Raytheon UK’s Alex Rose-Parfitt: inclusion lets people do ‘the best job of their life’

Alex Rose-Parfitt, Engineering Director at Raytheon UK, speaks to myGwork about their work developing cutting-edge technology and how this isn’t possible without also creating an inclusive workplace for all.

Alex Rose-Parfitt has had a remarkable professional life, with a PhD in mechanical engineering and decade long career; he’s now Engineering Director at Raytheon UK, the leading organisation for technology and innovation in defence, civil government, and cybersecurity solutions. On top of this, Alex is an ongoing Independent Science and Technical Adviser to the UK Government, Executive Sponsor to Raytheon UK’s LGBTQ+ network, and STEM Lead for the organization.

Alex may now be known for his leadership in engineering, but he shares that there is an unknown factor behind his success: he’s a secret biologist.

Before his PhD, Alex started as an undergraduate biologist, and there is one lesson, in particular, he holds onto from his life as a secret biologist. He was amidst a project on penguins, fascinated by how they have evolved to move through the water and wondering if this could be used in an industrial sense – contemplating whether we could use this evolutionary blueprint to design boats.

Yet his professor didn’t quite share his enthusiasm and gave him a hundred reasons why it wasn’t a good focus for the project. Alex – annoyed yet not discouraged – was adamant to prove him wrong and started reaching out to experts. He spoke to Chester Zoo, The National History Museum, and a submarine test facility, among others – all of whom said this was a great idea and were willing to give Alex access to resources and facilities to make the project happen.

This was the first of many projects where Alex realised: “If you really want to go and do something, you have to bring diversity of thinking and skill sets together. This is how you’re able to gain momentum and do something different.”

At Raytheon UK, he’s now helping develop the next generation of technology to allow the Ministry of Defence and the UK government to be at the forefront of innovation. With almost one thousand engineers and growing, it’s a job that Alex loves where they tackle unique challenges daily. They are often developing technology that will need to withstand harsh conditions – for example, the extreme temperatures, vibrations, and shock, that an aircraft might have to withstand. The real challenge here, Alex explains, is that what they are developing needs not just to work once; but every single time you need it.

“I think that for me, the real challenge is not just working on projects that are absolutely cutting edge,” says Alex, “But creating cutting edge technology that can also survive and operate in such harsh environments and do so reliably, because people’s lives depend on it.”

Growing up in Greater Manchester, Alex remembers being eight years old, playing football in his backyard and watching the Eurofighter soar overhead during its first flight trials. This fascination was further sparked by both of his grandfathers, one who was involved in the printing press and the other in machine tooling, and the lessons they taught him about engineering have stayed with him. 

“I’m a massive STEM supporter because my engineering journey has been so crafted by both of my grandfathers and their incredible enthusiasm about the industry where they grew up in Manchester. One lesson from both of my grandfathers that I’ve kept throughout my career has been how do you invest in the next generation.”

These lessons have followed Alex throughout his career, particularly into his leadership – where he values honesty and always strives to be as open and candid as he can because he expects the same back from his teams. “We’re not doing the easy engineering; it is difficult and challenging, so we have to be honest with one another. In engineering, if we hide a problem, it only ever gets worse.”

Part of this approach, Alex explains, is taking the time to really understand what people are doing. For Alex, it comes back to creating an environment where they can nurture diversity of thought – where people don’t feel they have to conform but are encouraged to think differently and lean into their unique identities.

The idea of those around him being able to thrive without conforming is important to Alex both in his professional and personal life. Alex explains that there are instances of outdated norms impacting those he cares about throughout his life. For example, a very close friend of his whom he played rugby with in school couldn’t come out as gay until later in life, as they felt they had to conform to be a part of the group. Another close friend that he lived with at the time, now godparent to his children, felt very fearful of coming out as a lesbian, scared to let down her family. Alex is adamant in not wanting any friend – or anyone at all – to feel like they must hide part of who they are.

“If you fast forward to where they both are now, they are incredibly successful, happy people with phenomenal lives, and none of that would have happened if they had to continue to hide who they were.

This is something I carry into my work life. We often talk at Raytheon UK about people being able to do the best job of their life. And for me, you can’t do that if your environment isn’t accepting of who you are. If we want people to deliver the best work of their life, we need to provide the culture and environment that truly allows them to do that. And it’s an easy thing to say, but it’s a very difficult piece to actually get right.”

The nuance and difficulty in getting this right make it even more critical in Alex’s eyes and is a driving force behind his involvement with RTX Pride, Raytheon UK’s LGBTQ+ global employee resource group. As Executive Sponsor, he sees his role as amplifying the voices of the network, making sure that the rest of the organisation is listening. He explains that it is a vital piece of Raytheon UK being able to support their LGBTQ+ employees, and he is there to emphasize this to other senior leaders, giving the network a platform across the wider organisation.

“We work in an amazing industry, and we need to represent the true diversity of people in this sector. To me, RTX Pride ensures that we can truly understand that lived experience and ultimately remove any barriers they may face. It’s about not just using the phrase ‘inclusive culture’, but really checking that we are making that difference.”

RTX Pride has created lasting change across the organisation – a feat Alex is immensely proud of – from education around pronouns to being involved in the Rainbow Honours Awards. They were also able to put forward a trans inclusion policy that provides key information and advice for creating a safe environment for trans colleagues – a step that Alex explains may seem small, but it’s these vital steps that accumulate to create real growth.

Alex learned early on that the key to overcoming any challenge is bringing the right people together. If you want cutting-edge innovation, diversity of thought is non-negotiable, as is a work environment where everyone feels supported and free to show up wholly as themselves. Creating such an environment takes conscious and ongoing effort, but Alex is unwavering in his knowledge that it is always worth it.

Raytheon UK is a proud partner of myGwork, the LGBTQ+ business community. Find out more about job opportunities at Raytheon UK.