Quality Lead

Korn Ferry; United Kingdom; Hybrid; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading consultancy firm is seeking a Quality Transformation Lead for a Defence project in the UK. The role focuses on developing a unified Quality Operating Model, enhancing lifecycle alignment, and establishing performance metrics. Essential qualifications include LIVE SC clearance and leadership experience in quality assurance within Defence or similar sectors. This position is predominantly remote with required site visits, offering a contract of 4 months with potential extensions.

Qualifications

• Essential LIVE SC clearance must already be held.
• Experience in Defence, Nuclear, Aerospace, Utilities, or major infrastructure is crucial.
• Understanding of RIBA stages and design assurance is required.

Responsibilities

• Lead a discovery assessment to identify quality gaps and improvement opportunities.
• Design a Quality Operating Model with clear responsibilities across various functions.
• Develop metrics, dashboards, and quality reporting.

Skills

Leadership in Quality, Assurance or Transformation

Stakeholder management

Lifecycle assurance

COPQ analysis

Data-driven quality reporting

Tools

Power BI

Job description

Quality Transformation Lead – Infrastructure Project Delivery (IPD)

Location

UK (Predominantly Remote with visits to site when required)

Clearance

LIVE SC (mandatory)

Contract

4 months (high likelihood of extension)

Overview

A major UK Defence organisation is delivering complex infrastructure programmes and is seeking a Quality Transformation Lead to reposition Quality as a strategic enabler across its IPD portfolio. The focus is to develop a unified Quality Operating Model, strengthen lifecycle alignment, establish performance metrics, and enable consistent assurance across projects.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead a discovery assessment to identify gaps, fragmentation and improvement opportunities in IPD quality practices.
• Design a future-state Quality Operating Model with clear responsibilities, governance and interdependencies across Engineering, Construction, Supply Chain, P3M and Commissioning.
• Develop RIBA/lifecycle-aligned metrics, dashboards and COPQ reporting.
• Produce a Quality Service Level Agreement (SLA) and support adoption across the organisation.
• Create an interim reporting platform to standardise quality data and assurance.
• Deliver a practical implementation roadmap and support behavioural change across the Quality function.

Key Deliverables

Discovery & Diagnostic Report

• Quality Operating Model & SLA
• RACI / Interdependency Map
• RIBA-aligned Metrics Framework
• Interim Reporting Platform
• Implementation Roadmap & Executive Pack

Experience Required

• Essential LIVE SC clearance (must already hold)
• Leadership experience in Quality, Assurance or Transformation within Defence, Nuclear, Aerospace, Utilities or major infrastructure.
• Understanding of RIBA stages, design assurance, construction quality and commissioning.
• Experience developing operating models, governance structures, or QMS frameworks.
• Skilled in lifecycle assurance, COPQ analysis, and data-driven quality reporting.
• Strong stakeholder management and ability to influence senior leaders.

Desirable

• Experience using digital reporting tools (e.g., Power BI)
• Background in portfolio-level assurance or capital delivery governance