Senior Product Assurance Specialist

UKRI; City of Edinburgh; On-site; GBP 65,000 - 76,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading scientific research organization in Edinburgh is seeking a Senior Product Assurance Specialist to lead the quality assurance for a key optical subsystem in space. You will collaborate with world-class teams, assuring product integrity and compliance with quality standards. The position offers competitive salary, flexible working options, and a chance to contribute to groundbreaking research in the field of astronomy.

Benefits

30 days holiday plus bank holidays

Excellent learning and development opportunities

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent in a STEM subject required.
• Experience in product assurance management in formal quality systems.
• Knowledge of space industry technical standards and ability to work with diverse engineering aspects.

Responsibilities

• Provide PA/QA expertise during product design and development.
• Contribute to system requirements specification and verification.
• Manage Quality Notification / Non-Conformance process.

Skills

Product Assurance Management

Safety and Reliability Engineering

Communication Skills

Organizational Skills

Quality Standards Knowledge

Education

Bachelor's degree in a STEM subject

Tools

Formal Quality Management Systems

Space Industry Technical Standards (ECSS, ISO)

Job description

Job Description

Senior Product Assurance Specialist
Salary: Band F (S1) £65,287 per annum
Hours: Full-Time (We understand the importance of work-life balance and are happy to discuss the possibility of flexible working with applicants)
Contract Type: Open-Ended
Location Science and Technology Facilities Council, UK Astronomy Technology Centre, Edinburgh.

Together, our scientists, technologists, engineers, technicians and business support team explore the unknown and turn what they find into work that changes the world around us. Whether it's sending probes into space or finding new ways to treat cancer, everyone here plays a vital role in making a positive difference to society.

Come and work on the kind of projects that made you want to work in STEM. The UK Astronomy Technology Centre (UK ATC) is the UK's national centre for leading-edge astronomical instrumentation and systems. We design and build instrumentation for world-leading astronomy facilities in space and on the ground. Here you will work alongside world-leading scientists, engineers and technologists to develop and build leading-edge scientific instruments.

We are currently seeking a Senior Product Assurance Specialist (Manager) to join the Quality Assurance function at UK ATC. The role will support the development and delivery of a key optical subsystem for the world's first space based gravitational wave observatory. Specifically, you will be the lead Product Assurance Specialist for this equipment.

Specifically, on this equipment you will be responsible for:

• Providing PA/QA expertise throughout the product design and development phase, including safety and reliability engineering and analysis in addition to core Quality Assurance Management.
• Contributing to system requirements specification and verification, to ensure adherence of the designed and built product to all relevant quality standards.
• Maintaining the Product Assurance Plan and managing its application.
• Providing PA/QA review and approval in project gate reviews to ensure design integrity and compliance to quality standards and defined product assurance requirements.
• Interfacing with consortium partners, suppliers and the customer on all Product Assurance matters including providing appropriate support and auditing.
• Ensuring robust product data management (PDM).
• Managing the Quality Notification / Non-Conformance process for the equipment.
• Review and approval of the system failure, hazard, and reliability analysis, and associated compliance evidence.

Person Specification:

• Bachelor's degree (or equivalent) in a STEM subject, or equivalent professional development.
• Demonstrate responsibility and competence to the requirements of Professional Registration e.g. UK I.Eng, C.Eng. or suitable equivalent.
• Experience of working as a Product Assurance Manager within a formal quality management system meeting the requirements of ECSS, ISO or industry equivalent.
• Experience of leading, reviewing and approving technical work and/or project or product conformance documentation; and participation in project gate reviews, engineering change control, managing non-conformance, product data management, safety and reliability, documenting and maintaining evidence of compliance.
• Knowledge of relevant space industry technical standards such as ECSS, ESCC, NASA, MIL.
• Understands some of the main engineering aspects (e.g. mechanical, optical, electronics, software), and the key physical and engineering challenges of building equipment for space flight.
• Evidence of good people and organisational skills including effective time management, prioritisation, managing the work of others, and attention to detail.
• Clear and concise written and verbal communication in English.

Please note, if you will require sponsorship to work in the UK, as part of your sponsorship application, you and any dependants travelling with you, will be required to pay costs directly to The Home Office for the application before you start your role with us. UKRI is normally able to reimburse some, or all of these fees after you have become an employee and this can be discussed with the Hiring Manager. For more information, please visit https://www.gov.uk/skilled-worker-visa/how-much-it-costs or contact [e-mail].

STFC offers our staff a wide range of excellent non-paying employee benefits, including but not limited to 30 days holiday (in addition to 10.5 bank holidays and privilege days) and excellent learning and development opportunities. Link to more benefits: https://stfccareers.co.uk/rewards-and-benefits/

We ask some of the biggest questions in the universe, to answer some of the biggest challenges in the world. Whatever our role, we have the freedom to explore, learn and connect, as part of a community that loves to share knowledge and support one another.

As one of Europe's largest research organisations, this is a place where there's always something new to learn - about the world around us, about your career, but most of all, about yourself. Join us and discover what's possible.

The closing date for applications is 31st August 2025.

About Us

UKRI - UK Research and Innovation
UKRI is an organisation that brings together the seven disciplinary research councils, Research England and Innovate UK. Together, we build an independent organisation with a strong voice and vision ensuring the UK maintains its world-leading position in research and innovation.

Supporting some of the world's most exciting and challenging research projects, we develop and operate some of the most remarkable scientific facilities in the world. We are pushing the frontiers of human knowledge through fundamental research and delivering benefits for UK society and the economy through world-class research, skills and business-led innovation.

More information can be found at www.ukri.org.

Choosing to come to work at UKRI means that you will have access to a whole host of benefits from a defined benefit pension scheme, excellent holiday entitlement, access to employee shopping/travel discounts and salary sacrifice cycle to work scheme. For more details, visit benefits of working for UKRI.

How we support EDI in the workforce

At UKRI, we believe that everyone has a right to be treated with dignity and respect, and to be provided with equal opportunities to thrive and succeed in an environment that enables them to do so. We also value diversity of thought and experience within inclusive groups, organisations and the wider community. For further information, please visit 'How we support EDI in the workforce'.

Disability Confident Employer

As users of the disability confident scheme, we guarantee to interview all disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for the vacancy/ies. We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation.

How to apply

Online applications only preferred for this role. Please submit a CV and covering letter which clearly outlines how you fulfil the criteria specified along with your motivation for UKRI and the role. Ensure that the job reference number is included in the filename description of each document uploaded. Note that failure to address the above criteria or submit an application without a covering letter may result in the application not being considered. Assessment will only be based upon the content of your submitted covering letter and CV and not the 'experience' section of the application.

UKRI seeks to ensure it creates and maintains a system of openness, fairness and inclusion - a collaborative, trusted environment, which is attractive to and accessible to everyone who is interested in developing their career with us.

The role holder will be required to have the appropriate level of security screening/vetting required for the role. UKRI reserves the right to run or re-run security clearance as required during the course of employment.

About the Team

The Science and Technology Facilities Council is a world-leading multi-disciplinary science organisation where curiosity-driven, blue-skies thinking meets practical, application-led science and engineering. Our goal is to deliver economic, societal, scientific and international benefits to the UK and its people - and more broadly to the world.

One of Europe's largest research organisations, we're trusted to support, enable and undertake cutting-edge projects in an amazing diversity of fields. Through world-class facilities and people, we're driving ground-breaking advances in science, engineering, computing and technology. Our research seeks to understand the Universe from the largest astronomical scales to the tiniest constituents of matter, yet creates impact on a very tangible, human scale.

For more information about STFC please visit https://stfc.ukri.org/
You can also visit our careers site https://www.stfccareers.co.uk/

• £72,113 (National) £76,801 (London - only open to existing employees of the Insolvency Service)
• £72,113 (National) £76,801 (London - only open to existing employees of the Insolvency Service)