Head of Quality in Edinburgh

The Radar & Advanced Targeting Line of Business at Leonardo is seeking a Head of Quality to join our team based in Edinburgh. The Radar and Advanced Targeting line of business, based in Edinburgh, is uniquely positioned as one of the world's top manufacturers of radars, lasers and infrared countermeasure systems.

If you are looking for a new challenge and an exciting leadership role within Quality this could be a great opportunity for you.

What you’ll bring as Head of Quality

• Lead, develop, and improve processes, culture, safety and customer experience, enabling world class support to Leonardo’s customers and continued business growth.
• Work with your Quality team to provide quality management focus to the Integrated Project Teams (IPT’s), providing effective Quality leadership, planning and communication of objectives.
• Identify best practice and opportunities for improvement.
• Support the LEUK VP Quality – Governance & Assurance, Head of Manufacturing Quality and Line of Business (LoB) leadership team.
• Ensure appropriate levels of assurance are applied to specific project risks, threats and opportunities.
• Review and agree Quality Assurance Plans defining quality assurance activities aligned to risk, opportunity and improvement to support the business area and associated Programmes/Projects.
• Develop and agree the annual assessment plan for the LoB based on risk and ensure regular quality audits are performed to identify areas for improvement and ensure conformance to quality standards.
• Monitor and report on key quality metrics, providing insights and recommendations for continuous improvements to LoB leadership team.
• Ensure the provision of quality expertise and capability to the IPT’s.
• Coach, mentor and manage direct reports and act as a role model for appropriate behaviours.
• Experienced in reducing Cost of non-quality by identifying root causes and implementation of corrective and preventive actions to drive process improvements.
• People management & leadership skills; including effective performance and change management skills (change agent).
• A strong level of working knowledge in the application of AS9100/ISO9001 standards.
• Expert in influencing and negotiating with others using facts, proposals, data and analysis to support line of reasoning.
• Communicate quality at a senior leadership level in a non-technical influencing way.
• Success in mentoring and coaching in order to grow Quality excellence within the business.

This is not an exhaustive list, and we are keen to hear from you even if you might not have experience in all the above. The most important skill is a good attitude and willingness to learn.

Security Clearance

This role is subject to pre-employment screening in line with the UK Government’s Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS). An additional range of Personnel Security Controls referred to as National Security Vetting (NSV) may apply, this could include meeting the eligibility requirements for The Security Check (SC) or Developed Vetting (DV).

Why join us

• Enjoy generous leave with the opportunity to accrue up to 12 additional flexi-days each year.
• Benefit from our award-winning pension scheme with up to 15% employer contribution.
• Free access to mental health support, financial advice, and employee-led networks championing inclusion and diversity.
• All employees at management level and below are eligible for our bonus scheme.
• Free access to 4,000+ online courses via Coursera and LinkedIn Learning.
• Receive a financial reward through our referral programme.
• Spend up to £500 annually on flexible benefits including private healthcare, dental, family cover, tech & lifestyle discounts, gym memberships and more.
• Flexible hours with hybrid working options.

Leonardo is a global leader in Aerospace, Defence, and Security. Headquartered in Italy, we employ over 53,000 people worldwide including 8,500 across 9 sites in the UK. Our employees are not just part of a team—they are key contributors to shaping innovation, advancing technology, and enhancing global safety.

At Leonardo we are committed to building an inclusive, accessible, and welcoming workplace. We believe that a diverse workforce sparks creativity, drives innovation, and leads to better outcomes for our people and our customers. If you have any accessibility requirements to support you during the recruitment process, just let us know.

Be part of something bigger - apply now!