MBDA

defence

QualityImprovement&CapabilityManager

£60k+ Stevenage, United Kingdom FULL TIME Remote Friendly
Market Sentiment
HIGH DEMAND

Neural analysis suggests this role is
optimal for Senior candidates.

The Brief

“Quality Improvement & Capability Manager at MBDA. Skills: Quality Improvement, Capability Management, Product Integrity, Risk Mitigation, Continuous Improvement, FMEA, DMAIC. Act as a strategic architect for product integrity across engineering and manufacturing functions. Lead the shift toward a proactive, "right-first-time" culture”

What You'll Achieve.

ensure mission-critical technology is "designed for excellence"; ensure zero-defect excellence across our entire product portfolio; zero-defect product launches built on a foundation of proactive quality and robust process controls; ensure risks are identified and "designed out" early in the project lifecycle; ensure operational readiness for the production team; stabilise production and improve yields; reduce variation from the launch phase throughout the entire product lifecycle; prevent the recurrence of failures; ensure our risk management meets EN9100 / ISO 9001 standards; prioritise engineering changes and validation testing for high-risk items; prevent field failures

Industry & Context.

defence
Problems you'll solve

Root Cause Analysis (8D, 5-Why); Problem Solving

Eligibility Requirements

British Citizen or a Dual UK national with British citizenship, HMG Basic Personnel Security Standard checks (BPSS)

What They're Looking For.

Must Have

5+ years in a mission critical, regulated environment (Defence, Aerospace, or Automotive), Experience in leading teams and mentoring staff on quality principles, An engineering background (HNC/HND or higher) with expertise in electronics, manufacturing and design, Excellent knowledge of EN9100 / ISO 9001, Competent in the AIAG & VDA FMEA Handbook or SAE J1739 methodologies, Proven track record in managing product risk through DFMEA, DFx (Design for Excellence), PFMEA, and the development of robust Control Plans, Highly Proficient in Root Cause Analysis (8D, 5-Why), Experience using FMEA software (e. g. , APIS IQ-FMEA, Relyence, or similar), An influencer and skilled facilitator, bridging the gap between design and shop-floor teams through coaching and mentoring to drive a "Quality First" culture

Nice to Have

Lean Six Sigma, Certified Black Belt, Experience with DMAIC cycles

What You'll Do.

Act as a strategic architect for product integrity across engineering and manufacturing functions

Lead the shift toward a proactive

"right-first-time" culture

Tackle sophisticated challenges

using FMEA and DMAIC methodologies

Own the Product Risk Mitigation strategy

Utilise DFMEA to 'design out' failures

Utilise PFMEAs/Control Plans to ensure operational excellence

Utilise DMAIC cycles to drive continuous improvement in production yields

Support the quality and engineering functions through APQP toolsets

Facilitate workshops and coach teams on DFMEA and PFMEA best practices

Guide the transfer of "Special Characteristics" and Severity ratings from design intent into practical Control Plans

Partner with manufacturing to ensure risks are managed with realistic measurement methods and robust control plans

Support continuous improvement by mentoring teams through DMAIC cycles

Support others to use data to monitor performance and reduce variation

Lead and coach the Root Cause Analysis process when quality issues arise

Ensure teams feed findings back into their FMEAs and Control Plans

Act as the subject matter expert for risk-related audits

Utilise Action Priority logic to help the team prioritise engineering changes and validation testing

How You'll Work.

Team & Collaboration

Bridge the gap between design intent and world-class production; Empower our teams; Bridge the gap between product design and world-class manufacturing; Partner with manufacturing; Bridging the gap between design and shop-floor teams

Process & Methodology

APQP toolsets

Full Job Description

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 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:** 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 challenge

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