Rory O'Brien

Rory O'Brien currently serves as the Associate Head of Marine Autonomous and Robotic Systems (Operations) at the National Oceanography Centre since June 2025. Prior experience includes roles as Team Leader in Naval Architecture & Marine Engineering at QinetiQ and Head of Maritime at the UK Defence Solutions Centre, where responsibilities encompassed innovation and strategic analysis within the maritime domain. O'Brien began a career in the UK Ministry of Defence as a Technical Advisor and has also worked as a Graduate Engineer at Defence Equipment & Support. O'Brien holds a Master of Science (MSc) with Merit in Engineering and Management, as well as a BEng Hons in Mechanical Engineering, both from the University of Exeter. Prior academic and leadership experiences include serving as Secretary/Vice-President of the Exeter University Boat Club and working as an Assistant Lock Keeper with the Environment Agency.