Senior Quality Engineer

Leonardo S.p.A.; Yeovil; Hybrid; GBP 50,000 - 75,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Generous leave + flexi-days

Pension scheme

Mental health support

Free online courses

Flexible benefits up to £500

Job summary

Leonardo is seeking a Senior Quality Engineer for the NIGHTSHADE programme at the Yeovil facility. You will lead quality activities across the product lifecycle, define processes, and collaborate across engineering, production and supply chain to ensure compliance and continuous improvement.

You will guide investigations, drive CAPAs, support audits, and mentor engineers in a multidisciplinary environment across defence and secure infrastructure projects. Hybrid working options may be available.

Qualifications

• Degree in Engineering or related technical discipline.
• Demonstrable quality engineering experience in engineering/manufacturing environments.
• Experience leading investigations and driving CAPAs.
• Knowledge of ISO 9001, IPC or equivalent regulatory frameworks.
• Experience supporting audits (internal/external).
• Desirable: defence, aerospace or secure infrastructure background.

Responsibilities

• Lead quality activities across the product lifecycle from NPI to production and delivery.
• Define and improve quality processes and management systems.
• Lead incoming, first article, product verification and acceptance activities.
• Drive root-cause analysis and corrective/preventive actions to closure.
• Provide quality guidance to engineers, manufacturing, and project stakeholders.
• Manage supplier quality and improvement initiatives.
• Coordinate audits and ensure regulatory compliance.
• Develop and monitor quality metrics and drive improvement.

Skills

Quality leadership

Root-cause analysis

Audits & compliance

ISO 9001 knowledge

Supplier quality

Data analysis

Cross-functional collaboration

Problem solving

Mentoring / coaching

Education

Engineering degree or equivalent

Tools

8D methodology

5 Why analysis

Ishikawa diagram

Pareto analysis

Job description

Job Description: Your Impact Stop studying the future and start building it. At Leonardo, you will help create the next generation of modular secure infrastructure from our purpose-built NIGHTSHADE manufacturing centre at our Yeovil facility. We do not expect you to know everything on day one, but we do expect you to bring curiosity, fresh perspectives and the drive to make a practical difference to the challenges faced by our defence customers.

As a Senior Quality Engineer within our expanding Design Office and manufacturing environment, you will provide quality leadership across the NIGHTSHADE programme, ensuring quality is embedded throughout the product lifecycle. Working closely with engineering, production, supply chain and project teams, you will define and continuously improve quality processes, standards and working practices whilst driving a culture of quality, compliance and continuous improvement. Your work at Leonardo UK will see you contribute to solving customer problems in an innovative and team-centric environment.

What you will do as a Senior Quality Engineer

• Lead quality activities across the product lifecycle, from new product introduction through to production, acceptance and customer delivery.
• Define, implement and continuously improve quality processes, standards and quality‑management arrangements across the NIGHTSHADE programme.
• Lead incoming inspection, first article inspection, product verification and acceptance activities.
• Lead investigations into non‑conformances and quality issues, driving root‑cause analysis, corrective actions and preventative actions through to closure.
• Act as the quality lead across engineering, production, supply chain and project teams, ensuring quality requirements are understood and effectively implemented.
• Lead supplier‑quality activities, including issue resolution, performance improvement and supplier‑assurance initiatives.
• Develop, monitor and report quality metrics, identifying trends and driving improvement actions.
• Plan, coordinate and support internal and external audits, ensuring compliance with applicable standards, customer requirements and regulatory obligations.
• Provide quality guidance and mentoring to engineers, manufacturing personnel and project stakeholders.
• Support qualification, certification and customer acceptance activities as required.
• Promote a culture of quality, continuous improvement and operational excellence throughout the NIGHTSHADE programme.
• Contribute to strategic quality planning and continuous improvement initiatives across the wider organisation where appropriate.

What you’ll bring

• We are looking for a Senior Quality Engineer with a strong analytical mindset and the ability to apply a structured, evidence‑based approach to problem solving.
• You will be comfortable leading quality activities across multiple disciplines and influencing engineering, manufacturing, supply chain and project teams to improve product quality and process performance.
• A degree, degree apprenticeship or equivalent experience in Engineering, Manufacturing, Physics or a related technical discipline.
• Demonstrable experience applying quality‑engineering principles within engineering, manufacturing or regulated environments.
• Experience leading root‑cause investigations and corrective‑action programmes using structured methodologies such as 8D, 5 Why, Ishikawa and Pareto analysis.
• Experience implementing, improving or managing quality‑management systems and quality processes.
• Knowledge of quality standards such as ISO 9001, IPC standards or equivalent regulated‑industry frameworks.
• Experience supporting or leading internal and external audits.
• Experience managing supplier‑quality issues and driving supplier‑performance improvements.
• Strong numerical, analytical and communication skills with the ability to interpret data and identify trends.
• The ability to influence stakeholders across engineering, manufacturing and project teams.
• Experience providing technical guidance, coaching or mentoring to others.
• A willingness to continue developing specialist quality‑engineering expertise and professional capability.

Core Areas (must have)

• Relevant engineering, manufacturing, quality or technical qualification, or equivalent demonstrable experience.
• Practical experience of quality engineering within an engineering or manufacturing environment.
• Understanding of quality‑management systems, quality assurance and quality‑control principles.
• Experience leading investigations and driving corrective and preventative actions.
• Experience implementing or improving quality processes and standards.
• Strong communication and stakeholder‑management skills.
• Ability to work independently and provide quality leadership within a multidisciplinary engineering and manufacturing environment.

Desirable

• Experience or knowledge of electronics manufacturing, PCBA, SMT or associated production processes.
• Experience leading supplier‑quality improvement activities.
• Knowledge of quality tools such as 8D, 5 Why, Ishikawa, Pareto, SPC and FMEA.
• Awareness of APQP, PPAP or other advanced quality‑planning methodologies.
• Lead Auditor qualification or significant audit experience.
• Experience supporting product qualification, certification or customer acceptance activities.
• Experience in defence, manufacturing, aerospace or secure infrastructure programmes.
• Chartered Quality Professional status or working towards a relevant professional accreditation.

Security Clearance

This role is subject to pre‑employment screening in line with the UK Government’s Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS). You must also be eligible for National Security Vetting (NSV), which may include Security Check (SC) or Developed Vetting (DV). For more information, please visit: UK Security Vetting

Location

This role is based at our Yeovil facility and will require regular on‑site working to support close collaboration with the NIGHTSHADE Design Office, manufacturing and support teams. Flexible and hybrid working options may be available where appropriate to the activities being undertaken.

Why join us

At Leonardo, our people are at the heart of everything we do. We offer a comprehensive, company‑funded benefits package that supports your wellbeing, career development, and work-life balance.

• Time to Recharge: Generous leave with the opportunity to accrue up to 12 additional flexi‑days each year.
• Secure your Future: 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.
• Never Stop Learning: Free access to 4,000+ online courses via Coursera and LinkedIn Learning.
• Tailored Perks: Spend up to £500 annually on flexible benefits such as private healthcare, lifestyle discounts, and gym memberships.
• Flexible Working: Flexible hours with hybrid working options.

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

Leonardo is a global leader in Aerospace, Defence, and Security. Headquartered in Italy, we employ over 53,000 people worldwide including 8,500 across 9 sites in the UK. Our employees are not just part of a team—they are key contributors to shaping innovation, advancing technology, and enhancing global safety.

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.

At Leonardo we are committed to building an inclusive, accessible, and welcoming workplace. We believe that a diverse workforce sparks creativity, drives innovation, and leads to better outcomes for our people and our customers. If you have any accessibility requirements to support you during the recruitment process, just let us know.

Primary Location: GB - Yeovil - Lysander Rd Contract Type: Permanent Hybrid Working: Onsite International, multicultural, innovative, technological: this is Leonardo. The company’s passionate and talented team is strongly influenced by STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) expertise, with a diverse range of experience that enables colleagues to share knowledge and know‑how across the generations. Leonardo always wants to expand its talent pool, here you can find the right opportunity for you!