Head of Quality & HSE (AU) in Alexandria, New South Wales at DroneShield Group Pty Ltd

Work with cutting edge AI technology, making the world a safer and more secure place. DroneShield (ASX:DRO) offers an opportunity to solve some of world’s most challenging technical problems in the rapidly growing counter-drone sector.

Our customers operate in some of the most challenging and high-stakes environments in the world, including military organisations, government agencies, airports, critical infrastructure operators, and law enforcement. Protecting airspace in these settings requires technology that performs under pressure and teams that understand what’s at stake. At DroneShield, employees work at the leading edge of counter-drone innovation, helping to address real-world security challenges as drone threats continue to evolve globally.

With one of the largest listed defence company market capitalisations in Australia, now part of the ASX200 index, DroneShield is experiencing a period of hypergrowth. Revenue has surged from A$57 million in 2024 to over A$217 million in 2025, representing growth of more than 400% year-on-year, with record profitability and cashflow. The total addressable global market for counter-drone is assessed at approximately $100 billion, and is currently at the nascent stage with much of the growth still to come, with DroneShield well positioned as a global market leader, and the only public listed pure-play business in this sector.

The company has grown from 11 employees in 2017 to over 450 staff globally today, and is on track to reach around 550 by the end of 2026. This expansion includes investment of over A$50 million annually in R&D, a global pipeline exceeding A$2.5 billion, and continuous scaling of production capacity to meet accelerating demand.

The role is based at DroneShield’s central Sydney headquarters. Overseas on-the-ground presence includes Virginia (USA), Netherlands, Denmark, Mexico and Dubai, as well as distributors in over 70 countries worldwide.

About the role

DroneShield is seeking a Head of Quality & HSE with relevant experience to join the team in Sydney, NSW. The position will report to the Chief Operating Officer.

The Head of Quality & HSE is accountable for building a function that protects the business while enabling fast, reliable and safe operations. The HoQ&HSE is responsible for preventing defects, eliminated safety risks, accelerating issue resolution and establishing a robust, auditable compliance backbone without slowing operational speed.

Responsibilities, Duties and Expectations

Operational Enablement

• Embed quality, safety, and compliance into operational and engineering workflows by design.
• Enable execution speed through clear standards, decision rights, and risk‑based controls.

Defect & Risk Prevention

• Drive prevention‑first approaches across design, manufacturing, supply chain, and field operations.
• Eliminate safety hazards and systemic defect drivers through structured risk management.

Incident & Fault Resolution

• Lead fault‑finding, investigation, and root‑cause analysis for production and field incidents.
• Ensure rapid containment, effective corrective action, and prevention of recurrence.
• Balance operational continuity with regulatory and customer obligations.

Compliance & Governance

• Establish and maintain a scalable, auditable quality and HSE compliance framework.
• Lead regulatory engagement, certifications, and internal/external audits.
• Ensure compliance strengthens execution rather than adding friction.

Continuous Improvement

• Own and lead the enterprise continuous improvement system for the business.
• Convert incidents, defects, audit findings, and field feedback into sustained systemic improvement.
• Drive cross‑functional improvement initiatives aligned to risk and operational impact.

Measurement & KPIs

• Define, track, and report meaningful Quality, Safety, and Compliance KPIs.
• Use leading and lagging indicators to drive decision‑making and prioritisation.
• Ensure performance trends are visible, consistent, and trusted by leadership.

Leadership

• Build and lead high‑performing global Quality & HSE teams.
• Act as a trusted partner to Operations, Engineering, Programs, and Supply Chain.
• Provide clear, objective risk and assurance insight to the executive team.

• Fewer defects, escapes, and repeat incidents.
• Zero serious safety incidents and reduced risk exposure. Proactive risk identification.
• Faster issue resolution with minimal delivery disruption.
• Strong audit outcomes and regulatory confidence.
• Quality & HSE recognised as an enabler of speed, scale, and reliability.

Qualifications, Experience and Skills

• Senior leadership experience in Quality, HSE, or Operational Risk.
• Background in defence, aerospace, or highly regulated high‑tech manufacturing.
• Proven experience operating in global, multi‑site environments.
• Engineering or technical qualifications preferred.
• Quality/Safety credentials desirable.

• Customer-oriented with a strong sense of ownership and accountability.
• Relevant tertiary qualification in Operations, Engineering, Supply Chain or Business (desirable).)

Note for recruitment agencies: We do not accept unsolicited candidates from external recruiters unless specifically instructed.