Emma Miles grew up in the Peak District and attended secondary school at Sheffield High School for Girls. On completion of her GCSEs she successfully completed the Admiralty Interview Board and was awarded a place at Welbeck Defence Sixth Form College as the first Naval entry. After her A-levels she went to Loughborough University, gaining a BEng(Hons) in Aeronautical Engineering under the Defence Technical Undergraduate Scheme, still under sponsorship by the Royal Navy.
Emma joined Britannia Royal Naval College, Dartmouth in April 2010 to begin her Naval career as a Marine Engineer, passing out in December 2010. From here she headed to HMS SULTAN, Portsmouth to begin her professional training, achieving her Marine Engineer Qualification in September 2012.
Her first assignment was to Navy Command Headquarters, Portsmouth to conduct a discrete project investigating Remote Diagnosis, Maintenance and Repair techniques. In May 2013, she joined her first complement ship as the Deputy Marine Engineer Officer (DMEO), HMS ST ALBANS, as she entered a docking and maintenance period. Whilst in this role, Emma was loaned to HMS KENT to support her in a Middle East deployment for a two-month period. Emma’s DMEO assignment culminated in achieving her Marine Charge Qualification and gaining a Recommendation for Charge which entitles her to lead a Marine Engineering Department at sea.
Following this assignment, Emma joined HMS QUEEN ELIZABETH in January 2015 as the Hull Engineer Officer. This role involved assisting with the build programme for the UK’s new flagship aircraft carrier through the test and commissioning of equipment, policy generation, acceptance and quality assurance in partnership with external authorities. Here, she also became a STEM Ambassador, promoting women and careers in Engineering and Defence across schools in the Fife and Glasgow areas. Departing in November 2016, she then attended the Defence Academy, Shrivenham for the Intermediate Staff and Command Course (Maritime), passing with an Upper Merit and receiving the Greenwich Prize for Endeavour. On completion of this course in January 2017, Emma successfully competed for her current role of Engineering General Service Career Manager where she is responsible for the management and mentorship of upwards of 130 junior engineers.
Alongside her demanding career, Emma is also a competitive sportswoman participating at National level in Triathlon and Luge. In addition, she has represented the Royal Navy on the International stage in Swimming and is the Ladies and Open Water team manager for the Royal Navy Swimming Team.