Quality Assurance Team Leader

BAE Systems; Preston; On-site; GBP 57,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading defense company in the UK is looking for a Quality Assurance Team Leader to manage a team of regulatory auditors. You will plan and coordinate audits for standards like AS9100 and ISO55001, ensuring compliance and continuous improvement across key business areas. The role offers competitive benefits including flexible health plans and an inclusive workplace culture. Ideal candidates will have strong leadership abilities and experience in regulatory audits, making a significant impact on maintaining high standards across the organization.

Benefits

Competitive pension scheme

Employee share plans

Flexible health and lifestyle benefits

Potential annual incentive

Qualifications

• Experience in auditing, particularly in regulatory settings.
• Knowledge of Regulatory Articles related to Part 145 / Part M.
• Proven ability to lead teams and influence diverse audiences.

Responsibilities

• Lead a team of regulatory auditors across various business areas.
• Plan and coordinate the audit programme for multiple standards.
• Engage with stakeholders to build strong working relationships.

Skills

Auditing experience

Understanding of AS9100 and ISO55001 requirements

Strong communication skills

Leadership experience

Tools

Quality tools (8D, 5 whys/Fishbone)

Job description

Job title: Quality Assurance Team Leader

Location: Warton with occasional travel to Samlesbury - onsite

Salary: £56,766+ depending on experience

What you’ll be doing:

• Lead a team of regulatory auditors across multiple business areas/disciplines
• Planning, coordinating, leading and driving of the audit programme for Part 145, Part M, Aerodrome, AS9100 and ISO55001
• Engagement with business stakeholders building relationships
• Ensure Quality Management System is adhered to and included within audit scope
• Generating performance metrics to aid monthly performance monitoring
• Attend all review meetings, creating and delivering an input schedule progress
• Managing NCR progress, supporting and ensuring correct root cause identified and addressed
• Identifying continuous improvement opportunities

Your skills and experiences:

Essential:

• Experience in auditing (Regulatory auditing is an advantage)
• Understanding of AS9100 and ISO55001 requirements
• Knowledge of Regulatory Articles and requirements of Part 145 / Part M requirements
• Proven experience in leading teams, demonstrating strong communication skills, and effectively influencing and engaging diverse audiences to drive results and achieve objectives

Desirable:

• Lead Auditor qualification
• Knowledge of quality tools and techniques (8D, 5 whys/Fishbone etc)

Benefits:

As well as a competitive pension scheme, BAE Systems also offers employee share plans, an extensive range of flexible discounted health, wellbeing and lifestyle benefits, including a green car scheme, private health plans and shopping discounts – you may also be eligible for an annual incentive.

The Quality Assurance Team:

You will be part of a dynamic team, working across a range of exciting areas, including the full maintenance section, manufacturing, and flight operations. This is an exceptional opportunity to expand your skill set across diverse regulatory fields, with the potential for future projects and career growth. In this role, you will lead a team of 3-4 regulatory auditors, managing audits across two established teams, primarily based at Warton. You’ll be responsible for ensuring compliance with key regulatory standards, including Part 145, Part M, Aerodrome, AS9100, and ISO55001. As a leader, you’ll guide the planning, coordination, and execution of the audit programme, driving results while fostering strong relationships with key business stakeholders. This position offers you the chance to have a significant impact on maintaining high standards and resolving complex business challenges.

Why BAE Systems?

This is a place where you’ll be able to make a real difference. You’ll be part of an inclusive culture that values diversity of thought, rewards integrity, and merit, and where you’ll be empowered to fulfil your potential. We welcome people from all backgrounds and want to make sure that our recruitment processes are as inclusive as possible. If you have a disability or health condition (for example dyslexia, autism, an anxiety disorder etc.) that may affect your performance in certain assessment types, please speak to your recruiter about potential reasonable adjustments.

Please be aware that many roles at BAE Systems are subject to both security and export control restrictions. These restrictions mean that factors such as your nationality, any nationalities you may have previously held, and your place of birth can restrict the roles you are eligible to perform within the organisation. All applicants must as a minimum achieve Baseline Personnel Security Standard. Many roles also require higher levels of National Security Vetting where applicants must typically have 5 to 10 years of continuous residency in the UK depending on the vetting level required for the role, to allow for meaningful security vetting checks.

Closing Date: 18th December 2025

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications for the role. Therefore, if you are interested, please submit your application as early as possible.