Head of Quality

Safran; Great Notley; On-site; GBP 110,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual Leave: 25 days + bank holidays

Life Assurance: 8× annual salary

Pension Scheme

Health & Wellbeing

Job summary

Safran Aerosystems Services UK is seeking a Head of Quality to lead the Quality function across aerospace maintenance and repair operations, ensuring top-tier compliance, safety and operational excellence.

You will drive QMS compliance with Part 145, CAA, EASA and FAA approvals, lead audits, and work with Operations, Engineering, Customers, Suppliers and Regulators to safeguard flight safety and continuous improvement.

Qualifications

• Significant aerospace quality leadership experience.
• Strong experience within a Part 145 maintenance environment.
• In-depth knowledge of CAA, EASA, FAA, AS9100, and EN9110 requirements.
• Experience managing Quality Management Systems and regulatory approvals.
• Internal and external audit management experience.
• Proven leadership and people management capability.
• Strong stakeholder management and communication skills.
• Experience conducting investigations and root cause analysis.

Responsibilities

• Lead the Quality Management System and ensure ongoing regulatory compliance.
• Act as the primary quality focal point for regulatory authorities and customers.
• Maintain and manage Part 145 approvals and quality certifications.
• Ensure compliance with AS9100, EN9110, CAA, EASA, FAA, and company requirements.
• Provide independent oversight of operational quality performance.
• Develop and manage internal and external audit programmes.
• Lead regulatory, customer, and certification audits.
• Manage audit findings through to effective closure.
• Ensure the organisation remains audit-ready at all times.
• Monitor regulatory changes and implement required actions.
• Lead quality investigations and root cause analysis activities.
• Manage occurrence reporting and safety-related quality events.
• Identify, assess, and mitigate quality and compliance risks.
• Promote a strong quality and safety culture throughout the organisation.
• Lead, coach, and develop the Quality team.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives across the business.
• Partner with operational leaders to improve quality performance and process effectiveness.
• Establish meaningful quality KPIs and performance metrics.
• Support strategic business objectives through robust governance and compliance.

Skills

Aerospace quality leadership

Part 145 maintenance experience

Regulatory knowledge (CAA/EASA/FAA/AS9

Job description

Position description

Safran Aerosystems Services UK is seeking an experienced Head of Quality to lead our Quality function and ensure the highest standards of compliance, safety, and operational excellence across our aerospace maintenance and repair operations. This is a key leadership role responsible for maintaining regulatory approvals, managing the Quality Management System, leading audit activities, and acting as the primary interface with aviation authorities, customers, and senior stakeholders. If you're passionate about aviation safety, regulatory compliance, and building a culture of continuous improvement, this is an exciting opportunity to shape the future of quality within a world-leading aerospace organisation.

Domain

Performance and Support

Job field / Job profile

Quality - Quality management

Job title

Head of Quality

Employment type

Permanent

Professional category

Professional, Engineer & Manager

Part time / Full time

Full-time

Job description

About the Role

As Head of Quality, you will provide strategic and operational leadership for all Quality and Compliance activities across the business. You will be responsible for ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements including Part 145, CAA, EASA, and FAA approvals, while driving continuous improvement across quality systems, processes, and operational performance. Working closely with Operations, Engineering, Customers, Suppliers, and Regulatory Authorities, you will play a critical role in safeguarding compliance, customer confidence, and flight safety.

Key Responsibilities

Quality & Compliance Leadership

• Lead the Quality Management System and ensure ongoing regulatory compliance.
• Act as the primary quality focal point for regulatory authorities and customers.
• Maintain and manage Part 145 approvals and quality certifications.
• Ensure compliance with AS9100, EN9110, CAA, EASA, FAA, and company requirements.
• Provide independent oversight of operational quality performance.

Audit & Regulatory Management

• Develop and manage internal and external audit programmes.
• Lead regulatory, customer, and certification audits.
• Manage audit findings through to effective closure.
• Ensure the organisation remains audit-ready at all times.
• Monitor regulatory changes and implement required actions.

Flight Safety & Risk Management

• Lead quality investigations and root cause analysis activities.
• Manage occurrence reporting and safety-related quality events.
• Identify, assess, and mitigate quality and compliance risks.
• Promote a strong quality and safety culture throughout the organisation.

Leadership & Continuous Improvement

• Lead, coach, and develop the Quality team.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives across the business.
• Partner with operational leaders to improve quality performance and process effectiveness.
• Establish meaningful quality KPIs and performance metrics.
• Support strategic business objectives through robust governance and compliance.

But what else? (benefits, specificities, etc.)

• Competitive salary
• Annual Leave, 25 days of holiday per year, plus bank holidays
• Long service holiday reward
• Holiday Buy & Sell Scheme (available after qualifying period)
• Life Assurance: 8× annual salary
• Pension Scheme
• Health & Wellbeing
• Cash Health Plan (including contributions for dental and optical costs)
• Employee Assistance Programme (EAP)
• Wellbeing Committee-sponsored events
• Company sick pay (after qualifying period)
• Group Income Protection (available after qualifying period)
• Enhanced Maternity Leave
• We support your ambitions with training, development, a personalised career plan and mobility opportunities.

Candidate skills & requirements

Essential Requirements

• Significant aerospace Quality leadership experience.
• Strong experience within a Part 145 maintenance environment.
• In-depth knowledge of CAA, EASA, FAA, AS9100, and EN9110 requirements.
• Experience managing Quality Management Systems and regulatory approvals.
• Internal and external audit management experience.
• Proven leadership and people management capability.
• Strong stakeholder management and communication skills.
• Experience conducting investigations and root cause analysis.

Desirable Skills

• Lead Auditor qualification.
• Experience dealing directly with regulatory authorities.
• Continuous Improvement or Lean Six Sigma experience.
• Engineering, Aerospace, or Quality-related qualification.
• Experience leading quality transformation or business improvement programmes.

Here, we craft excellence together.

We understand that diversity and inclusion make teams stronger. We are committed to fair and equitable employment practices for everyone.

We know that some candidates may be put off applying for jobs where they don't meet 100% of the criteria outlined in the advert. We encourage anybody to apply if you can demonstrate a variety of skills and experience relevant to the requirements of this role. Please let us know if you would like to discuss any reasonable adjustments to the hiring process that may better facilitate your participation.

Why Safran?

A global presence: Be part of a global aerospace, defence & space business with over 100,000 Colleagues, across 300 sites in 30 countries.

Inclusive & empowering environment: We celebrate our differences and believe they make us stronger.

Innovation at the core: Join our mission to decarbonise aerospace and make the world a safer place. Your ambitions can take us further.

Mobility & training opportunities: We can support your ambitions with training, development, a personalised career plan and mobility opportunities. If you have big dreams, we'll support you to make them a reality.

Get involved:

We have a number of groups and forums across our sites that you can get involved with, including Women at Safran, Diversity at Safran, Sports Clubs, STEM ambassadors, Employee Forum, Charity Partnerships and Wellbeing Programs.

Job location

Europe, UK, England, South East

City (-ies)

Avenue West Skyline 120 CM77 7AA Braintree