Quality Assurance Manager Aerospace, Defense, Nuclear

Note : This role could be located anywhere between Brystol, London or Derby but 2 days/week in Derby are mandatory.

Who we are:

ALTEN is an engineering and technology consultancy services company. We are a leading Engineering and IT consultancy operating across 30 countries, making waves in all sectors: Aeronautics, Space, Defence, Security and naval, Automotive, Rail and mobility, Energy and environment, Life Sciences and health, Industrial Equipment and electronics, Telecoms, Banking, Finance & Insurance, Retail, Services & Medias, Public Services & Government. With a team of passionate, diligent, and agile engineers, we are united by a common purpose: building tomorrow’s world today. Day by day, we support our customers' development strategies as well as their technological and sustainability transformation.

1. Role Overview

The Quality Assurance Manager (QAM) ensures that result-committed projects comply with the ALTEN Delivery Framework (ADF) and meet client expectations. This role focuses on quality KPIs, continuous improvement, audit preparation, and client relationship management to drive operational excellence and client satisfaction.

2. Key Responsibilities

A. Compliance

Pre-sales Phase

• Anticipate contract renewals or tenders to support project acquisition.
• Contribute to drafting the Quality Assurance Plan (QAP) and ensure compliance alignment.
• Attend internal project kick-off meetings.

Project Management Phase

• Understand the contractual framework and ensure the QAP is updated.
• Conduct regular follow-ups to assess ADF compliance and provide objective evaluations.
• Train and coach Cluster Leaders (CL), Project Managers (PM), Project Directors (PD), and Technical Directors (TD) on compliance requirements.
• Highlight compliance and escalate deviations from standards.

B. Client Relations

Managing Client Requirements

• Ensure client quality requirements are documented and integrated into project plans.
• Monitor changes to maintain continuous compliance.
• Address client complaints using root cause analysis (RCA) and implement corrective actions.

Communication and Reporting

• Serve as the primary liaison for quality-related issues between clients and ALTEN teams.
• Participate in client/ALTEN meetings (PRM/CRM) and contribute with presentations.
• Organize quality reviews and provide performance reports as required.

C. KPIs and Performance

Quality Dashboards

• Update dashboards with accurate and relevant data.
• Analyze KPIs (RFT, OTD, customer satisfaction) and prepare reports for stakeholders.
• Ensure data reliability and monitor performance to identify improvement areas.

Gap Analysis

• Communicate with ACQP Direction and Technical Direction on quality control.
• Identify trends and propose action plans to enhance performance.

D. Continuous Improvement

Capitalizing on Best Practices

• Propose process, method, and tool adaptations for project monitoring.
• Share updates with QAMs and use structured methods (8D, 5M, FMEA, 5S, Six Sigma, 5WHY’s, Ishikawa).
• Facilitate lessons-learned sessions and document best practices.

Project Management

• Lead corrective/preventative action plans and engage stakeholders.
• Track non-compliances, conduct RCAs, and monitor actions.

E. External Audit

Preparation and Monitoring

• Coordinate preparation for client/certification audits (ISO 9001, EN 9100, etc.).
• Support teams in audit preparation and follow up on corrective actions.

Auditor Relations

• Act as the interface between external auditors and project teams.

F. Additional Potential Missions

Sector Referent

• Lead a network for sharing best practices and audit learnings.
• Harmonize ADF standards and maximize certification audit impact.
• Monitor regulatory changes and provide expert coaching.

Backup for QAM Team Leader

• Allocate workload, facilitate team meetings, and report to the Head of Quality Assurance.

3. Required Skills

A. Technical and Professional Skills

• Standards & Audits: Knowledge of ISO 9001/EN 9100/ISO 27001/ISO 19443/ISO 61513.
• Tools: SM, Office 365, SharePoint, JIRA.
• Language: Fluent English (minimum B2 level).
• Experience: 4+ years in result-committed projects, operational management, or quality roles.
• Past Experience in the aerospace, space, defense or Nuclear sector is a plus.

B. Behavioral Skills

• Technical Assertiveness: Enforce quality requirements without hierarchical authority.
• Critical Thinking: Detect inconsistencies in data and demand evidence.
• Transversal Leadership: Align stakeholders around quality goals.
• Operational Resilience: Manage ambiguity and propose pragmatic solutions.
• Adaptive Communication: Tailor communication for evaluations, auditors, and coaching.
• Proactivity: Anticipate risks and act preemptively.