Chief Of Industrialisation - Defence UK & International
Full Time – Hybrid with 4 days in office
Bristol
Why join Rolls-Royce?
At Rolls-Royce we are proud to be a business that has truly helped to shape the modern world and are committed to always being a force for progress; powering, protecting and connecting people everywhere.
By joining Rolls-Royce, you'll have the opportunity to work on world-class solutions, supported by a culture that believes individuality is our greatest strength, and all perspectives, experiences and backgrounds help us innovate and enable our high-performance culture.
As the Chief of Industrialisation for Defence UK & International you’ll be leading, inspiring and coaching a team of Manufacturing Engineers to achieve world class levels of safety, quality, cost and delivery on a range of exciting new engine programmes.
You’ll be making a positive difference to successfully delivering a range of collaborative programmes as a key interface with partners in the UK, Italy, France and Japan amongst others —driving multi-national technology maturity and advanced industrialisation, ensuring we do the right thing for our teams, partners, and customers every step of the way.
By working closely with Defence, Procurement and Civil leaders, you’ll have a significant opportunity to create a lasting legacy on factory footprint and facility strategy through the industrialisation of our future project portfolio .
Key Accountabilities
Putting Safety First - Own the assurance that all manufacturing processes are designed and operated to the highest Health, Safety & Environmental (HSE) standards, fully aligned with our Zero Harm vision minimising Process Safety and Product Safety risks by design
Developing Talent - Lead and inspire the Defence UK&I industrialisation community, ensuring robust technical capability and nurturing future talent. Mentor and empower the leadership team of manufacturing technology and engineering professionals, actively promoting growth, collaboration, and career development throughout the wider team
Championing Quality - Drive a culture of zero defects, embedding quality at the core of everything we do. Oversee the rigorous deployment of APQP, from product introduction through to production, ensuring all outputs meet quality, rate and performance targets, alongside maintaining compliance with all company, technical, and legislative standards
Strategic Leadership - Be the thought leader and architect for the “make at rate” industrialisation agenda, translating vision into actionable strategies and roadmaps. Forge critical links between design, supply chain, operations, technology, digital teams, service providers, and suppliers—ensuring holistic and effective product introduction strategies that advance both organisational and sector goals
Working with Partnerships - Cultivate and strengthen impactful relationships with a diverse range of external stakeholders, including customers, programme partners, manufacturing networks, joint ventures, and risk/revenue sharing partners. Harness these partnerships to enhance innovation, delivery, and long-term business success
Key Experiences and Qualifications
Strong leadership background in manufacturing engineering or a related discipline
Knowledge of APQP and PPAP application and the role of these processes in achieving delivery at rate
Ability to influence at all levels
Demonstrated history of dealing with ambiguity and technical challenge
Must be a UK citizen to be considered for this role. This role will require the holder to achieve SC clearance as a minimum
Experience of working with different cultures would be a bonus
Has experience deploying continuous improvement methodologies such as lean and six sigma, ideally with Green Belt accreditation
Regional Benefits
Generous Annual Leave
Retirement Savings through the Rolls-Royce Retirement Savings Trust
Group Life Assurance provides for a lump sum benefit if you die whilst employed by Rolls-Royce
Group Income Protection provides an income in the event that you are unable to work due to illness or injury
Your Shares: Matched is a simple way to own Rolls-Royce shares and invest in our future, together. Buy one share, get one free!
Our vision is to ensure that the excellence and ingenuity that shaped our history continues into our future. Our multi-year transformation programme aims to turn Rolls-Royce into a high-performing, competitive, resilient and growing company. Join us, and it can be your future vision too.
Rolls-Royce are committed to being a respectful, inclusive, and non-discriminatory workplace where individuality is valued, diverse perspectives fuel innovation, and everyone can thrive.
As part of our selection process, candidates in certain locations may be asked to complete an online assessment, which can include cognitive and behavioural aptitude testing relevant to the role. If required, full instructions for the next steps will be provided.
To work for the Rolls-Royce defence business an individual has to hold a Security Check clearance. Rolls-Royce will support the application for Security Clearance if you do not currently already have this in place. Due to the nature of work the business conducts and the protection of certain assets we can only progress applications from individuals who are a UK national or, in MoD approved cases, a dual national.
As part of our selection process, candidates in certain locations may be asked to complete an online assessment, which can include cognitive and behavioural aptitude testing relevant to the role. If required, full instructions for the next steps will be provided.
Manufacturing Engineering
13 Aug 2026; 00:08
12 Aug 2026
