Quality Systems And Compliance Lead

DroneShield Limited; Sydney; On-site; AUD 120,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

DroneShield Limited seeks a highly experienced Quality Systems and Compliance Lead to govern the Integrated Management System and ensure compliance with ISO and AQAP standards. The role drives governance, document control, audits and continuous improvement across defence‑linked operations from its Sydney facility.

Responsibilities include leading certification activities, managing audit programs, and reporting on KPIs to leadership.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Quality, Manufacturing, Operations, Business, Science or a related discipline.
• ISO 9001 Lead Auditor qualification or equivalent auditing certification.
• Working knowledge of ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 45001, AQAP 2110 and AQAP 2210 requirements and implementation.
• Minimum 5 years' experience managing or maintaining quality management systems within defence, aerospace, manufacturing, engineering or other regulated industries.
• Experience supporting certification, surveillance, customer and regulatory audits.
• Demonstrated experience developing, implementing and maintaining an integrated management system of policies, procedures, work instructions and document control systems.

Responsibilities

• Integrated Management System Ownership: Manage and maintain the IMS and ensure management system compliance with relevant standards including ISO 9001; develop IMS architecture, policies, procedures and governance; ensure documentation remains current and controlled; lead management reviews; monitor maturity and effectiveness.
• Certification & External Compliance: Maintain certification requirements; monitor changes to standards and regulations; advise leadership on obligations; coordinate responses to audit findings.
• Audit & Assurance: Develop and administer enterprise audit program; conduct independent audits; verify compliance; report audit outcomes and risks.
• Document & Records Control: Manage document control; ensure records meet retention requirements; maintain governance over knowledge and documentation; ensure traceability of approvals and revisions.
• Management System Governance: Establish governance processes; coordinate management review meetings; maintain compliance registers and audit schedules; monitor risks and opportunities; track actions to closure.

Skills

ISO 9001 Lead Auditor

Quality management systems

Auditing programs

Regulatory compliance

Documentation control

Risk management

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering/Quality/Manufacturing/Operations/Business/Science

Job description

Work withcutting-edgeAI technology that helps make the world a safer and more secure place. DroneShield (ASX:DRO) develops market-leading counter-drone solutions used by militaryorganisations, government agencies, airports, critical infrastructure operators, and law enforcementoperatingin some of the most challenging and high-stakes environments in the world. Employees work at the forefront of innovation, solving complex technical problems and delivering mission-critical capabilities where performance, reliability, and speed matter.

As an ASX200-listed company and theworld'sonly publicly listed pure-play counter-drone business, DroneShield is experiencing rapid growth. Revenue increased from A$57 million in 2024 to more than A$217 million in 2025, supported by record profitability, a global sales pipeline exceeding A$2.5 billion, and annual R&D investment of over A$50 million.

Since 2017, DroneShield has grown from 11 employees to more than 550 globally, with operations across Australia, the United States, Europe, and the Middle East, supporting customers in over 70 countries. DroneShield's Alexandria facility is a key manufacturing hub, supporting production, assembly, testing, and quality assurance of mission-critical counter-drone systems.

About the role

DroneShield is seeking a highly experienced Quality Systems and Compliance Lead to join the team in Sydney, NSW. The Quality Systems & Compliance Lead is responsible for the governance, integrity, effectiveness and certification of DroneShield's Integrated Management System (IMS), ensuring compliance with relevant standard requirements. The role provides independent assurance that business processes are defined, controlled, effective, auditable and compliant with applicable regulatory, contractual and certification requirements.

Responsibilities, Duties and Expectations

• Integrated Management System Ownership Manage and maintain the Integrated Management System (IMS) and ensure management system compliance with relevant standards including but not limited to ISO9001. Develop and maintain the IMS architecture, policies, procedures and governance framework. Ensure all management system documentation remains current, controlled and effective. Lead periodic management system reviews and monitor management system maturity and effectiveness.
• Certification & External ComplianceEnsure ongoing compliance with certification requirements. Maintain awareness of changes to applicable standards and regulations. Advise leadership regarding compliance obligations and emerging requirements. Coordinate responses to certification audit findings.
• Audit & AssuranceDevelop and administer the enterprise audit programme. Conduct independent management system audits, regulatory and certification audits. Verify compliance with approved processes and standards. Report audit outcomes, systemic risks and compliance trends.
• Document & Records ControlManage the document control system. Govern creation, review, approval and retention of controlled documentation. Ensure records meet retention requirements. Maintain governance over organisational knowledge and documented information. Ensure traceability of approvals and revisions.
• Management System GovernanceEstablish governance processes supporting management system compliance. Coordinate Management Review meetings. Maintain compliance obligations registers. Maintain audit schedules and compliance calendars. Ensure management system risks and opportunities are monitored. Track compliance-related actions through to closure.

Measures of Success

• Zero major certification non-conformances.
• Successful maintenance of ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and ISO 45001 certifications.
• Successful compliance with AQAP contractual requirements.
• All external audits completed successfully.
• Improved management system maturity scores.
• Audit actions closed within agreed timeframes.
• High levels of procedural compliance across the organisation.
• Accurate and current controlled documentation.
• Positive customer and regulatory audit outcomes.
• Leadership confidence in the effectiveness of the Integrated Management System.

Qualifications, Experience and Skills

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Quality, Manufacturing, Operations, Business, Science or a related discipline.
• ISO 9001 Lead Auditor qualification or equivalent auditing certification.
• Working knowledge of ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 45001, AQAP 2110 and AQAP 2210 requirements and implementation.
• Minimum 5 years' experience managing or maintaining quality management systems within defence, aerospace, manufacturing, engineering or other regulated industries.
• Experience supporting certification, surveillance, customer and regulatory audits.
• Demonstrated experience developing, implementing and maintaining an integrated management system of policies, procedures, work instructions and document control systems.
• Strong understanding of management system governance, compliance management, risk management and assurance frameworks.
• Experience facilitating audits, managing audit programs, tracking corrective actions and verifying compliance effectiveness.
• Knowledge of configuration management, change control and records management principles.
• Experience interpreting contractual, regulatory and customer quality requirements and translating them into business processes.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to monitor KPIs, identify trends and provide compliance and assurance reporting..

Note for recruitment agencies: We do not accept unsolicited candidates from external recruiters unless specifically instructed.

Data Privacy

DroneShield Group Pty Ltd collects and processes personal information for recruitment and hiring purposes. Where applicable, personal information is processed on the basis of DroneShield's legitimate interests in assessing and selecting candidates for employment. For further information regarding how we collect, use, disclose, store and retain personal information, including your privacy rights, please refer to our Privacy Policy: https://www.droneshield.com/privacy-policy

DroneShield proudly supports employment of veterans in our Australian and U.S. offices and welcomes role applications from them. We encourage all applicants to voluntarily share details of prior military service. We foster a diverse workplace, with focus on multicultural teams, flexibility in the workplace, and a supportive environment.