Hypersonica - UK Head of Operations

• Establish and deliver Hypersonica’s UK industrialisation and manufacturing capability on a 12 month critical path, from zero to sustained production and test readiness. • Own the end to end industrialisation programme, governing manufacturing schedules, readiness reviews, and CAPEX decision gates with absolute clarity and pace. • Stand up secure, compliant production and test operations aligned to UK MoD requirements, focusing on execution rather than commercial or strategic direction. • Define, implement, and operate robust systems across production, quality, compliance, and workforce planning to create a scalable, audit ready UK operation. • Lead facility selection, approval, and mobilisation, locking site layouts, security posture, and infrastructure to support near term manufacturing and test activity. • Establish and manage the UK supply chain and external partners, ensuring readiness, resilience, and alignment with delivery timelines and security constraints. • Introduce, embed, and maintain AS9100, Safety Management Systems, and production quality controls appropriate for a fast iterating hypersonic programme. • Advance and maintain List X accreditation, and own ITAR and export control compliance across people, systems, suppliers, and data flows. • Build and lead the UK operations team, setting a high-ownership culture focused on execution speed, discipline, and continuous readiness. • Work closely with the Managing Director to provide clear operational insight into budgets, cash flow, and capital planning, grounded in real delivery data. • Drive the first 180 day mobilisation plan: secure approvals, lock the site and supplier strategy, establish operational systems, and prove readiness for sustained UK manufacturing and test.