Managing Director - Qinetiq Target Systems

Qinetiq; Aylesford; Hybrid; GBP 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid working

Competitive benefits package

Job summary

QinetiQ in the United Kingdom seeks a senior leader to steer the QTSUK business within a matrix organisation, aligning engineering, operations and functional staff under the Air Leadership Team. You will champion a people‑centred safety culture, develop cross‑functional leadership and deepen strategic customer engagement across multiple regions.

You will own product strategies for Aerial Targets, drive capability roadmaps for manufacturing and make/buy strategies, and deliver financial

Qualifications

• Experience leading diverse and complex technical operations.
• Experience leading a vertically integrated business of a medium size; preferably in defence design engineering.
• Experience in a senior business leadership role.
• Significant experience of inspiring and developing cross functional teams.
• Significant experience in building customer relationships at a senior level.
• Politically and organisationally aware.
• Ability to obtain appropriate security clearances.

Responsibilities

• Provide clear, visible and effective leadership of the QTSUK business.
• Champion a people-centred culture where safety, inclusion and engagement are core to success.
• Lead safety leadership for QTSUK in collaboration with UKD Engineering and Operations.
• Model QinetiQ behaviours and values.
• Deepen strategic customer engagement with the Business Development function and engage with senior external stakeholders.
• Develop the organisation to achieve strong collaboration and high engagement.
• Deliver the financial performance including growth targets and competitiveness.
• Own the development and maintenance of Product Strategies for Aerial Targets across QinetiQ.
• Develop capability roadmap for manufacturing and assembly for a broader product portfolio in the UK.
• Develop make, buy, partner strategies for a broader product portfolio in the UK.
• Improve customer satisfaction through on-time, quality and cost delivery.
• Monitor, manage and report financial and operational risk.
• Prepare long, medium and short-term strategy and annual budget.
• Approve commercial and financial commitments within delegation.
• Coordinate with QinetiQ Target Systems Canada and other Sectors to drive global sales.

Skills

Leadership

Customer relationships

Market awareness

Collaboration & Influence

Change leadership

People development

Results oriented

Job description

The role

will lead a cross-functional management team including engineering, operations and functional staff within a matrix organisation and will work as part of the wider Air Leadership Team supporting the overall UKD Sector.

Key Accountabilities:

• Providing clear, visible and effective leadership of the QTSUK business.
• Champion of a people-centred culture where safety, security, inclusion and the engagement of our people are seen as core to the success in delivering for our customers. Build a highly engaged and high performing leadership team.
• Safety leadership for QTSUK, collaborating with UKD Engineering and Operations as per safety delegations.
• Being a role model of QinetiQ behaviours and values.
• Deepen strategic customer engagement in collaboration with the Business Development function. Lead business dealings with senior external stakeholders, particularly current and potential customers.
• Focus on the organisational development of the QTSUK business to achieve strong collaboration and high engagement.
• Delivers the financial performance of the QTS business including achievement of growth targets and improving its competitiveness and performance.
• Owns the development and maintenance of the Product Strategies for Aerial Targets across QinetiQ.
• Own and develop a capability roadmap for manufacturing and assembly for a broader product portfolio in the UK.
• Own and develop make, buy, partner strategies for a broader product portfolio in the UK.
• Improve customer satisfaction through the effective delivery of products and services to time, quality and cost.
• Monitor, manage and report financial and operational risk in the business.
• Preparation and presentation of a long, medium and short-term strategy for QTSUK, and prepare an annual budget.
• Approve commercial and financial commitments, in alignment with delegation.
• Effectively interface with QinetiQ Target Systems Canada and the Australia and US Sectors, effectively utilising our routes to market and driving QTSUK product sales globally.

Key Capabilities / Knowledge

• Customer-orientated: serving and building value-added relationships with customers whether internal or external.
• Market Aware: understanding the market in which the business operates, including competition, suppliers, customer base and the regulatory environment.
• Leadership: focusing, aligning and building effective teams across the business area, including the development of future skills and process, supported by appropriate tools in collaboration with other business areas.
• Collaboration and Influence: working effectively with, and influencing across, QinetiQ to generate a positive impact on business performance.
• Results Orientated: focused on improvement of business results, including accurate forecasting and time, cost and schedule excellence. Balance risk and innovation to ensure both short-term deliverables and long-term growth are achieved.
• Change Leadership: transforming and aligning the business through its people to drive for improvement in new and challenging directions, energising the QTSUK team to change in the same direction, and promoting best practice across the company.
• People and Organisational Development: promote a high performing culture that enables continuous long- term skills and capabilities development.

Experience & Qualifications:

Experience leading diverse and complex technical operations.

• Experience leading a vertically integrated business of a medium size; preferably in defence design engineering.
• Experience in a senior business leadership role.
• Significant experience of inspiring and developing cross functional teams.
• Significant experience in building customer relationships at a senior level.
• Politically and organisationally aware.
• Ability to obtain appropriate security clearances.

What else do I need to know?

Joining QinetiQ offers you an opportunity to work on a broad range of exciting defence-based projects, with vast career progression across a global organisation, in addition to competitive personal and professional benefits.

You’ll receive a competitive salary and benefits package: our basic salaries are very attractive, as we constantly review what’s happening in the market.

The range of benefits we offer include adaptive and flexible / hybrid working, ample holiday entitlements, generous employer pension contributions, enhanced Maternity and Paternity Pay, and the ability to purchase discounted Health Cash Plans, Private Medical Insurance, and Dental Insurance, plus much more.