Head of Assurance and Governance - Bristol

We are seeking an experienced and motivated Head of Assurance and Governance to lead and develop the Quality Assurance Function within the MEH Alliance. Through strong leadership and influence, you will establish effective assurance and governance arrangements, supporting consistent standards, exceptional results and a forward-thinking approach across the entire MEHA scope and its associated functional areas.

This role will be based across our MEHA offices in Bristol, London and Orwell Park, with a minimum requirement of three days per week in the office. Working closely with the Quality Director, Alliance Director, client and internal partners, you will lead the development and implementation of the Integrated Assurance strategy, audit programme and governance processes. You will also manage a team of approximately 10 people at peak, with responsibility for resource and budget management, team performance and professional development.

Key Deliverables / Accountabilities

• Lead the definition, development and implementation of the necessary Quality Assurance and Governance processes across the MEH Alliance.
• Provide an independent quality assurance escalation route directly to the Alliance Director and/or client organisation.
• Establish and maintain the Alliance Integrated Assurance strategy and corresponding Integrated Assurance and Audit Plan, aligned with the Governance Plan.
• Define Quality Assurance requirements within individual functional areas, including the mobilisation and procurement of external expertise where necessary.
• Contribute to the overall Alliance strategy, providing recognised expertise and advice on assurance and governance matters.
• Manage quality assurance and governance interfaces with the client, internal partners and key stakeholders.
• Submit regular performance reports, identifying deviations, corrective actions and issues requiring escalation.
• Establish, host, support and chair assurance and governance reviews at appropriate points throughout the project.
• Establish, implement and maintain the MEH Alliance Integrated Management System.
• Ensure industry and professional standards are flowed down, adopted and implemented across all scopes of work.
• Lead improvement projects to enhance process efficiency and effectiveness, applying appropriate improvement tools and methodologies such as Lean Six Sigma.
• Establish and maintain MEHA Nuclear Safety Culture arrangements and deliver awareness training to the MEHA workforce.
• Operate effectively and with authority within a complex, multi-partner and matrix organisation.
• Support other functional areas in delivering their associated responsibilities, including providing quality input and evaluating contracts and other scopes of work.
• Lead and manage a team of approximately 10 people at peak, including resource planning and budget management.
• Set team objectives, monitor performance, conduct annual appraisals and support professional development.
  
  

Key Requirements / Qualifications

• Lead Auditor qualification in ISO 9001.
• Diploma in Quality Management or a degree-level qualification
• Chartered membership of an appropriate professional body, preferably the Chartered Quality Institute (CQI).
• A natural leader with the ability to inspire, motivate and influence people to drive the business forward and achieve its objectives.
• Demonstrable experience as a senior Quality Leader, managing large quality teams, major projects and budgets, ideally within a highly regulated industry involving multi-disciplined major contracts.
• Proven experience in the MEH construction and acceptance process, with a good understanding of associated activities and through-life operational issues.
• Demonstrable track record of successful Quality Management within an engineering or project delivery environment.
• Strong knowledge of ISO 9001 and ideally ISO 19443, with a demonstrable understanding of managing Counterfeit, Fraudulent and Suspect Items (CFSI) risk.
• A qualification in Risk Management.
  
  

Due to the nature of the projects and secure nuclear environment;

• Applicants must be sole British Nationals.
• Applicants must be eligible to obtain CTC (Counter Terrorist Check) security clearance
• Appointment is subject to satisfactory security clearance and background checks