New Product Introduction - Product Assurance Manager

Job Description

Shape the quality of complex, high-reliability systems from day one in this exciting role!

Salary: Circa £65,000 depending on experience

Dynamic (hybrid) working: 3 days per week on-site due to workload classification

Security Clearance: British Citizen or a Dual UK national with British citizenship

Restrictions and/or limitations relating to nationality and/or rights to work may apply. As a minimum and after offer stage, all successful candidates will need to undergo HMG Basic Personnel Security Standard checks (BPSS), which are managed by the MBDA Personnel Security Team.

What we can offer you:

• Company Bonus: Bonus of up to 21% of base salary
• Pension: maximum total (employer and employee) contribution of up to 14%
• Flexible working: We welcome applicants who are looking for flexible working arrangements
• Enhanced parental leave: offers up to 26 weeks for maternity, adoption and shared parental leave -enhancements are available for paternity leave, neonatal leave and fertility testing and treatments
• Facilities: Fantastic site facilities including subsidised meals, free car parking and much more…
• Healthcare Cash Plan: The Healthcare Cash Plan benefit provides the option to claim cash back on everyday healthcare expenses such as optical, dental, health and wellbeing and more.
• Private Medical Insurance: Eligible employees are enrolled as standard into the company funded Private Medical Insurance benefit.

The opportunity:

We’re looking for an experienced Quality professional to play a key role in assuring the successful introduction of new products into series production manufacturing. This is a high-impact position where you will provide independent assurance, strategic quality leadership, and risk mitigation across NPI programmes.

Working within a technically advanced environment—from electronic assemblies through to fully integrated systems—you will influence how products are built, ensuring that processes are robust, scalable, and right first time.

What you’ll be doing:

• Provide independent quality assurance and governance across NPI manufacturing programmes
• Act as a trusted advisor to Engineering and Manufacturing, influencing decisions to ensure quality, cost, and delivery targets are achieved
• Lead risk identification and mitigation activities, embedding a proactive quality mindset early in the product lifecycle
• Drive process effectiveness and continuous improvement, ensuring manufacturing methods are robust, repeatable, and compliant
• Conduct and lead internal audits and independent assessments, reporting outcomes to senior stakeholders and ensuring timely resolution of findings
• Analyse non-conformance and defect data, leading structured root cause investigations and implementing sustainable corrective actions
• Facilitate and support PFMEA/DFMEA activities, ensuring risks are actively managed and reduced
• Support industrial validation and product introduction, ensuring readiness for manufacture at scale
• Champion the effective use of systems (e.g. SAP) for non-conformance management and quality data insights
• Collaborate across functions and sites to share best practice and drive quality excellence

What makes this role different:

• High level of autonomy and influence across critical programmes
• Opportunity to shape how quality is embedded in NPI, not just audit it
• Exposure to complex, high-reliability products in a cutting-edge environment
• Direct visibility to senior stakeholders and real impact on business performance

What we’re looking for:

• Proven experience in a senior quality or product assurance role within manufacturing or engineering
• Strong background in process-based management systems and continuous improvement
• Demonstrable experience of risk management and structured problem solving (e.g. 8D, 5 Whys, PFMEA)
• Experience conducting audits and driving compliance within regulated environments
• Solid understanding of aerospace/defence quality standards such as AS9100 (or equivalent)
• Ability to influence, challenge and engage stakeholders at all levels
• Strong analytical mindset with the ability to turn data into actionable improvements

Desirable:

• Knowledge of APQP/PPAP (AS9145) and First Article Inspection (AS9102)
• Experience supporting New Product Introduction (NPI) in a complex manufacturing environment
• Experience in the application of Lean Six Sigma Approach

Our company: Peace is not a given, Freedom is not a given, Sovereignty is not a given

MBDA is a leading defence organisation. We are proud of the role we play in supporting the Armed Forces who protect our nations. We partner with governments to work together towards a common goal, defending our freedom.

We are proud of our employee-led networks, examples include: Gender Equality, Pride, Menopause Matters, Parents and Carers, Armed Forces, Ethnic Diversity, Neurodiversity, Disability and more…

We recognise that everyone is unique, and we encourage you to speak to us should you require any advice, support or adjustments throughout our recruitment process.

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