.
Since 2011, we have undertaken climate change risk assessments on priority sites which we manage on behalf of the MOD, to understand what the key issues might be. In FY20 we undertook a further series of new assessments based on recent climate projection data, working in partnership with the MOD.
A number of our solutions help customers to meet their sustainability agendas:
Unblocking wind farm development using stealth technology:
Around the world, it is increasingly difficult to find suitable areas for the development of wind farms. One reason for this is the interference their moving blades cause to radar, which can disrupt weather forecasting and air traffic control. In France, around 80 percent of wind farm planning applications are refused if they are near the meteorological radar.
Using our knowledge of stealth materials, we worked with EDF Energies Nouvelles and turbine manufacturer Vestas to develop a blade that reduces interference by up to 99 percent. This enabled the construction of France’s largest wind farm – the Ensemble Eolien Catalan Complex – just 22km from the Météo France weather radar.
We are also able to predictively model interference that would be caused by proposed future wind farm projects, helping to identify suitable locations and providing evidence for use in planning applications
Minimizing energy wastage at operating bases:
Our ‘energy-informed operations microgrid’ capability matches energy supply to demand in military operating bases and other self-contained premises, reducing GHG emissions by minimizing surplus.
Typically, a generator in a forward operating base runs continually to ensure there is always enough energy available to service a hypothetical peak in demand – even if that peak is never actually reached. Consequently, only 30% of the fuel burned is converted into electricity that is used, with the other 70% going to waste.
An energy-informed operations microgrid monitors usage in real-time and forecasts expected future demand, allowing users to make smarter decisions about their generation, storage, and conservation of energy
Reducing battlefield fossil fuel dependence:
Militaries are highly reliant on fossil fuels – the United States Department of Defense is estimated to be the biggest organizational consumer in the world – and as a nation’s military spending increases, so does its CO2 output.
We are continually developing technologies that will help militaries reduce their dependence on fossil fuels – from electric drive systems for armored vehicles, to novel batteries and power sources. Crucially, we can seamlessly integrate these technologies, and similar solutions from other manufacturers, into customers’ operations.
Reducing military fossil fuel use is a vital step toward a net-zero carbon economy, but it will also save the lives of soldiers and contractors – over 3000 of whom were killed in attacks on fuel supply convoys between 2003 and 2007 in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Monitoring Earth’s environment from space:
Our Space team in Kruibeke, Belgium, is currently building the Atmospheric Limb Tracker for Investigation of the Upcoming Stratosphere (ALTIUS) satellite for the European Space Agency. ALTIUS will measure the levels and composition of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere and provide details about their effects. This information could make it possible to identify and ban products that deplete the ozone layer and contribute to climate change.
The ALTIUS satellite is not the first built by QinetiQ to chart environmental changes. QinetiQ’s PROBA-V satellite, launched by ESA in 2013, completed a seven-year mission to monitor land cover and vegetation growth. The petabyte of photographic data it captured has contributed to applications such as climate impact assessments, water resource management, agricultural monitoring, and food security estimates
Lowering the carbon footprint of military testing and training:
Testing military equipment and training the armed forces often demands activities that produce emissions, such as driving vehicles, flying aircraft, or firing live ammunition. While these activities remain necessary to ensure the safety and preparedness of the armed forces, QinetiQ has developed a host of novel testing and training capabilities that can help reduce their environmental impact.
Naval minehunter vessels require their magnetic, acoustic, and hull vibration signatures to be assessed regularly, to ensure they do not trigger mines. Historically, these vessels were required to sail home to a fixed testing range and back again, covering thousands of miles. To counter this, we developed a transportable testing range that can be deployed to the ship’s location, anywhere in the world.
Our combination of materials science and computer modeling expertise enables us to test assets virtually, by understanding their physical properties and predicting the effects of different conditions on their structural integrity. This can reduce the number of flying hours required to certify an aircraft for example or the number of live artillery rounds that must be fired to assure their safety.
We also use simulation to train humans, which reduces the number of hours spent flying, driving, sailing, or firing. By connecting multiple simulators across different locations, we can even engage disparate groups of trainees in a joint collaborative exercise without them needing to travel to and from any single training center.