Principal Quality Engineer

leonardocompany; Luton; Hybrid; GBP 55,000 - 65,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Pension scheme

Flexible benefits allowance

Hybrid working

Job summary

Leonardo UK is seeking a Principal Quality Engineer in Luton to drive quality across high-profile programmes within the Combat Air division. You will partner with Programme and Project Managers to embed excellence throughout the lifecycle.

You will lead QA/QC activities, manage PAPs, and influence process improvements while working in a hybrid environment with customers and suppliers. A strong manufacturing background is essential.

Qualifications

• Strong knowledge of quality management standards (AS9100, ISO9001).
• Experience with QA/QC activities and continuous improvement.

Responsibilities

• Act as the primary contact for quality matters with customers and stakeholders.
• Provide advice and support on QA and QC activities.
• Ensure products meet safety, cost, and quality standards on time.
• Develop and track Project Assurance Plans (PAP).
• Collaborate with Assurance Teams to meet programme objectives.
• Monitor KPIs such as Quality Notifications and MRB/FRB processes.
• Support improvement activities across lifecycle.
• Promote a culture of quality and continuous improvement.

Skills

Quality management

Analytical thinking

Stakeholder engagement

High-precision manufacturing

Tools

Root Cause Corrective Action

Pattern Fault Lifecycle

Process Mapping

Verification

First Article Inspection

Job description

Job Description:

Salary: £55 to £65k

Leonardo UK operates a grade-based salary framework with broad bands. The salary range shown reflects the approved grade band for this role, or a narrower hiring range published within that band, and is benchmarked against the external market. Exceptions above the standard range are managed through governance controls to protect internal equity.

Your Impact

At Leonardo we are offering an exciting opportunity to join us as a Principal Quality Engineer within our Combat Air division at our Luton site.

In this role, you won't just be ticking boxes-you'll be a critical player in high-profile programmes, working side-by-side with Programme and Project Managers to ensure excellence is built into every step of our mission-critical projects.

What you will do as Principal Quality Engineer

• Act as the dynamic primary point of contact for quality-related matters with customers and key stakeholders, ensuring their requirements and expectations are fully understood and exceeded.
• Provide advice and support on Quality Assurance and Quality Control activities.
• Contribute to delivering products that meet safety, cost, and quality standards on time.
• Develop and track Project Assurance Plans (PAP) to ensure project activities align with risk and improvement goals.
• Collaborate with Assurance Teams to help meet Programme and IPT objectives.
• Monitor and support quality key performance indicators (KPIs) such as Quality Notifications, Cost of Poor Quality Conduct Material Review Boards (MRB), and Failure Review Boards (FRB) if required
• Support improvement activities across the Programme, Product, and Project lifecycle.
• Promote a culture of quality and continuous improvement within the team.
• Support project assurance milestones throughout the Programme and Project lifecycle.
• Prepare reports and data for the Programme and Project teams.
• Contribute to reducing Non-Conformance costs by conducting root cause analysis and corrective actions.

What you'll bring

• Demonstrated knowledge of quality management standards such as AS9100 and ISO9001, along with continuous improvement practices.
• Practical experience with Quality Tools including Root Cause Corrective Action, Pattern Fault Lifecycle, Process Mapping, Verification, and First Article Inspection.
• Strong analytical and logical thinking skills, with the ability to translate complex data into practical solutions that support business objectives
• Experience engaging with Customers and Suppliers, demonstrating professionalism and responsiveness.
• Previous experience working in a high-precision manufacturing environment or similarly detail-oriented settings.
• Further education or experience in Engineering, Quality, Manufacturing, Defence Electronics, or other similarly complex industries is preferred.
• Good knowledge of APQP is desirable.

This is not an exhaustive list, and we are keen to hear from you even if you might not have experience in all the above. The most important skill is a good attitude and willingness to learn.

Security Clearance

This role is subject to pre-employment screening in line with the UK Government's Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS). An additional range of Personnel Security Controls referred to as National Security Vetting (NSV) may apply, this could include meeting the eligibility requirements for The Security Check (SC) or Developed Vetting (DV). For more information and guidance please visit: https://careers.uk.leonardo.com/gb/en/security-and-vetting

Why join us

• Time to Recharge: Enjoy generous leave with the opportunity to accrue up to 12 additional flexi-days each year.
• Secure your Future: Benefit from our award-winning pension scheme with up to 15% employer contribution.
• Your Wellbeing Matters: Free access to mental health support, financial advice, and employee-led networks championing inclusion and diversity (Enable, Pride, Equalise, Armed Forces, Carers, Wellbeing and Ethnicity).
• Rewarding Performance : All employees at management level and below are eligible for our bonus scheme.
• Never Stop Learning : Free access to 4,000+ online courses via Coursera and LinkedIn Learning.
• Refer a friend: Receive a financial reward through our referral programme.
• Tailored Perks : Spend up to £500 annually on flexible benefits including private healthcare, dental, family cover, tech & lifestyle discounts, gym memberships and more.
• Flexible working: Flexible hours with hybrid working options. For part time opportunities, please talk to us about what might be possible for this role.

For a full list of our company benefits please visit our website.

Leonardo is a global leader in Aerospace, Defence, and Security