SVP QHSE – Civil
// Role Summary
Rolls-Royce is seeking a Senior Vice President (SVP) of Quality, Health, Safety, and Environment (QHSE) for its Civil Aerospace division. This executive role is responsible for defining and leading the global QHSE strategy to ensure the highest standards of performance, compliance, and operational excellence in a highly regulated industry.
// Key Responsibilities
- Define and execute the global QHSE strategy for Civil Aerospace.
- Lead the evolution of the Quality Management System and ensure regulatory compliance.
- Drive a culture of continuous improvement and a Zero Incident culture.
- Provide executive leadership on quality, safety, assurance, and compliance matters.
- Build trusted relationships with regulators, customers, and industry bodies.
- Lead and develop high-performing QHSE teams and build capability across the business.
// Role Specification
SVP QHSE – Civil
Full time, Derby
At Rolls‑Royce, we are shaping the future of power and propulsion. Civil Aerospace is at the forefront of global aviation, powering advanced aircraft and connecting people, economies, and industries worldwide. As a leading provider of large aircraft engines and aftermarket services, we support thousands of engines in operation, delivering critical power, reliability, and innovation.
This is a highly visible leadership role responsible for driving operational excellence, strengthening compliance and governance, and embedding a culture of continuous improvement and right-first-time performance across Civil Aerospace. Quality and safety are fundamental to everything we do.
As SVP QHSE, you will define and lead the global Quality, Health, Safety and Environmental strategy across Civil Aerospace, ensuring our products, people, and operations meet the highest standards of performance, compliance, and operational excellence. This high-profile role involves influencing business strategy, shaping organisational culture, and leading transformation across a global business in one of the world’s most highly regulated industries.
Key Responsibilities:
- Provide strategic leadership across Quality, Health, Safety, and Environment, creating the capability, governance, and culture needed to deliver safe, reliable, and right-first-time performance.
- Define and execute the long-term Civil Aerospace QHSE strategy aligned to business priorities.
- Lead the evolution of our Quality Management System, ensuring world-class governance, assurance, and regulatory compliance.
- Drive a culture of continuous improvement through data, insight, and operational excellence.
- Lead Civil-wide quality transformation initiatives that improve customer satisfaction, operational performance, and product reliability.
- Champion a Zero Incident culture by embedding proactive Health, Safety, and Environmental leadership across the organisation.
- Develop strategies that improve operational resilience through robust quality, risk, and compliance frameworks.
- Utilise metrics, analytics, and benchmarking to identify trends, manage risk, and prioritise improvement opportunities.
- Provide executive leadership on quality, safety, assurance, and compliance matters across Civil Aerospace.
- Build trusted relationships with regulators, customers, industry bodies, and executive stakeholders.
- Influence senior leaders to embed accountability for quality and safety within their own organisations.
- Lead and develop high-performing QHSE teams while building capability across the wider business.
What We’re Looking For:
- Significant senior leadership experience within QHSE.
- Proven experience leading Quality Management Systems and transformation programmes.
- Strong understanding of governance, assurance, audit, regulatory compliance, and continuous improvement.
- Experience operating within highly regulated, safety-critical industries such as aerospace, defence, manufacturing, energy, or infrastructure.
- Demonstrable success influencing Executive and Senior Leadership teams across complex organisations.
- Exceptional stakeholder management with the ability to build alignment across multiple functions.
- Strong commercial awareness, balancing quality, operational performance, customer expectations, and business priorities.
- Experience leading large-scale organisational change and embedding sustainable improvements.
- A collaborative leadership style with the credibility to inspire, challenge, and influence at every level.
Key Stakeholders:
- Civil Aerospace Executive Leadership Team
- Group Executive and Functional Leaders
- Engineering, Operations, Procurement, and Supply Chain
- Risk, Internal Audit, Security, and Business Continuity
- Customers, regulators, and industry bodies
- Global Quality and HSE leadership teams
Rolls‑Royce is committed to being a respectful, inclusive, and non-discriminatory workplace where individuality is valued, diverse perspectives fuel innovation, and everyone can thrive.