Senior Engineer - Engineering Capability & Governance and Assurance in Manchester

The Engineering Capability team is responsible for ensuring our engineering function has the processes, governance, tools, standards, and assurance framework needed to deliver excellence, working across the organisation to drive consistency, compliance, continuous improvement and operational effectiveness.

Responsibilities

• Supporting and delivering governance reviews and assurance activities across engineering, ensuring processes are applied consistently and effectively.
• Developing, reviewing, maintaining and continuously improving engineering processes, templates, guidance and associated governance documentation.
• Collaborating with assurance, quality, design and engineering stakeholders to identify gaps, non‑conformances, process inefficiencies and improvement opportunities.
• Investigating process‑related issues, undertaking root cause analysis, gathering evidence and producing high‑quality reports supported by clear recommendations.
• Tracking, prioritising and supporting implementation of improvement actions to ensure recommendations are translated into meaningful outcomes.
• Facilitating stakeholder engagement activities, gathering feedback, promoting best practice and supporting organisational learning.
• Supporting change implementation activities to embed new processes and ways of working across the business.
• Using data evidence and insight to inform decision‑making and drive continuous improvement across engineering capability.

Why this role?

This is far more than a governance role.

You’ll be helping to define and improve the systems, processes, and ways of working that underpin one of the UK’s most ambitious engineering programmes.

• Short‑term expectations (first 12 months)
• Contribute to the implementation of process and governance improvements aligned to business strategy and regulatory requirements.
• Support the development of improved guidance, templates, tools and governance arrangements.
• Establish effective stakeholder feedback mechanisms to identify and resolve process gaps.
• Support assurance and quality teams in maintaining high standards across engineering activities.
• Long‑term goals
• Become a recognised and trusted member of the Governance and Assurance team.
• Influence improvements to engineering governance and ways of working across the organisation.
• Deliver assurance outputs and recommendations that shape business decisions and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Support a culture of learning, accountability, compliance and engineering excellence.
• Location & Working arrangements

We offer hybrid and flexible working arrangements and expect regular attendance at one of our offices in Derby, Manchester or Warrington.

While much of the work can be undertaken flexibly, occasional travel between sites may be required to support stakeholder engagement, governance activities, workshops and assurance reviews.

Qualifications & Professional Development

• An engineering degree or equivalent professional experience within engineering, governance, assurance, quality, operational excellence or a related discipline.
• Working towards Chartered Engineer status or another relevant professional accreditation would be advantageous.
• Experience contributing to governance, assurance, compliance, quality, continuous improvement, operational excellence or process improvement activities.
• Experience in a highly regulated environment such as engineering, manufacturing, nuclear, aerospace, defence, infrastructure or energy.
• Experience supporting investigations, audits, assessments, process reviews or assurance activities and translating findings into practical recommendations.
• Experience working with cross‑functional teams to implement improvements and drive organisational change.
• Knowledge & Skills
• Knowledge of governance frameworks, process management principles, assurance methodologies, quality management systems or business process improvement techniques.
• Strong stakeholder engagement skills with the ability to build credibility and productive working relationships across diverse teams.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to present findings, recommendations and technical information clearly.
• Strong analytical and critical‑thinking skills with the ability to assess complex information and identify root causes.
• A structured and organised approach, maintaining high attention to detail while managing competing priorities.
• A continuous improvement mindset coupled with curiosity, resilience and a desire to challenge existing ways of working constructively.
• Security & Checks
• Obtaining Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS) clearance.
• Satisfactory completion of a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check.
• Satisfactory completion of a basic financial probity check.

Benefits

• Performance‑related target bonus of 12.5%.
• Benefits Allowance – £2,200 per annum.
• Pension – 12% employer and 6% employee contributions.
• Leave – 28 days holiday (+ public holidays) with the ability to buy or sell up to 4 days.
• Private Medical Insurance – BUPA single cover health care.
• Life Assurance – 6× pensionable pay.
• One‑off payment of £250 for new starters for home office purchases.
• Our Mission

To deliver clean, affordable energy for all.

Rolls‑Royce SMR is developing a British solution to one of the world’s most pressing challenges: providing reliable, low‑carbon energy at scale.

Commitment to Inclusion

We are an equal opportunities employer and welcome applications from all backgrounds.

As a Disability Confident organisation we are committed to creating fair, accessible and supportive recruitment processes that enable everyone to perform at their best.

We are happy to discuss flexible working arrangements and will make reasonable workplace adjustments where required in line with the Equality Act2010.

At Rolls‑Royce SMR, diversity of thought drives innovation and we encourage applications from candidates regardless of race, ethnicity, disability, age, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity or background.

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