Senior Quality Engineer - Babcock International (Ashton Vale, Bristol)

This is an exciting opportunity for a seasoned Senior Quality Engineer to join Babcock International, a leading global defence company dedicated to creating a safe and secure world. Based at their Ashton Vale, Bristol site, this full-time, permanent role offers a competitive salary and comprehensive benefits package, with the added advantage of hybrid working arrangements.

Babcock's Mission Systems Effectors business unit is at the forefront of delivering advanced intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, communications, and weapons launch solutions. As a Senior Quality Engineer, you will be instrumental in ensuring the highest standards of quality are maintained throughout the project lifecycle, directly contributing to customer satisfaction and the company's reputation for excellence.

Key Responsibilities & Advantages for Your Career Path:

• Strategic Quality Assurance: You will be responsible for ensuring all project decisions align with quality standards and proactively analysing risks that could compromise quality. This offers a chance to develop your strategic thinking and risk management skills at a senior level.
• Stakeholder Engagement: The role involves significant liaison with internal stakeholders (Project Managers), external suppliers (including site visits for quality checks), and external customers. This is a fantastic opportunity to hone your communication, negotiation, and relationship-building abilities across diverse groups.
• Customer Advocacy: You'll represent the customer's interests, fostering open and collaborative relationships. This customer-centric approach is invaluable for career progression, demonstrating your understanding of client needs and your ability to translate them into tangible quality outcomes.
• End-to-End Project Involvement: Providing quality input and advice throughout the entire project lifecycle allows you to gain a holistic understanding of product or service delivery, enhancing your expertise in quality management.
• Risk Mitigation and Escalation: Identifying quality risks and actively working to mitigate, manage, and escalate issues to programme leadership will sharpen your problem-solving capabilities and your ability to influence decision-making.
• Process Improvement: Managing the non-conformance process, driving root cause analysis, and implementing preventative measures are core to this role. This provides a direct pathway to demonstrating your impact on operational efficiency and continuous improvement.
• Delivery Assurance: Overseeing progress and signing off the delivery process assures customers that their requirements have been met. This responsibility builds confidence and demonstrates your ability to deliver on critical commitments.
• Data-Driven Insights: Collecting, analysing, and reporting on quality performance data will refine your analytical skills and your ability to translate data into actionable insights for the business.

What Babcock Offers You:

Beyond the core responsibilities, Babcock International provides a supportive environment with significant benefits designed to enhance your wellbeing and professional growth:

• Competitive Compensation: A competitive salary coupled with a robust benefits package.
• Work-Life Balance: Hybrid working arrangements offer flexibility, allowing you to blend onsite collaboration with remote work.
• Generous Benefits:
  • Generous holiday allowance
  • Matched contribution pension scheme with life assurance
  • Access to a Digital GP, annual health check, and nutritional consultations
  • Employee share scheme
  • Employee shopping savings portal
  • Payment of Professional Fees
  • Special paid leave for reservists in the armed forces
  • Holiday Trading scheme
  • "Be Kind Day" for volunteering
  • Excellent development opportunities
  • Employee assistance programme supporting physical, mental, and financial wellbeing
• Career Development: Babcock is committed to your growth, offering excellent development opportunities to help you advance within the organisation.
• Meaningful Work: Contribute to a company that plays a vital role in defending nations, protecting communities, and building a better world.

Key Considerations for Potential Candidates:

• Experience: A proficient quality assurance engineer with experience in a related industry and a solid understanding of the product or service delivery lifecycle is essential. Prior customer-facing experience is highly beneficial.
• Quality Improvement Focus: Demonstrable experience in implementing quality improvements and driving cultural change within a team or organisation will be a significant advantage.
• ISO 9001 Knowledge: Experience with auditing quality ISO 9001 management systems is required. While ISO 9001 auditor qualifications are preferable, training can be provided.
• Quality Tools Proficiency: An excellent working knowledge of quality tools and problem-solving techniques (e.g., Pareto, FMEA, 5 Whys, 8D) and the ability to guide others in their use are crucial.
• Qualifications: While ONC, HNC, or NVQ Level 3 in a quality, science, or engineering discipline, and membership of a recognised quality institute (e.g., CQI) are desirable, your practical experience and application of quality principles will be highly valued.
• Security Clearance: This role requires the successful candidate to be a sole UK national and able to achieve and maintain Security Check (SC) security clearance. Understanding UK government security vetting processes is advisable.

This role at Babcock International represents a significant opportunity for a dedicated Senior Quality Engineer to leverage their expertise, contribute to impactful projects, and grow their career within a reputable and forward-thinking organisation. If you are passionate about quality, thrive in a collaborative environment, and are looking for a role where you can make a tangible difference, this position is well worth exploring.