Senior Supplier Quality Manager

Our Mission

At Vertical Aerospace, we are pioneering the way for electric aviation. The Valo, our eVTOL (electric, vertical, take‑off and landing), "zero emissions" aircraft will set a new safety standard for how we will navigate the sky. We won't realise our mission following the same legacy processes and traditions our predecessors followed, instead, we want to "redefine" aerospace best practices. We are growing quickly from a prototype business to a scaling SME, and the next few years will be critical to our success and delivering on our ambitious goals.

Valo is targeting airliner‑level safety certification in 2028 ahead of entering service with our airline and operator customers.

This is a rare opportunity to shape, build, and scale a world‑class supply quality ecosystem from the ground up. As Senior Supplier Quality Manager, you will be a key architect of our supply network. Defining how we work with suppliers, setting the standards that underpin excellent performance, and embedding robust, scalable processes that enable rapid growth and innovation. You won’t just be managing quality;

you’ll be designing the ways of working, influencing strategy, and partnering with suppliers to create a high‑performing, resilient, and future‑ready supply chain. You will report directly into our VP of Procurement & Supply Chain and functionally to the Director of Quality. This is a hands‑on leadership role where you will both execute supplier quality activities and help define the systems, standards and ways of working that will support Vertical’s transition from development into production and service.

• Design and deploy supplier quality strategy aligned to business growth, certification, and industrialisation goals.
• Build and continuously improve supplier quality processes, governance, and standards, performance management, and risk mitigation.
• Develop world‑class ways of working with suppliers, engineering, operations, and procurement.
• Lead supplier quality development activities, coaching and challenging suppliers to raise capability, maturity, and performance across the network.
• Own supplier quality performance management, driving clear metrics, data‑led insights, and structured continuous improvement.
• Be a visible quality leader, influencing senior stakeholders internally and externally, and acting as a trusted partner to critical suppliers.
• Anticipate and manage risk, embedding proactive quality planning and early issue detection across the supply base.
• Scale for the future, ensuring processes, tools, and governance evolve with the organisation as production ramps and complexity increases.

• Degree (engineering or similar) preferred; substantial relevant experience will also be considered.
• Extensive experience in supplier quality within aerospace (ideally ~10 years), with strong knowledge of aerospace regulations and standards (e.g. AS9100, AS9120, 13100, Part 21).
• Background in a regulated environment (e.g. aerospace, defence, automotive), including practical use of APQP, PPAP, FMEA and other core quality planning tools.
• Experience of quality management systems (ISO 9001, AS9100 and related aerospace quality frameworks); lead auditor accreditation to AS9100 is an advantage.
• Demonstrated track record of on‑site supplier audits, assessments and surveillance activities, including hands‑on supplier development and coaching where maturity is lower.
• Strong problem‑solving skills with practical use of tools such as PFMEA, 8D, 5 Whys and process mapping, including direct leadership of containment and corrective action at suppliers.
• Experience of new product introduction / industrialisation with external suppliers, ideally including transferring parts between suppliers and de‑risking ramp‑up.
• Ability to interpret engineering drawings and specifications; familiarity with manufacturing environments (e.g. machining, assembly, batteries or electronics) is highly beneficial.
• Proven experience leading or mentoring others, with the capability to build and shape a growing supplier quality function while remaining hands‑on.
• Effective communicator, able to influence and challenge…