Head of Quality

The Ultra Assurance function is responsible for ensuring the effectiveness and fulfilment of Ultra's Quality Policy, which is to comply fully in the conduct of the Company's business with all applicable regulatory and customer required specifications, and to maintain an effective Quality Management System, working in partnership with the Operations and Engineering teams to ensure that products and processes conform to applicable standards and specifications, and the incidence and costs of quality non-conformances are constantly monitored and improved, while maintaining the highest practicable standards of manufacturing productivity and efficiency.

Wherever possible, we will consider a variety of working options to suit your lifestyle, whether that be hybrid home/office working, flexible working and part or full time employment. It's the 'innovating' and 'empowering' values that we ASPIRE to be. We welcome the challenge to work in new ways and have trust in you when getting the job done because we recognise, our business is our people.

Key responsibilities
- Management of Quality Assurance / Product Assurance Activities
- Performing and/or coordinating the Quality Assurance / Product Assurance activities for Ultra Maritime in the UK (write/review Data packs, participate to/contribute to/lead reviews, participate to inspections, manage NCRs, ), ensuring conformance to space standards, internal and other quality requirements Define and document quality assurance strategy for the project, in line with the applicable requirements
- Perform Supply Chain Quality Assurance activities (definition/cascading of Quality Requirements to subcontractors/suppliers, review of Data packs, participate to/contribute to/lead reviews, participate to inspections, manage NCRs,..)
- Management of Work Packages, ensuring the quality activities are performed in line with schedule, budget and specification
- Document and manage Changes and Deviations of projects (RFDs, NCRs and RFWs) - Supporting bid teams by reviewing product and quality assurance requirements, creating or amending product assurance procedures in line with the bid requirements and preparing the estimates
- Contribute to Project Risk Management
- Support internal and external audit, including sub-contractors and suppliers’
- Ensure compliance to alert and veto processes in their projects.
- Responsibility for the development and implementation of the Sonar Systems Quality Management (BMS/QMS) Systems for end to end product lifecycle (Bids, Engineering, Programme Management and Operations)
- The Goods Inwards Inspection function provides checking and assurance of parts and materiel supplied to Sonar Systems to ensure their suitability and conformance prior to accepting into the organisation. Key focus on production quality (inspections) including good inwards inspections materials
- Develop and implement appropriate Business Quality Strategy, Objectives and KPI’s, ensuring these are cascaded throughout the business with training needs identified and fulfilled
- Ensure appropriate monitoring of business adherence to Policy, Procedure and all relevant legislature and regulatory requirements, highlighting potential concerns and recommending areas of improvement
- Ensure receipt of all necessary certifications to undertake manufacturing operations, including leadership and management of all necessary audits.
- Assist to develop new test facilities and support updates to current in-service equipment that support delivery of business objectives.

Role requirements
- Ability to influence executive and SLT stakeholders, including challenging when necessary
- Leadership skills, business acumen and ability to lead, manage and matrix manage multidisciplinary teams
- Strategic thinker, able to define a vision and the mechanism to deliver the associated objectives
- Experience of embedding cultural change
- Decision making and delegation skills

Qualifications / skills
- Suitable experience in a quality compliance leadership role
- Preferable experience in defence industry, but not necessary
- Experience in cultural
- Ability to influence without authority
- Ability to drive for results and delivery focused, with good attention to detail and able to prioritise the team / tasks.
- Aptitude to create and drive strategies, creating clarity our of complexity and address route causes.
- Ability to drive engagement across a large business
- Executive-level communication and influencing skills with the ability to resolve issues and build consensus
- Self-motivated with the ability to work autonomously whilst able to motivate others around the business
- Qualifications in lean, six sigma, change / project management desirable
- Strong interpersonal skills and demonstrated ability leading collaborative groups with ability to provide clear and concise and feedback

Leadership Competencies
- Strategic Mindset - able to anticipate future trends and implications accurately. Readily puts f