Ross Powlesland

Chief Operating Officer (COO)

Ross is AWE’s Chief Operating Officer (COO). In this role, he is responsible for leading AWE’s Programmes, Product Delivery (Operations) and the Portfolio Management Office (PMO). Prior to this role, Ross was Programme Director for the Trident Warhead programme.

Prior to joining AWE, Ross was Managing Director, Military Solutions, within Lockheed Martin (LM) UK. In this role, he was responsible for leading the Military Solutions business – comprising Maritime (ships & submarines), Merlin Mk2 and Sustainment business units, delivering a range of capabilities and support programmes to the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force.

Ahead of joining LM, Ross held senior leadership roles with Vector Aerospace (Airbus Helicopters), QinetiQ and BAE SYSTEMS. In his role as Operations Director for Vector Aerospace’s Helicopter Services business, he was responsible for the strategic direction and general management of over 600 employees, providing Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) services to the UK MoD’s Chinook, Lynx and Sea King fleets, in addition to a commercial customer base.

Ross held the roles of Operations Director and Managing Director for one of the two formative businesses, now comprising QinetiQ’s Air Division at MoD Boscombe Down, delivering air Test & Evaluation services to the UK MoD and platform OEMs, by a team of over 1000 civilian and military personnel.

Ross started his career with BAE SYSTEMS as an Avionics Systems Engineer, developing integrated navigation systems for fast-jet, missile and munition applications prior to moving into the Programme Management discipline. He graduated from the Royal Military College of Science with a Bachelor of Engineering (BEng) degree in Aeromechanical Systems Engineering and Salford University with a Master of Science (MSc) degree in Advanced Systems Engineering.

Ross lives in Hampshire with his family. He loves all sports including cycling, running and skiing, and is a keen motorcyclist.

Latest news

A building with the word RAICo on it against a backdrop of hill cliffs and a beach

AWE joins RAICo

The Robotics and Artificial Intelligence Collaboration (RAICo) has announced the addition of AWE – a UK leader in nuclear technology and innovation – as its fifth member organisation. AWE joins the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA), Sellafield Ltd, the UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA), and the University of Manchester in this integrated collaboration.

Images of gliders on Aldermaston airfield lined up in 1944

Features

8 May 2025

VE Day at Aldermaston

80 years ago, the European part of the Second World War came to an end. On the 8th of May 1945 - known as Victory in Europe Day or VE Day - celebrations erupted around the world to mark this. Aldermaston had played its part in the liberation of Western Europe as it formed the launch point and training ground for American airborne operations for the 101st Airborne Division, nicknamed the "Screaming Eagles”, during D-Day a year earlier and the failed Operation Market Garden.

Strategic Alliance Partners Conference hits the mark

Senior representatives from AWE, the Defence Nuclear Organisation (DNO), the National Centre for Universities and Business (NCUB) and the university community gathered at the recently held Strategic Alliance Partners Conference to discuss and debate areas of STEM that support our mission. The two-day event organised by the External Technical Partnerships Office brought together government, academia, […]