Product Assurance Engineer

Location: Bristol OR Stevenage (1 day per week onsite)

Duration: 12 month initial contract

Inside IR35

Role details:
Our client, operating in the defence and aerospace sector, is currently seeking a skilled Product Assurance Engineer to join their team on a 12-month contract. You will play a crucial role in ensuring the quality and compliance of products in a highly regulated industry.

Key Responsibilities:
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.

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.

Design & Development Assurance -

• Ensure compliance with AQAP 2105, leading quality and assurance activities throughout the R&D lifecycle.
• 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.

Cross-Functional Engagement & Governance -

• Act as the primary quality interface between R&D, programme management, safety, regulatory compliance, and customers.
• Provide independent assurance to senior stakeholders, ensuring that product development aligns with quality and risk expectations.
• Ensure robust configuration and change management processes to maintain product integrity and traceability throughout development.
• Prepare and present product assurance reports, risk registers, and compliance evidence to internal stakeholders.

Supplier & Customer Assurance -

• Engage with suppliers and subcontractors to ensure their deliverables align with the Quality Plan (QP) and risk expectations.
• Support customer audits, contract reviews, and regulatory assessments, ensuring product assurance compliance.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives, enhancing risk management, assurance processes, and collaboration across teams.

What we are looking for in you:

• Experience in quality assurance, particularly within the defence or aerospace sectors.
• Understanding of AQAP 2105, DEF STANs, AS9100D, and other relevant defence/quality assurance regulations.
• Proficiency in developing and implementing Quality Plans (QP).
• Expertise in risk assessment methodologies (e.g., FMEA, DFMEA) to drive informed decision-making.
• Knowledge of verification and validation (V&V) processes.
• Experience in configuration and change management.
• Strong communication and stakeholder management skills.
• Ability to influence and provide independent assurance to senior stakeholders.

Exciting opportunities await a driven Product Assurance Engineer who is eager to contribute to high-stakes defence and aerospace projects. If you meet these requirements, apply now to join our client's dynamic team in either Stevenage or Bristol.