Quality Improvement & Capability Manager

mbda; Stevenage; Hybrid; GBP 51,000 - 69,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Company Bonus

Pension plan

Flexible working

Enhanced parental leave

Site facilities

Healthcare plan

Job summary

MBDA is seeking a Quality Improvement and Capability Manager (APQP Focus) to drive a proactive, zero-defect culture bridging design and manufacturing within a defence context. You will own risk mitigation and DFMEA/ PFMEA strategies, linking design intent to production controls and robust process validation.

You will lead cross-functional teams, mentor staff through phase-gates, and deploy APQP/PPAP tools and DMAIC cycles to continuously improve yields while meeting strict standards and security

Qualifications

• Regulated sector experience (Defence/Aerospace/Automotive).
• Engineering background with core design to manufacturing knowledge.
• Expertise in APQP/PPAP, DFMEA, PFMEA and related quality tools.

Responsibilities

• Risk Mitigation: facilitate DFMEA/PFMEA and identify design/process risks early.
• Design-to-Production Link: ensure Special Characteristics translate into robust Control Plans.
• DMAIC coaching: lead DMAIC projects to stabilise production and improve yields.
• Problem Solving: lead FRACAS/8D and feed root-cause findings into FMEAs.
• Standards & Audit: ensure compliance with EN9100, ISO 9001, AS9145 and DEF standards.
• Engineering prioritisation: apply APQP/AS9145 milestones and tracking software.

Skills

DFMEA

PFMEA

DMAIC

MSA

SPC

APQP/PPAP

Lean Six Sigma

Leadership

Education

HNC/HND or higher

Tools

Net-Inspect

Siemens Teamcenter Quality

CAQ.Net

Job description

A Quality Improvement and Capability Manager (APQP Focus) is needed to drive a proactive, "right-first-time" culture, bridging the gap between design and manufacturing in a leading defence organisation.

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.

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 complex challenges, using FMEA and DMAIC methodologies to empower our teams and ensure zero-defect excellence across our entire product portfolio. This is a genuinely exciting chance for a determined individual to drive real change while pursuing their own career growth.

As a time-served Quality professional, you will bridge the gap between product design and world-class manufacturing. You will own the Product Risk Mitigation strategy-utilising DFMEA to 'design out' failures, PFMEAs/Control Plans to ensure operational excellence, and DMAIC cycles to drive continuous improvement in production yields. Your goal is simple: zero-defect product launches built on a foundation of proactive quality and robust process controls.

Day to day focus:

• Risk Mitigation: Facilitate workshops and coach cross-functional teams on DFMEA and PFMEA best practices to ensure design and process risks are identified and eliminated early in the project lifecycle.
• Design-to-Production Link: Guide the seamless transfer of "Special Characteristics" and Severity ratings from design intent into practical, robust manufacturing Control Plans and realistic measurement methods.
• Process Stability & Coaching: Mentor teams through DMAIC cycles to stabilise production, improve yields, and reduce variation from the launch phase throughout the entire product lifecycle using MSA and SPC.
• Problem Solving & Lessons Learned : Lead advanced problem-solving frameworks (FRACAS, 8D) and coach teams to feed root-cause findings back into FMEAs and Control Plans, maintaining them as "living documents."
• Standards & Audit Compliance : Act as the Quality Excellence subject matter expert for risk-related audits, ensuring strict compliance with EN9100, ISO 9001, AS9145 (APQP/PPAP) and applicable Defence/Military standards (Def Stan / MIL-STD).
• Engineering Prioritisation: Utilise Action Priority (AP) logic to help engineering teams objectively prioritise engineering changes, risk mitigation and validation testing for high-risk items.

What we are looking for:

• Professional Experience: Proven experience in a mission-critical, regulated sector (Defence, Aerospace, or Automotive) with a proven track record of leading cross-functional teams and mentoring staff through phase-gates deployment.
• Technical Background: Solid engineering background (HNC/HND or higher) with core expertise spanning electronics, manufacturing, assembly, and product design.
• Standards & Frameworks : Expert knowledge of AS9145 (APQP/PPAP for Aerospace & Defence), EN9100, ISO 9001, and IATF 16949.
• Process & Launch Risk: Proven experience qualifying products and processes through the full APQP lifecycle. Subject matter expertise in DFMEA, DFM/DFA, PFMEA, and transitioning from Prototype to Production Control Plans.
• Project Governance & Software : Highly proficient in managing Phase-Gate APQP/AS9145 milestones and deploying enterprise APQP/PPAP tracking software (e.g., Net-Inspect, Siemens Teamcenter Quality, CAQ.Net, or similar).
• Data Analysis & Core Tools : Lean Six Sigma Black Belt preferred. Strong capability in DMAIC cycles, process capability studies (Cpk/Ppk), and proactive risk mitigation alongside core AIAG tools (MSA, SPC).
• Influencing & Facilitation : Skilled facilitator with a proven ability to bridge the gap between design, manufacturing, and supply chain teams while embedding a "Quality First" culture.

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