Product Assurance Engineer

A Product Assurance Engineer is required for a long term contract assignment based out of Bristol or Stevenage (some work from home available).

Applicants will need to have worked in a UK defence engineering environment.

Technical & Domain Expertise
Defence Standards & Compliance - Strong understanding of AQAP 2105, DEF STANs, AS9100D, and other defence/quality assurance regulations.
Product Assurance & Quality Planning (QP) - Experience developing and implementing Quality Plans (QP), ensuring alignment with contract requirements.
Risk Management & Analysis - Expertise in risk assessment methodologies (eg, FMEA, DFMEA) to drive informed decision-making.
Verification & Validation (V&V) - Knowledge of test planning, qualification activities, and validation processes for defence-related R&D projects.
Configuration & Change Management - Understanding of requirements traceability, configuration control, and impact assessment in complex R&D environments.

Responsibilities
1. Leadership in Bid Work & Quality Planning (QP)
* Lead quality assurance input into bid and proposal work, ensuring product assurance requirements are considered from the outset.
* Develop and maintain Quality Plans (QP) aligned with AQAP 2105, tailoring them to the needs of each R&D project.
* Work closely with engineering, programme management, and commercial teams to define achievable quality objectives and constraints during bidding.
* Ensure that quality, compliance, and risk management strategies are Embedded in the bid phase to mitigate potential project risks early.
2. Risk-Based Product Assurance & Decision-Making
* Champion a risk-based approach to product assurance, supporting R&D teams in making informed decisions about acceptable risks.
* Facilitate risk identification workshops, employing methodologies such as FMEA, DFMEA.
* Guide engineering teams in making trade-off decisions between innovation, compliance, and acceptable risk levels.
* Ensure that risk management activities are properly documented and aligned with contractual and regulatory expectations.
3. Design & Development Assurance
* Ensure compliance with AQAP 2105, leading quality and assurance activities throughout the R&D life cycle.
* Conduct Design Assurance Reviews, ensuring requirements verification and validation against defence standards.
* Drive independent quality assessments to challenge and validate design assumptions, safety margins, and performance criteria.
* Support the definition and execution of verification and validation (V&V) plans, ensuring product reliability and functional integrity.


Leadership & Decision-Making
Bid & Proposal Engagement - Ability to define quality assurance strategies during bid work, influencing teams to balance innovation, compliance, and risk.
Risk-Based Decision Making - Ability to guide engineering teams in making trade-offs between acceptable risks, technical feasibility, and compliance.
Stakeholder Management - Strong skills in influencing senior leadership, engineers, programme managers, and regulatory bodies.
Supplier & Customer Assurance - Ability to assess supplier quality, review technical documentation, and represent product assurance in customer engagements.

Communication & Reporting
Technical Writing & Documentation - Ability to write, review, and present risk assessments, quality plans, and compliance reports.
Presentation & Governance - Experience preparing and delivering assurance reports to executives, customers, and regulatory auditors.
Cross-Functional Collaboration - Ability to work across engineering, safety, legal, procurement, and programme management teams to ensure alignment.

Problem-Solving & Continuous Improvement
Root Cause Analysis (RCA) & CAPA - Strong analytical skills to drive problem investigations and corrective/preventive actions (CAPA).
Process Improvement - Ability to implement lessons learned and best practices in product assurance, ensuring ongoing improvement.
Adaptability & Critical Thinking - Comfortable navigating uncertainty in R&D, making evidence-based recommendations to reduce risk.

Modis International Ltd acts as an employment agency for permanent recruitment and an employment business for the supply of temporary workers in the UK. Modis Europe Ltd provide a variety of international solutions that connect clients to the best talent in the world. For all positions based in Switzerland, Modis Europe Ltd works with its licensed Swiss partner Accurity GmbH to ensure that candidate applications are handled in accordance with Swiss law.

Both Modis International Ltd and Modis Europe Ltd are Equal Opportunities Employers.

By applying for this role your details will be submitted to Modis International Ltd and/or Modis Europe Ltd. Our Candidate Privacy Information Statement which explains how we will use your information is available on the Modis website.