At a Glance
- Tasks: Support and enhance the Service Lifecycle Management tool for optimal performance.
- Company: Join MBDA, a leading defence organisation committed to supporting our Armed Forces.
- Benefits: Enjoy a competitive salary, company bonus, flexible working, and enhanced parental leave.
- Other info: Dynamic hybrid working environment with excellent career growth opportunities.
- Why this job: Be the go-to expert, bridging customer support and technical teams in an evolving role.
- Qualifications: Experience in configuration management and agile delivery; strong communication skills required.
The predicted salary is between 40500 - 49500 £ per year.
MBDA is currently implementing a Digital roadmap that includes the Service Lifecycle Management (SLM) tool. The SLM tool is a key component of our back-office architecture, designed to centralize and harmonize in-service configuration and maintenance information to ensure peak operating performance and business continuity across the Group. As a new, evolutive, and iterative solution, it serves as the "single source of truth," providing process and terminology standardization across Natco and its various programs. Its primary purpose is to manage and control in-service configurations, providing end-to-end support for product lifecycle configuration and critical maintenance activities, including Technical Events, Retrofit Campaigns, and MLRs (Mid-Life Reviews). As the tool evolves, it will provide advanced visual KPIs, dashboards, and monitoring features, while interfacing with critical business systems, including data import/export functionality with SAP and NTIP/Matrix.
Salary: Up to 45k dependant on experience
Dynamic (hybrid) working: We endeavour to offer hybrid working.
Security Clearance: British Citizen or a Dual UK national with British citizenship. Restrictions and/or limitations relating to nationality and/or rights to work may apply. As a minimum and after offer stage, all successful candidates will need to undergo HMG Basic Personnel Security Standard checks (BPSS), which are managed by the MBDA Personnel Security Team.
What we can offer you:
- Company bonus: Up to £2,500 (based on company performance and will vary year to year)
- Pension: maximum total (employer and employee) contribution of up to 14%
- Overtime: opportunity for paid overtime
- Flexi Leave: Up to 15 additional days
- Flexible working: We welcome applicants who are looking for flexible working arrangements
- Enhanced parental leave: offers up to 26 weeks for maternity, adoption and shared parental leave - enhancements are available for paternity leave, neonatal leave and fertility testing and treatments
- Facilities: Fantastic site facilities including subsidised meals, free car parking and much more
- Healthcare Cash Plan: The Healthcare Cash Plan benefit provides the option to claim cash back on everyday healthcare expenses such as optical, dental, health and wellbeing and more.
The opportunity:
We are seeking someone who can develop into the role and act as the critical bridge between our Customer Service Support operations and our technical development partners. The successful candidate will be the "go-to" expert for the SLM toolset, ensuring that the current user base is fully supported and empowered. You will lead the evolution of the platform by chairing Community Change Boards (CCBs), translating operational requirements into technical specifications, and ensuring that third-party deliverables align with the complex configuration needs of our UK user base.
Key Responsibilities
- Operational Support & Enablement
- Serve as the primary point of contact and escalation for Customer Service Support personnel regarding the day-to-day use of the SLM tool.
- Support users in managing in-service configurations, Technical Events, Retrofit campaigns, and MLR activities within the system.
- Provide expert guidance and troubleshooting to resolve user queries, ensuring business continuity.
- Identify common user friction points and develop training materials to ensure the standardization of terminology and processes across the Group.
- Community Engagement & Requirement Gathering
- Establish and chair regular Community Change Boards (CCBs) with UK-based users to capture feedback and action new/future requirements.
- Facilitate sessions to ensure the tool evolves iteratively to meet the changing needs of configuration and maintenance management, alongside French and Italian colleagues.
- Prioritize enhancement requests based on their impact on operating performance and business continuity.
- Product Ownership & Technical Liaison
- Translate business requirements into detailed User Stories and clear Acceptance Criteria (AC) for the development team.
- Work closely with third-party suppliers to ensure the tool's functionality supports the required interfaces (e.g., data flow between these systems - SLM, SAP, SOLAR and NTIP).
- Define requirements for visual KPIs, dashboards, and reporting features to improve operational monitoring.
- Quality Assurance & Validation
- Act as the lead validator for all new developments delivered by the third-party supplier.
- Conduct User Acceptance Testing (UAT) to ensure that new features—particularly those relating to configuration control and data imports—function as intended.
- Sign off on releases and coordinate the rollout of updates to the user community.
- Data Migration & Product Onboarding
- Lead the functional effort for data migration when onboarding future products into the SLM tool.
- Map legacy data from old systems or spreadsheets into the harmonized SLM terminology and structure/templates.
- Perform data cleansing and validation to ensure that migrated configuration data is accurate and "fit for purpose" before going live.
- Collaborate with stakeholders to define migration timelines and ensure a seamless transition for the support teams during product cut-overs.
What we're looking for from you:
Technical Experience:
- Configuration Management: Experience with tools used for configuration control, maintenance information, or PLM (Product Lifecycle Management).
- Agile Delivery: Proficiency in writing User Stories and Acceptance Criteria within an Agile/Scrum framework.
- Systems Integration: Understanding of how data interfaces work (specifically via APIs, FTP/SFTPs).
- UAT Management: Proven experience designing and executing User Acceptance Testing.
- Data Migration: Proven experience in data mapping, cleansing, and migrating large datasets between systems while maintaining data integrity.
Soft Skills:
- Stakeholder Management: Ability to facilitate discussions between non-technical end-users and technical developers.
- Analytical Thinking: Ability to distil complex configuration requirements into structured technical tasks.
- Communication: Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the confidence to lead boards (CCBs) and drive standardization.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Certification in ITIL or a relevant Project Management or Change Management methodology.
- Previous experience in an aviation, aerospace, or high-complexity engineering environment preferred.
- Experience managing third-party software vendors.
- Desirable: In-service support experience e.g. understanding of technical queries, failure reports maintenance tasks and fleet/asset management tasks.
Our company:
Peace is not a given, Freedom is not a given, Sovereignty is not a given. MBDA is a leading defence organisation. We are proud of the role we play in supporting the Armed Forces who protect our nations. We partner with governments to work together towards a common goal, defending our freedom.
We are proud of our employee-led networks, examples include: Gender Equality, Pride, Menopause Matters, Parents and Carers, Armed Forces, Ethnic Diversity, Neurodiversity and more… We recognise that everyone is unique, and we encourage you to speak to us should you require any advice, support or adjustments throughout our recruitment process.
Follow us on LinkedIn (MBDA), X (@MBDA_UK), Instagram (MBDA_UK) and Glassdoor or visit our MBDA Careers website for more information.
Service Lifecycle Management (SLM) SME in Stevenage employer: MBDA
MBDA is an exceptional employer, offering a dynamic and inclusive work environment that prioritises employee well-being and professional growth. With competitive benefits such as a generous bonus scheme, flexible working arrangements, and enhanced parental leave, employees are supported in achieving a healthy work-life balance while contributing to meaningful projects that defend our freedom. Located in the UK, MBDA fosters a culture of collaboration and innovation, empowering its workforce through various employee-led networks and opportunities for continuous development.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Service Lifecycle Management (SLM) SME in Stevenage
✨Join Local Tech Meetups
Get out there and mingle with fellow developers by joining local tech meetups. It’s a fantastic way to meet people who might be working at MBDA or know someone who does. Plus, you can pick up some trendy tech skills and trends while you're at it!
✨Contribute to Open Source Projects
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Keep your eyes peeled on job boards that focus on tech roles. Sites like TechCareers or Stack Overflow Jobs can often have listings for companies like MBDA that might not show up on broader job sites. Make it a habit to check these regularly, and don’t hesitate to apply directly through our website!
We think you need these skills to ace Service Lifecycle Management (SLM) SME in Stevenage
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show off your coding skills:When applying for a software engineering role, it's super important to showcase your coding skills. Make sure your CV includes your tech stack, any relevant programming languages you’re comfortable with, and examples of projects you've worked on. If you have a GitHub profile, link it up! We love to see code in action.
Tailor your portfolio:For a full-time role, we’d expect to see some solid examples of your work in your portfolio. Make sure to include at least two or three projects that highlight your problem-solving skills and your ability to work with different technologies. Focus on the projects that are most relevant to the position at MBDA.
Craft a killer cover letter:Your cover letter is your chance to stand out—make it personal! Explain why you want to work at MBDA and how your skills align with the role. Show us your passion for software development. We dig enthusiastic candidates who understand the value of collaboration and continuous learning!
Be clear and concise:When it comes to writing your CV and cover letter, clarity is key. Avoid jargon that could confuse us and stick to simple, direct language. Highlight your achievements with quantifiable results where possible, and keep everything easy to read. A well-organised application goes a long way!
How to prepare for a job interview at MBDA
✨Brush Up on Your Coding Skills
For a full-time software engineering role, it's crucial that we stay sharp with our coding abilities. Expect technical questions that might involve solving problems on the spot or discussing algorithms. Practise on platforms like LeetCode or HackerRank to get comfortable with the types of questions that often come up.
✨Know Your Tools and Frameworks
Make sure we’re well-acquainted with the tools and technologies listed in the job description. Familiarise ourselves with any specific frameworks or programming languages mentioned. If MBDA uses React or Node.js, for instance, be ready to discuss how we’ve used them in previous projects or coursework.
✨Showcase Your Projects
Bring along a portfolio that highlights our best work. This could be code samples, GitHub repositories, or any side projects we’ve built. Make sure we can talk through our thought process for each project, especially the challenges we faced and how we solved them—this shows our problem-solving skills in action.
✨Prepare for Behavioural Questions
While technical skills are key, full-time positions also require cultural fit. Be ready to discuss our previous experiences and how we handle teamwork, conflict, and deadlines. Brush up on the STAR method—Situation, Task, Action, Result—to clearly articulate our past experiences when discussing how we've contributed to a team.
