Quality Leader, Underwater Systems (Hybrid)

Thales Group; Cheadle, Templecombe; Hybrid; GBP 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Private medical insurance

Cycle to work scheme

Buying/selling annual leave

Employee discounts

Volunteer day

Stock options

Annual bonus

Job summary

Thales Group in Cheadle is seeking a Head of Quality to lead QA across Underwater Systems, guiding quality strategy and governance throughout bids, projects, design, validation, and manufacturing. The role requires senior leadership to shape quality outcomes across multiple sites, with a clear focus on continuous improvement and customer satisfaction.

Hybrid working, with three on-site days per week in the UK, and responsibility for budget and QMS effectiveness.

Qualifications

• Proven experience in a senior Quality Management leadership role.
• Experience leading, developing, and coaching professional teams.
• Background in fast-paced engineering, design, development, or manufacturing environments.
• Experience managing budgets, forecasting, and reporting.
• Strong leadership, communication and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to drive quality improvement and embed a culture of continuous improvement.

Responsibilities

• Lead the Quality Assurance function across bids, projects, design, and manufacturing lifecycles.
• Govern governance across process gates, milestones, and lifecycle events with customer involvement.
• Oversee QMS implementation, policy adherence, and external certifications as needed.
• Present QA status in senior leadership reviews and provide independent QA reporting.
• Drive a strategy and roadmap for continuous improvement within the domain.

Skills

Quality leadership

Budget management

Stakeholder management

Continuous improvement

People management

Risk management

Job description

Thales Group in Cheadle is seeking a Head of Quality to lead QA across Underwater Systems, guiding quality strategy and governance throughout bids, projects, design, validation, and manufacturing. The role requires senior leadership to shape quality outcomes across multiple sites, with a clear focus on continuous improvement and customer satisfaction.

Hybrid working, with three on-site days per week in the UK, and responsibility for budget and QMS effectiveness.