Defence
Tech Recruitment
Our specialist defence technology recruitment consultants understand the critical requirements of defence contractors, government agencies, and security organisations. We accelerate your hiring process and connect you with vetted talent committed to protecting national interests — empowering you to build secure, mission-critical teams that deliver essential defence capabilities.

Our Clients in Government & Defence
Recruitment built for Defence’s unique challenges
We’ve spent years building trust with cleared professionals across primes, government agencies and national security programs — the talent pipeline others simply can’t access. When program delivery depends on finding TSPV-cleared engineers or cyber specialists fast, you need recruiters who already know where they are. That’s Clicks.
Talent with your domain knowledge:
AI, Autonomy & Robotics
Cyber Warfare
Data Modelling & Simulation
ISREW
Space & Aviation
Electronic Warfare

Principal Consultant
Shakeel Jeeawody
Government & Defence
Shakeel brings deep expertise delivering cleared talent into complex Defence programs across primes and MSPs. With hands-on experience at Northrop Grumman Australia and DXC, he’s built pipelines of Baseline through TSPV cleared professionals across engineering, ICT, cyber and project delivery – successfully rebuilding delivery teams and improving time-to-hire in constrained markets.
Tech & Digital Recruitment Specialists
We have specialist sourcing teams who are trained across every technology skill vertical and industry for IT, tech and digital recruitment. Whether it’s contract permanent or fixed term, Australia’s largest employers trust Clicks to find great people.
Software & Application Development
Cyber & Security
Project Services & Transformation
Cloud & Infrastructure
BI, Data & Analytics
Reinforce the foundations of your business operations with the best development professionals.
Let Clicks help you with any development needs. In today’s ever-increasing SaaS-based environment, a skilled software and app development team will set your organisation up for success.
Roles we recruit:
Strengthen your organisation’s security with the right cyber and security team.
Clicks will help you find the best talent to fortify your cyber security team. We provide security professionals, with required clearances, to the most complex and sensitive Federal and State Government environments and specialist consultancies.
Roles we recruit:
Keep your organisation’s projects on track.
Clicks’ network of highly-skilled, innovative and qualified professionals will connect you to project specialists who understand your sector and your organisation, and deliver projects to your needs and your timelines.
Roles we recruit:
Transform your business operations with skilled cloud and infrastructure people.
Clicks can build your cloud and infrastructure team with skilled professionals. Having the right talent to execute and oversee cloud infrastructure improves performance, productivity reliability and stability.
Roles we recruit:
Discover the power of data and transform insights into business intelligence.
Clicks can connect you to highly skilled Data & Analytics talent who can turn your data into valuable knowledge; crucial for identifying trends, maximising ROI and setting objectives. Unlock the potential of your data and to make data-driven, intelligent business decisions.
Roles we recruit:
Book a chat with one of our specialist Defence consultants.
Fill in your details and one of our recruitment specialists will be in touch to chat next steps.
Find your next Defence tech talent with our award winning service.
- Specialist Expertise Across Every IT Vertical — Dedicated teams trained in each tech skill for faster, accurate matching.
- 25+ Years Serving Australia's Largest Employers — 80+ Preferred Supplier Agreements with 92% client retention over 5 years.
- Security-Cleared Talent for Sensitive Environments — Unique access to professionals with Federal and State clearances.
- ISO 9001:2015 Certified Quality — Australia's only ISO-certified major IT recruiter guaranteeing consistency.
- Leading Champions of Tech Diversity — Platinum sponsor with proven partnerships increasing representation in tech.
You’re in Good Hands with Clicks.
Defence Tech FAQs
Security clearances are one of the most significant factors affecting timeline in Defence IT recruitment. Baseline clearances can typically be processed within weeks to a couple of months, while NV1 and NV2 clearances can take anywhere from several months to over a year, depending on the candidate’s background and current AGSVA processing volumes. For this reason, we strongly recommend prioritising candidates who already hold an active clearance at the required level. Our team factors clearance timelines into every search from the outset to avoid costly delays.
Yes, and this is usually the most efficient path. We maintain an active network of IT professionals who already hold current Baseline, NV1, and NV2 clearances across disciplines including cyber security, network engineering, systems administration, and cloud engineering. Before putting any cleared candidate forward, we verify their clearance level and status to ensure they meet your specific requirements. Sourcing pre-cleared talent significantly reduces time-to-hire and removes the uncertainty of waiting on the vetting process.
Both. Contract arrangements are common in Defence given the project-based nature of much of the work, and many cleared IT professionals actively prefer contracting for the flexibility and higher daily rates it offers. Permanent recruitment suits core team roles where continuity and long-term clearance investment are priorities. Many of our Defence clients use a blend of both, and we can advise on the right mix for your situation.
It depends on your project timelines. If time permits, the sponsoring organisation can initiate a clearance application for a strong candidate, and we can help facilitate that process. We work with clients to assess whether a candidate’s background makes them a realistic clearance prospect, reducing the risk of a failed sponsorship. Where waiting isn’t feasible, we focus the search on candidates with existing clearances. Our team can advise based on your clearance level requirement, start date, and current market availability.
Yes, and meaningfully so. Beyond standard public sector compliance requirements, Defence IT adds complexity around security clearances, citizenship requirements, and the sensitivity of the work involved. All candidates must be Australian citizens, many roles require NV1 or NV2 rather than Baseline, and the vetting process is considerably more intensive. The talent pool is narrower as a result, and some roles carry on-site requirements that limit remote flexibility. Our specialists understand these requirements in depth and are experienced in navigating the added rigour that Defence mandates bring.
Yes. Clicks is on several Preferred Supplier Panels for Australian Defence and related national security agencies, and we have a strong track record placing IT professionals across the sector. Our Canberra team has particularly deep connections across the Defence and national security community.
Both. We have specialist sourcing teams across every relevant technology vertical — cyber security, network engineering, systems engineering, cloud, and software development — meaning we can run parallel searches across multiple roles simultaneously. For team builds, we take time to understand your operating model and clearance requirements before we start, ensuring the people we place work well together as well as individually.
Cleared IT talent moves differently to the broader market — many don’t apply through job boards and instead move through trusted networks and referrals. We leverage our experienced Defence-focused consultants, over 30 years of relationships in the sector, and a database of more than 200,000 pre-qualified IT professionals, a significant portion of whom hold or have previously held clearances. Our team can give you a realistic picture of cleared talent availability for your specific requirements before you engage.
Yes. Cleared IT professionals typically command a premium over equivalent non-cleared roles, reflecting the smaller talent pool and additional obligations involved. Our IT Salary & Rates Guide covers over 200 roles including common Defence positions such as security engineers, network engineers, and security consultants. We can also provide a tailored Defence IT salary guide upon request — get in touch with our team to discuss.