Head of Engineering Chapter - Software and Quality Engineering

Qantas; Adelaide; On-site; AUD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

Qantas is establishing a new Product Innovation Centre in Adelaide and seeking a Head of Engineering Chapter to lead end-to-end engineering and quality engineering capability. The role oversees multiple engineering chapters and partners with the Senior Manager, Applied AI to drive AI-native practices.

You will define engineering strategy, set technical standards, and ensure scalable, high-quality delivery across distributed chapters while aligning with product squads to improve outcomes.

Qualifications

• 15+ years in software engineering or technology roles.
• 10+ years in senior engineering leadership across multiple teams or disciplines.
• Demonstrated hands-on fluency in AI-assisted engineering practices.
• Enterprise-level leadership across engineering and quality engineering capability.

Responsibilities

• Define engineering strategy and technical standards for the Product Innovation Centre.
• Lead and develop Chapter Leads across Mobile, Web, Backend & Integration, and Quality Engineering.
• Drive AI-native development practices and embed them into engineering teams.
• Ensure engineering excellence, scalability, and operational standards across the organisation.

Skills

Software engineering

Engineering leadership

AI fluency

Governance

Strategy design

Education

Computer Science degree

Job description

• Lead and drive technology and engineering standards, whilst driving AI adoption within our Product Innovation Centre.
• A fantastic opportunity to work across cross functional teams to uplift our software engineering and quality engineering capability.
• Full-time and permanent position based at our Adelaide Head Office.

Qantas has established a new Product Innovation Centre in Adelaide, a hub that will transform how we design, build and deliver digital experiences for millions of customers. At its core is a shift to a product-led operating model: moving away from traditional project-based IT delivery towards empowered, cross-functional product teams that own outcomes end-to-end.

The Head of Engineering Chapter is accountable for the end-to-end engineering and quality engineering capability across the Product Innovation Centre, leading Chapter Leads for Mobile Engineering, Web Engineering, Backend & Integration Engineering, and Quality Engineering. Through this chapter structure, the role provides hardline leadership to all software and quality engineers, while maintaining alignment with product and platform squads where engineers contribute day-to-day delivery outcomes.

The role is responsible for defining engineering strategy, establishing technical standards, and driving the adoption of modern software engineering and AI-native development practices. It provides leadership on engineering priorities and capability development. This role ensures consistent quality, scalability, and operational excellence across the organisation.

In partnership with the Senior Manager, Applied AI, the Head of Engineering Chapter co-leads our AI-native engineering transformation. This role is accountable for embedding AI-native practices into engineering teams and ensuring sustained adoption through strong chapter leadership and accountability.

Operating across a distributed chapter structure, the role translates enterprise technology strategy into execution. Success is measured through engineering excellence, widespread adoption of AI-native ways of working and the ability to sustain consistent standards as the Centre scales beyond hundreds of engineering and quality professionals.

You’ll Have

• 15+ years in software engineering or technology roles, including 10+ years in senior engineering leadership across multiple teams or disciplines
• Degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Information Technology or equivalent experience
• Demonstrated hands-on fluency in AI-assisted and agentic engineering practice
• Enterprise-level leadership across engineering and quality engineering capability, including strategic direction setting and leading leaders through coaching and accountability.
• Capability strategy design and maturity uplift at scale, including workforce planning across engineering and quality disciplines.
• Governance of enterprise engineering standards across engineering, testing, security, reliability, and deployment, with genuine enforcement authority
• Systems thinking across complex technology environments, with ownership of technical debt strategy and systemic risk management.
• Proven ability to align Engineering, Quality Engineering, Platform, Design and Delivery practice to reduce friction and improve outcomes.
• Executive-level influence and decision support through governance forums

Why Qantas?

At Qantas, your career can take you further than you imagined. You’ll join a team where creativity and passion drives success. Together we dream big and deliver even bigger.

You’ll find diverse opportunities to grow, personally and professionally. From day one, you’ll be supported with hands-on training, coaching, and formal learning programs designed to help you excel. Your development is our priority because we know that when you thrive, so do our customers.

The Qantas employee benefits program offers amazing benefits that extend well beyond travel.

• We love to travel: Enjoy heavily discounted air travel within Australia and across the globe, both for you and your family and friends, as well as exclusive deals on accommodation and holidays.
• We have flexible leave options: Make use of leave and flexible working opportunities including 18 weeks paid parental leave and the option to purchase additional paid leave for eligible employees.
• We’ll give you access to thousands of rewards: Through our partnerships we can offer you discounts across shopping, food and wine, insurance, health and wellbeing, leisure and entertainment. You can also take advantage of our salary packaging program including motor vehicles, eligible portable electronic devices and professional memberships.
• We’ll support your wellbeing: Whether it’s learning to better support your own and others’ mental health, our interactive wellbeing app or your very own tailored nutrition plan.

Applications close on 22nd of September

Qantas is an equal opportunity employer committed to providing a working environment that embraces and values diversity and inclusion. By coming to work for us, you’ll be part of an organisation that encourages diversity, supports charities and environmental initiatives. We encourage Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, and people of all backgrounds to apply. If you have any support or access requirements, we encourage you to advise us at time of application. Your personal information will be kept confidential in compliance with relevant privacy legislation.