Head of Quality (Infrastructure) - Submarines

Full Time, Hybrid, Derby – Raynesway

Key Accountabilities

• Provide leadership on the development & deployment of the Quality strategy to enable the aligned business area to achieve its goals, enhance its reputation and deliver customer satisfaction.
• Develop the people capability (skills & knowledge) and culture of the reporting team as well as employees in the aligned business to ensure process compliance and meet regulatory, customer and business requirements.
• Lead the systems of governance, including metrics and Key Performance Indicators within the aligned business to maximise efficiency and effectiveness in meeting requirements, business goals and enhancing its reputation.
• When quality performance diverges from target, drive and coach the business on how to recover.
• Ensure relevant law, regulation, customer requirements and business strategy are understood; agree the compliance strategy and ensure its effective implementation and deployment into the Operating System and/or suppliers.
• Fulfil specific roles as defined by applicable law or regulation and manage interface with regulatory bodies where applicable.
• Partner with risk owners, providing proactive assurance that regulatory, business and customer requirements will be met through an assurance strategy targeted at risks and associated controls.
• Drive change to the Operating System, Management System and/or Supplier Quality Management System requirements (e.g., SABRe/GS3001 where appropriate) to mitigate risks, maximise effectiveness and eliminate cost/waste through insights from proactive assurance and problem themes.
• Protect the business and customer through coaching on managing high‑impact and complex problems to reduce impact and ensure corrective and preventive actions are completed and verified timely.
• Support and manage external customer interfaces to ensure world‑class customer satisfaction where applicable.
• Enable the aligned business to achieve Right‑First‑Time through coaching and application of defect prevention methodologies, reducing risks from technical, human and organisational factors to products.
• Provide Quality leadership to drive supplier maturity and improvement, delivering performance that enables the business to achieve its goals and enhance its reputation.
• Ensure Quality input to the assessment of prospective suppliers for suitability, fit and capability in respect of the commodity/sourcing strategy.
• Discharge leadership accountabilities into various business areas to ensure Quality is achieved within all engineered product, manufactured product and in‑service supporting activities.

Key Experiences and Qualifications

• Professionally qualified with relevant experience in Quality and Aerospace/Defence/Nuclear/Power Systems/Other Advanced Manufacturing Industry.
• Well‑developed customer and relationship‑management skills to work as part of the Business and Quality Leadership team and with other internal and external stakeholders and industry bodies.
• Knowledge of problem‑solving and continuous improvement methodologies (e.g., Six Sigma, Lean & 8D).
• Ability to influence strategy and assess related Quality implications in a challenging operational environment.
• Understanding of human factors and human performance.
• Experience leading teams, influencing and building relationships at different levels.
• Understanding of a positive safety culture and its promotion.
• Ideally, operational experience of activities within the relevant approved organisation scope.
• Competence on all relevant international/industry standards, such as Part21/145/AS9100/ISO9001.

Regional Benefits

• Generous Annual Leave.
• Retirement Savings through the Rolls‑Royce Retirement Savings Trust.
• Group Life Assurance providing a lump‑sum benefit if you die while employed.
• Income Protection in case of illness or injury preventing work.
• Matched share opportunities to own Rolls‑Royce shares and invest in the future.

Additional Information

• Must hold Security Check clearance; Rolls‑Royce will support the application if not already in place.
• Only UK nationals or dual nationals in MoD‑approved cases are eligible.
• Rolls‑Royce are committed to being a respectful, inclusive, and non‑discriminatory workplace where individuality is valued, diverse perspectives fuel innovation, and everyone can thrive.