Product Assurance Engineer

World Class Defence Organisation is currently looking to recruit a Product Assurance Engineer / Quality Engineer subcontractor on an initial 12 month contract. The role can be based from either the companies Stevenage or Bristol site, depending on your preference. The role will be predominantly working from home with just one day onsite. Job Title: Product Assurance Engineer Rate: £50.00 per hour Location: Stevenage or Bristol site, depending on your preference Hybrid / Remote working: 1 day per week onsite Contract: 37 Hours per week Overtime: Hours worked over 37 hours per week will be calculated at ‘time and a quarter’ Duration: 12 Months (initially and then ongoing and long-term thereafter) IR35 status: Inside IR35 (Umbrella) Product Assurance Engineer Job Description: Future Systems (Research & Development) 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. 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. 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. Skillset / experience required: 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 (e.g., 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. 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