Head of Quality (UK)

Help Build Europe's Hypersonic Capability

At Hypersonica, we’re redefining what’s possible in European defence technology. We exist to deliver speed, resilience, and technological independence at a pace that sets a new standard. We are a small, elite team working on problems that matter, and solving them fast.

By joining Hypersonica, you’re not stepping into a predefined role. You’re joining a talent dense environment where every individual shapes the direction of the company. Our philosophy is to hire a small number of exceptional people with broad, deep technical capability, strong judgement, and the ability to operate autonomously.

We hire for talent, not rigid boxes. This role represents a business need, but the way it evolves will be shaped by the individual. If you’ve achieved what others said was impossible, or you bring a unique combination of skills that doesn’t fit a traditional mould, we want to hear from you. The work you do here directly contributes to Europe’s technological independence.

We are looking for a Head of Quality in the UK to build and lead the quality capability across our UK operations. 

You will be responsible for Quality across the UK, covering design, supply chain, manufacturing, assembly, test and production, while working closely with the Group Director of Quality and your counterpart in Germany. 

This is a regional leadership role responsible for operations in the UK. Travel to suppliers, test locations and other Hypersonica sites may be required depending on programme needs, your location and the future development of the company. 

This is not a role where you inherit a mature aerospace quality organisation. 

You will build the systems, team and operating discipline required to move advanced hardware from engineering through manufacture, test and flight without allowing quality to become bureaucracy. 

What you'll do

Build and lead Hypersonica’s UK quality function across design, supply chain, manufacturing, assembly, test, and production.

Design and implement a lean, scalable Quality Management System from zero, aligned to AS9100 and relevant defence quality requirements.

Own the pathway to AS9100 certification, including gap assessment, process architecture, documentation, internal audits, management reviews, corrective actions, and certification readiness.

Define the minimum credible quality controls required for prototype, development, qualification, and production hardware, increasing rigour as the programme matures.

Embed quality into engineering and operations from the outset, ensuring requirements, design decisions, change control, verification evidence, and build records remain clear and traceable.

Own nonconformance, MRB, concessions, deviations, CAPA, and root-cause processes, ensuring issues are contained quickly and permanently resolved.

Build the supplier quality operating model, including supplier selection, qualification, quality agreements, audits, first article inspection, incoming inspection, performance management, and corrective action.

Establish product and process quality controls across manufacturing and assembly, including inspection plans, critical characteristics, special processes, calibration, measurement systems, and configuration traceability.

Define and lead quality readiness gates across design reviews, production readiness reviews, first article inspection, test readiness, and flight readiness.

Act as the senior quality authority during high-consequence decisions, balancing programme speed with evidence, traceability, and product integrity.

Build audit-ready systems by default, ensuring evidence exists because it supports delivery rather than because someone may ask for it later.

Lead engagement with customers, certification bodies, auditors, suppliers, and defence stakeholders on quality matters.

Create concise quality metrics that leadership actually uses, including NCR cycle time, escape rate, supplier quality, first-pass yield, audit findings, CAPA closure, and recurring defect trends.

Build and lead the future UK quality team, defining the required capabilities across design quality, supplier quality, manufacturing quality, and quality systems.

Establish a culture where quality is owned by everyone and the quality function enables engineering rather than policing it.

Who you are

A senior quality leader with substantial experience in aerospace, defence, complex hardware, or another high-consequence engineering environment.

Proven at building or fundamentally reshaping a Quality Management System, ideally through AS9100 implementation or certification.

Experienced across the full product lifecycle, from requirements and design through supplier manufacture, assembly, test, qualification, and production.

Deeply familiar with AS9100 and practical aerospace or defence quality expectations, including configuration control, traceability, nonconformance, CAPA, FAI, supplier quality, and audit readiness.

Comfortable operating across design quality, supplier quality, and manufacturing quality rather than being confined to one narrow area.

Proven at handling serious quality escapes, leading containment and root-cause analysis, and driving corrective actions to permanent closure.

Credible with senior engineers, programme leaders, manufacturing teams, suppliers, customers, and auditors.

Able to distinguish between controls that protect product integrity and process that exists only because it has always existed.

Strong at building simple, usable systems that teams follow under pressure.

Experienced qualifying and managing suppliers producing flight-critical, safety-critical, or tightly controlled hardware.

Comfortable making hard calls when schedule pressure conflicts with evidence, traceability, or product conformity.

Hands-on by default. You are prepared to be on the shop floor, in design reviews, at supplier sites, and inside investigations when the programme needs it.

Calm, decisive, and commercially aware, with the judgement to keep hardware moving without normalising risk.

Experience with AQAP, MoD quality requirements, composite manufacturing, special processes, or missile systems is highly valuable but not essential.

Experience working with hazardous materials, explosives, energetic materials, or other major-hazard environments would be an advantage, but is not essential.

Motivated by building a quality function from zero where the standard directly determines whether hardware is accepted, tested, and flown.

Security and eligibility requirement

Due to the nature of the work with the UK MoD, applicants must be a British Citizen, or a dual national holding British citizenship, and eligible for UK Security Clearance and, where required, Developed Vetting.

What we offer

• A mission driven environment with the opportunity to work on one of Europe’s most consequential defence challenges, with direct impact on sovereign capability and security. 

• Daily collaboration with top experts across engineering, operations, and defence, with real opportunity to learn from the best, contribute, and grow. 

• High ownership and autonomy; no time tracking, no micromanagement, just clear objectives and accountability for outcomes. 

• A fast paced environment where good ideas are implemented quickly, and feedback from test and flight drives real decisions. 

• A culture that values clarity, integrity, and excellence, and supports people who take initiative and push boundaries responsibly. 

• Competitive compensation and real share options aligned to responsibility and impact, not tenure or hierarchy. 

We are not looking for someone who measures the maturity of a Quality function by the size of the QMS.

We want someone who can stand next to the hardware and ask:

Do we understand what we built? Do we understand how it was built? Is the evidence real? And are we confident enough to put this on a vehicle?

Someone who can maintain an extremely high bar without turning Quality into an obstacle.

Someone who knows when to stop the programme and, just as importantly, when the evidence is good enough to keep moving.

If that sounds like you, come and build it with us.

At Hypersonica, every hire raises the bar. We are deliberately small, intensely capable, and deeply mission-driven. If this role feels like a strong fit, or if you believe you bring something exceptional that goes beyond the description, we encourage you to apply.

Hypersonica is an equal-opportunity employer and assesses candidates solely on merit, capability, and potential.

You can apply directly to this role or reach out to Nathan Sweeney, Head of Talent. We review every application and aim to respond to all candidates within two weeks, whether the answer is yes or no.