Documentation Control Officer in Orpington

Welcome to AALTO, a global leader in Stratospace. Based in Farnborough, AALTO is an Airbus subsidiary that manufactures, operates, and delivers services with its solar-powered, stratospheric platform: Zephyr.

Zephyr’s persistence enables continuous flight for months at a time. Its current flight-time record is over 67 days in the stratosphere. From above 60,000+ft, or 20km above ground, AALTO can deliver several applications including direct-to-device connectivity and high-resolution Earth observation.

AALTO operates in a new operational layer between most of air traffic and low-Earth orbit, Stratospace. This is where high-altitude platforms led by Zephyr deliver services to commercial and government partners. We can help monitor environments, observe borders, track natural disasters and connect unconnected communities.

Join us as we create a new domain of aerospace: Stratospace. You’ll be part of a highly-skilled, innovative and passionate group of people – Team AALTO. Together, we can Unlock Stratospace.

Job Purpose:

We are looking for a meticulous and regulatory-focused QMS & Documentation Control Specialist to join our Quality Management System (QMS) and Audit team. Operating within a highly regulated aerospace environment, you will take full ownership of the end-to-end lifecycle of our QMS documentation under the AALTO Business Management System.

Your mission will be to ensure strict compliance with international aerospace standards and civil aviation authority requirements, maintaining flawless traceability from design through to production and release.

Key Responsibilities

• QMS Documentation & Configuration Control: Manage the creation, review, approval, distribution, revision, and archiving of QMS documentation (including policies, procedures, work instructions, quality manuals, templates, and records). Ensure only the latest, approved document versions are available and utilised across the business. Maintain strict document version control and status tracking, ensuring legacy systems and obsolete documents are controlled to prevent unintended use. Ensure absolute alignment between documented processes, approved configurations, and day-to-day operational practices.
• Regulatory Compliance & Audit Support: Ensure all QMS documentation complies with EN 9100 / AQAP requirements, UK CAA / EASA / FAA Part 21 (DOA/POA) obligations, and internal company policies. Support the maintenance of mandatory documented information required for certification and authority oversight. Serve as a key point of contact during internal, customer, and regulatory authority audits—providing controlled documentation, demonstrating traceability, and ensuring document-related findings are closed out. Support compliance with Export Control classification ratings and technical data restrictions.
• Records Management & Traceability: Oversee quality records to guarantee integrity, legibility, secure retention, and strict compliance with regulatory and contractual timelines. Support end-to-end traceability across the engineering lifecycle: from Design & Certification through to Production, Inspection, and Acceptance/Release.
• Collaboration & Continuous Improvement: Act as the central point of contact for documentation governance within the programme, interfacing closely with QMS, Engineering, Industrial Quality, Supply Chain, and Conformity/Release teams. Contribute to digitalisation initiatives, driving the harmonisation, standardisation, and accessibility of documents within our digital Management Systems (BMS).

About You (Experience & Qualifications)

Essential Criteria:

• Proven experience within the aeronautical/aerospace industry.
• Deep working knowledge of UK CAA / EASA Part 21 (DOA/POA) or Part 145 regulatory frameworks.
• Strong background in Document Control, Quality Assurance, or QMS maintenance within aerospace or defence.
• Meticulous attention to detail with excellent organisational and tracking skills.
• Right to work in the UK (and ability to obtain UK Security Clearance if required).

Desirable Criteria (Nice to Have):

• Experience working with digital Document Management Systems (DMS) or Business Management Systems (BMS).

In addition to an attractive market-aligned salary, we offer:

• Rewarding Excellence: Benefit from our short-term incentive plan that rewards your hard work and dedication.
• Enjoy Your Time Off: Benefit from 25 days of holiday to relax and recharge.
• Stay Healthy: We’ve got your health covered with private medical insurance, along with dental and optical cash back.
• Secure Your Future: Take advantage of our personal pension plan to ensure a comfortable retirement.
• Peace of Mind: Our income protection and life assurance schemes are there to support you when you need it most.
• Getting around: Drive the latest vehicles with our discounted salary sacrifice scheme.
• We Care About You: Our employee assistance programme is always available to provide the support you need.
• Perks Galore: Enjoy a range of employee discounts via Perkbox, from household goods to travel!

Does this opportunity excite you but you’re not 100% sure if you meet all the requirements for the role? Or are you concerned that ‘normal’ office hours aren’t possible given your personal circumstances? Whilst we can’t accommodate every flexible working request, we’ll try to find a practical solution. So why not engage with us and find out more about this role?

If this role isn’t quite what you’re looking for but are keen to be contacted about opportunities at AALTO, you can register your details here: