About RBSL
Rheinmetall BAE Systems Land (RBSL) is a leading provider of military vehicles and defence solutions, formed in 2019 as a joint venture between Rheinmetall and BAE Systems. With headquarters in Telford and additional sites in Bristol and Washington, RBSL plays a critical role in supporting the UK’s defence sector. The company specialises in designing, manufacturing, and maintaining armoured combat vehicles, ensuring the British Army remains equipped with cutting-edge technology.
Since its formation, RBSL has been awarded two significant long-term defence contracts. The first is the production of the Boxer vehicle, a next-generation armoured personnel carrier for the British Army. The second is the Challenger 3 programme, an extensive upgrade initiative for the UK’s main battle tank. Both programmes will span the next two decades, creating high-skilled jobs and driving innovation within the defence sector.
The Challenge
Following the merger and formation of RBSL, the business required a recruitment partner to support its ambitious growth plans across multiple locations. With significant defence programmes to deliver, RBSL needed to rapidly expand its workforce, sourcing highly skilled engineers and technical specialists, as well as procurement, IT, and manufacturing professionals.
The challenge was twofold:
- Identifying and attracting niche talent within the UK defence industry, including weapons engineers, survivability specialists, human factors experts, and systems engineers.
- Supporting hiring managers across multiple locations, ensuring a smooth and efficient recruitment process aligned with strict security and compliance requirements.
The Solution
Jonathan Lee Recruitment was invited to support RBSL in 2020, leveraging our deep industry expertise and extensive talent network. Working closely with Simon Fletcher, Head of Resourcing and Talent, we developed a tailored recruitment strategy to meet RBSL’s evolving needs.
Key initiatives included:
- Strategic Workforce Planning: Conducting market analysis to understand the availability of specialist talent and salary benchmarking to ensure competitive compensation packages.
- Targeted Talent Acquisition: Deploying a combination of direct search, advertising campaigns, and candidate engagement strategies to attract high-calibre professionals.
- Comprehensive Screening & Selection: Presenting detailed candidate reports, outlining suitability based on technical expertise and cultural fit.
- End-to-End Hiring Support: Assisting with interviews, offer management, and onboarding processes to ensure a seamless candidate experience.
The Results
Over the past four years, Jonathan Lee Recruitment has successfully placed over 60 professionals across RBSL’s three UK sites. These placements have been critical in supporting the delivery of both the Boxer and Challenger 3 programmes, ensuring the business has the skills and expertise required to meet its commitments to the UK Ministry of Defence.
“Jonathan Lee Recruitment has been an invaluable partner in supporting our talent acquisition strategy. Their deep understanding of the defence industry, coupled with their ability to source niche talent, has enabled us to scale our workforce efficiently. The quality of candidates provided and the professionalism of their service have been instrumental in helping us deliver on our major defence programmes.”
With both projects set to continue for the next 20 years, Jonathan Lee Recruitment remains a trusted partner for RBSL, providing ongoing talent solutions to support the business’s long-term success.
Simon Fletcher
Head of Resourcing and Talent
Looking ahead
As RBSL continues to grow and innovate, Jonathan Lee Recruitment is committed to providing specialist recruitment expertise, ensuring access to the best talent in the market. Whether sourcing experienced defence engineers or critical support staff, our partnership with RBSL continues to drive excellence in recruitment for the UK defence sector.
Need help with your recruitment?
Since 1978 Jonathan Lee Recruitment has been providing a premier recruitment service to the engineering, manufacturing and technology sectors.
Our specialist team of recruiters, many of whom are experienced industry professionals, work closely with our clients to identify their needs and provide them with the best possible solution. We offer permanent and contract recruitment, temporary and project-based staffing, interim management, executive search and design services.
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