UK Senior Manager High Hazard Technical Safety

Package:   £69,300 – £77,000 (salary dependent on experience) + Benefits

Role ID:     SF20686

Are you ready to be part of the future? At QinetiQ, we’re not just imagining tomorrow we are creating it. From cutting-edge defence technology to ground-breaking innovations our mission is to empower and protect lives. Join us as a Senior Manager- Technical Safety & High Hazard Assurance at our Farnborough site, where you will have the opportunity to work with cutting-edge technology in partnership with some of the most brilliant minds.

The Role
As a Head of Technical Safety & High Hazard Assurance, you will be the recognised UK Technical Safety Authority for some of the most complex and safety-critical activities across the business, including OME, RF, Laser, Diving and other high-hazard disciplines. Operating at the forefront of risk management, you will provide trusted expert advice and independent challenge to senior leaders, programme directors and customers, shaping critical decisions that enable safe delivery across a diverse portfolio of nationally important programmes.

Day-to-day, you'll lead and continuously evolve the High Hazard Management (HAM) framework, ensuring robust governance, assurance and risk management processes are consistently applied across the organisation. You'll oversee the quality and effectiveness of hazardous activity reviews, appoint and support competent HAM Chairs, and ensure risks are identified, assessed and managed to ALARP principles. Working closely with operational, engineering and programme teams, you'll champion a culture of continuous improvement, drive learning from incidents and investigations, and collaborate with regulators and customers to ensure complex activities remain safe, compliant and operationally effective.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Own and continuously improve the UK High Hazard Management (HAM) framework, ensuring consistent implementation, governance, assurance and compliance across all high-hazard activities


• Act as the recognised UK Technical Safety Authority, providing independent expert advice, interpretation of legislation and standards, and authoritative challenge on safety-critical risks and decisions


• Maintain oversight of high-hazard risk across disciplines including OME, RF, Laser, Diving and other hazardous activities, ensuring risks are identified, assessed and managed to ALARP and tolerable levels


• Lead high-hazard governance and assurance activities, including the Hazardous Activity Scrutiny Panel, compliance strategy, regulatory engagement, audits, investigations and risk review processes


• Provide strategic leadership on risk management, advising senior leaders on risk acceptance, risk tolerability, emerging hazards, regulatory developments and the overall UK high-hazard risk posture


• Develop organisational capability and safety culture, establishing competence frameworks, overseeing hazardous activity reviewers and chairs, and driving continuous improvement, operational learning and best practice across the business.

Essential experience of the Senior Manager- Technical Safety & High Hazard Assurance:

• Extensive expertise in High Hazard Management (HAM), safety risk control, hazard identification, ALARP principles and safety justification methodologies within complex, high-risk environments


• Recognised Technical Safety Authority experience, providing expert interpretation of legislation, standards and policy, alongside independent technical challenge to support risk-based decision making


• Deep knowledge of defence high-hazard operations, including OME, RF, Laser, Diving, Maritime, Aviation, Nuclear and Safety-Critical Systems, supported by a strong understanding of UK defence regulations and industry standards


• Proven ability to develop and govern High Hazard Management frameworks, assurance programmes, risk review processes and compliance activities within highly regulated organisations


• Strong leadership and stakeholder engagement skills, with experience influencing senior leaders, regulators, military authorities and customers, and chairing high-hazard governance forums and review boards


• Demonstrable track record of driving safe delivery and continuous improvement, including leading incident investigations, maintaining technical competence frameworks, assuring hazardous activity reviews and embedding a proactive safety culture.

Essential qualifications for the Senior Manager- Technical Safety & High Hazard Assurance:

We value difference and we don’t have a fixed idea when it comes to background or education, provided you can show the required level of experience and willingness to learn then we would like to hear from you. 

This role is 37 hours per week based at our Farnborough site with a minimum average site attendance of three days per week. Travel to other QinetiQ and customer sites will be expected.

At our Farnborough site exciting work takes place at our state-of-the-art facility, with high-energy laser technologies, our 5m pressurised wind tunnel which has a simulation capability that is unique in the UK and our large research and development projects is a real hub of creativity, research and innovation. Join our talented teams of Engineers, IT & Cyber Specialists, Project Managers, Group Functions Teams and many more to provide future defences in the UK.

Please note that all applicants for this role must be eligible for SC clearance, as a minimum.

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Our Recruitment Process:

At QinetiQ we are committed to building an inclusive, accessible and welcoming workplace where everyone feels valued and supported. We believe that a diverse mix of backgrounds, perspectives and experiences drives innovation and leads to better outcomes for our people, customers and communities. We encourage applications from all candidates and are a disability confident committed employer. If you have a disability or need any reasonable adjustments during the recruitment process, please let us know by emailing [email protected]. One of our recruitment team will contact you.

Many roles in QinetiQ are subject to national security vetting being completed, applicants who already hold the appropriate level of vetting may be able to transfer it upon appointment. A number of roles are also subject to additional restrictions, which means factors such as nationality or previous nationalities may affect the roles that you can be employed in.

Why Join QinetiQ?

As we continue to grow into new markets around the world, there’s never been a more exciting time to join QinetiQ. The formula for success is our appetite for innovation and having the courage to take on a wide variety of complex challenges.

As a QinetiQ employee, you’ll experience a unique working environment where teams from different backgrounds, disciplines and experiences enjoy collaborating widely and openly as we undertake this exciting and rewarding journey. Through effective teamwork, and pulling together, you’ll get to experience what happens when we all share different perspectives, blend disciplines, and link technologies; constantly discovering new ways of solving complex problems in a diverse and inclusive environment where you can be authentic, feel valued and realise your full potential. Visit our website to read more about our diverse and inclusive workplace culture. www.qinetiq.com/en/careers/life-at-qinetiq

Our Benefits

• Matched contribution pension scheme, with life assurance


• Generous holiday allowance, with the option to purchase additional days


• Options to join Health Cash Plan, Private Medical Insurance and Dental Insurance


• Employee discount portal: Personal Accident Insurance, Travel Insurance, Restaurants, Cinema Tickets and much more


• We are proud to support the Armed Forces community by honouring the Armed Forces Covenant and maintaining our Gold Award standard in the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme


• Volunteering Opportunities - helping charities and local community