Quality Improvement & Capability Manager

Overview

Reporting directly to our UK Head of Excellence, you’ll act as a strategic architect for product integrity across our engineering and manufacturing functions. This is a high‑visibility role for a mentor who can bridge the gap between design intent and world‑class production, ensuring mission‑critical technology is "designed for excellence" long before it reaches the shop floor.

Salary: circa £60,000, 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 or limitations relating to nationality or rights to work may apply.

All successful candidates will need to undergo HMG Basic Personnel Security Standard checks (BPSS) managed by the MBDA Personnel Security Team.

• Company bonus: up to 21% of base salary.
• Pension: maximum combined employer and employee contribution up to 14%.
• Flexible working: flexible arrangements welcomed.
• Enhanced parental leave: up to 26 weeks for maternity, adoption, and shared parental leave; enhancements available for paternity, neonatal leave, and fertility treatments.
• Site facilities: subsidised meals, free car parking, and more.
• Healthcare cash plan: cash back on everyday healthcare expenses such as optical, dental, health, and wellbeing.
• Private medical insurance: standard enrolment in the company funded benefit.

Operating within the Quality Excellence function, you will lead the shift toward a proactive, "right‑first‑time" culture. We are looking for a coach and facilitator to tackle sophisticated challenges using FMEA and DMAIC methodologies to empower teams and ensure zero‑defect excellence across our entire product portfolio.

Day‑to‑day focus:

• Risk mitigation: support quality and engineering through APQP toolsets, facilitate workshops and coach teams on DFMEA and PFMEA best practices, ensuring risks are identified and designed out early.
• Design to production link: guide transfer of "Special Characteristics" and severity ratings from design intent into practical control plans; partner with manufacturing to ensure risks identified in FMEAs are managed with realistic measurement methods and robust control plans.
• Process stability & coaching: mentor teams through DMAIC cycles to stabilise production and improve yields; support use of data to monitor performance and reduce variation from launch through product lifecycle.
• Problem solving & lessons learned: lead and coach root cause analysis when quality issues arise; ensure findings feed back into FMEAs and control plans, maintaining them as living documents.
• Standards & audit support: serve as subject‑matter expert for risk‑related audits, ensuring risk management meets EN9100 / ISO 9001; utilise action priority logic to prioritise engineering changes and validation testing for high‑risk items.

• Professional experience: 5+ years in a mission‑critical, regulated environment (defence, aerospace, or automotive); leadership and mentoring experience on quality principles essential.
• Technical background: engineering background (HNC/HND or higher) with expertise in electronics, manufacturing, and design.
• Standards: excellent knowledge of EN9100 / ISO 9001; competent in AIAG & VDA FMEA Handbook or SAE J1739.
• Product risk: proven track record in managing product risk through DFMEA, DFx, PFMEA, and developing robust control plans.
• Problem‑solving & tools: proficient in root cause analysis (8D, 5‑Why); experience using FMEA software (e.g., APISIQ‑FMEA, Relyence).
• Lean Six Sigma, certified Black Belt: proactive risk mitigation; DMAIC cycle experience preferred.
• Influencing & facilitation: strong facilitator, bridging design and shop‑floor teams to drive a "quality first" culture.

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.