Job Description

Head of Digital Capability - Submarines

Hybrid – 3 days a week in Derby

Derby

Why Rolls-Royce?

Rolls-Royce is one of the most enduring and iconic brands in the world and has been at the forefront of innovation for over a century. We design, build and service systems that provide critical power to customers where safety and reliability are paramount.

We are proud to be a force for progress, powering, protecting and connecting people everywhere.

We want to ensure that the excellence and ingenuity that has shaped our history continues into our future and we need people like you to come and join us on this journey.

We’ll provide an environment of caring and belonging where you can be yourself. An inclusive, innovative culture that invests in you, gives you access to an incredible breadth and depth of opportunities where you can grow your career and make a difference.

What we offer

We offer excellent development opportunities, a competitive salary, and exceptional benefits. These include bonus, employee support assistance and employee discounts.

Your needs are as unique as you are. Hybrid working is a way in which our people can balance their time between the office, home, or another remote location.  It’s a locally managed and flexed informal discretionary arrangement.  As a minimum we’re all expected to attend the workplace for collaboration and other specific reasons, on average three days per week.

What you will be doing 

In this role you will lead, develop and engage assigned Digital personnel to meet current and future business requirements.   You will deploy assigned staff to approved business activities/technical programmes, whilst owning and supporting the definition of the appropriate section of the RRSL Digital strategy.

You will ensure compliance to process throughout the life cycle activity and ensure that world class capability is effectively utilised to provide products and services that satisfy business requirements.

You will be responsible for ensuring that ensure alignment to business operating principles and collaboration with other business capability leads.

Key Accountabilities

Provide technical leadership to the Digital resource group and ensure compliance to process throughout the digital life cycle activity

Create and maintain resource plans to meet the overall delivery commitments

Ensure that sufficient resource is available, through subcontract and recruitment to meet current and future business’ needs and budgets in line with Digital supply chain model

Own the appropriate section of the business strategy/programme and ensure that the capabilities and resources necessary to deliver the strategy have been identified

Ensure effective performance management in particular ensure that employees have relevant & appropriate objectives through the Business Plan Deployment Process

Lead and develop the members of their team within and beyond their respective disciplines, including individual and professional development, training, performance and reward management, HSE and security

Ensure staff are suitably qualified and experienced and that the required skills are sustainable for the future through: multi-skilling, staff rotation, and the competency framework tools and professional networks and standards

Contribute to current and future business strategy/programme requirements and support the budget and load and capacity process in collaboration with Digital Business Managers

Be the focal point for communication within and on behalf of the Resource Group

Lead and manage the functional interfaces and to ensure that appropriate reviews takes place throughout the engineering lifecycle processes involving appropriate experienced specialists and leaders

Ensure the highest professional standards are met through use of agreed Corporate methodology and processes and provide checks and balances to ensure that regulatory and business requirements are satisfied

Ensure effective knowledge management through the use of knowledge capture, lessons learnt, and best practice guides for the resource group, and encourage knowledge sharing within the group and beyond

Lead and drive efficiency through process review, teamwork and implementing continuous improvement and operational best practice within the field of work

Where appropriate, own the relationship between digital and the supply chain and ensure it is effectively managed and integrated

Apply Health, Safety and the Environment policy including a commitment to continuous improvement

Lead the Digital communication strategy in collaboration with the business communication team

Who we’re looking for:

At Rolls-Royce we put safety first, do the right thing, keep it simple and make a difference. These principles form the behaviours that guide us and are an essential component of our assessment process. They are the fundamental qualities that we seek for all roles.

Qualified to degree level or equivalent (UK minimum BEng degree or other national equivalent, higher degree preferred)

Demonstrate understanding of Digital Technology and proven ability to influence key decisions

Demonstrates sound engineering judgement and knowledge of the Sector Customers and Programmes

Demonstrates effective leadership skills

Capable of building high performing teams and effecting a positive shift in attitudes and behaviours

Understanding of Company Quality policies and processes deployed within the resource group

Experienced in applying process improvement techniques and driving business improvements

Proven experience working in a Digital team / organisation

You’ll bring a business-centric mindset, with experience considering delivery, cost and quality and always seeking to understand the value of our solutions

We are an equal opportunities employer. We’re committed to developing a diverse workforce and an inclusive working environment. We believe that people from different backgrounds and cultures give us different perspectives which are crucial to innovation and problem solving. We believe the more diverse perspectives we have, the more successful we’ll be. By building a culture of caring and belonging, we give everyone who works here the opportunity to realise their full potential.

You can learn more about our global Inclusion strategy at Our people | Rolls-Royce

To work for the Rolls-Royce Submarines business an individual has to hold a Security Check clearance.  Rolls-Royce will support the application for Security Clearance if you do not currently already have this in place.  Due to the nature of work the business conducts and the protection of certain assets we can only progress applications from individuals who are a UK national or, in MoD approved cases, a dual national.

As part of our selection process, candidates in certain locations may be asked to complete an online assessment, which can include cognitive and behavioural aptitude testing relevant to the role. If required, full instructions for the next steps will be provided.

Job Category

Digital

Posting Date

03 Feb 2026; 00:02

Posting End Date

16 Feb 2026