Product Introduction - Product Assurance Manager

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. At offer stage, 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 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 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: option to claim cash back on everyday healthcare expenses such as optical, dental, health and wellbeing.
• Private Medical Insurance: eligible employees are enrolled as standard into the company funded Private Medical Insurance benefit.

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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.