Senior Internal Assessor in Southampton

Our Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) is seeking a Senior Internal Assessor to join our Quality team and help shape the future of global aerospace innovation at Leonardo. This is an exciting opportunity to contribute to a pioneering programme while fostering a culture of quality, continuous improvement, and shared excellence. If you’re passionate about quality assurance and eager to work in a collaborative, forward-thinking environment, we’d love to hear from you.

Due to the nature of this role working across the GCAP Enterprise, nationally and internationally the successful candidate can expect to spend 25-50% of their time travelling nationally within the UK with some of the tasks being undertaken internationally.

Your Impact

As a Senior Internal Assessor for GCAP, you will be central to strengthening our internal audit programme and supporting our certification goals. Working across functions and with diverse teams, you will champion quality, governance, and continuous improvement, driving both innovation and compliance across our national and international efforts.

• Partner across departments to audit processes, evaluate compliance, and recommend improvements.
• Co-develop a risk-based internal assessment strategy that aligns with GCAP’s goals and regulatory standards.
• Support the Head of Quality FCA in programme management and auditor capability development alongside the Head of Management Systems and Certification Lead.
• UK-based certification and regulatory assessments, ensuring readiness and excellence.
• Govern key performance indicator (KPI) data and deliver insightful reports to senior stakeholders.
• Engage in special improvement projects and targeted audit activities, enhancing our business through your skills and impact.
• Apply AI and digital tools to streamline auditing, improve data analysis, and automate tasks.
• Monitor systems and metrics to ensure global quality compliance and drive data-informed decisions.
• Collaborate with multi-disciplinary teams to explore innovations and reduce risk.
• Use data analytics to extract insights from audits and present actionable recommendations to leadership.

What you’ll bring:

Essential

• A strong track record in quality roles, ideally in high-tech or complex, project or regulatory industries.
• Hands-on experience in audit planning, execution, and reporting.
• Certification or recognition as a management systems auditor (e.g., IRCA preferred).
• A collaborative mindset and a commitment to continuous improvement.

Desirable

• A strong track record in quality roles, ideally in high-tech, aerospace, or defence sectors.
• Deep knowledge of AS9100 Quality Management Systems.
• Familiarity with APQP (Advanced Product Quality Planning) and DAOS (Design Approved Organisation Scheme).

This is not an exhaustive list, and we are keen to hear from you even if you might not have experience in all the above. The most important skill is a good attitude and willingness to learn.

Security Clearance

This role will require National Security Vetting to SC level. It is a requirement that the successful applicant will undergo, achieve, and maintain SC Clearance. A range of Personnel Security Controls referred to as National Security Vetting (NSV) will apply, this will include meeting the eligibility requirements for The Security Check (SC) or Developed Vetting (DV).

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. Whether you’re looking to grow professionally, care for your health, or plan for the future, we’re here to help you thrive.

• Time to Recharge: Enjoy generous leave with the opportunity to accrue up to 12 additional flexi-days each year.
• Secure your Future: Benefit from our 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 championing inclusion and diversity.
• Rewarding Performance: All employees at management level and below are eligible for our bonus scheme.
• Never Stop Learning: Free access to 4,000+ online courses via Coursera and LinkedIn Learning.
• Refer a friend: Receive a financial reward through our referral programme.
• Tailored Perks: Spend up to £500 annually on flexible benefits including private healthcare, dental, family cover, tech & lifestyle discounts, gym memberships and more.
• Flexible working: Flexible hours with hybrid working options.

For part time opportunities, please talk to us about what might be possible for this role. 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. 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. Be part of something bigger - apply now.