The posting
Location: Oxford, United Kingdom
Thales is a global technology leader with more than 83,000 employees on five continents. With over 7,500 people in the UK, operating across defence, space, aerospace, and digital security, we help build a future we can all trust. Thales supports the security and stability of our nation by providing extraordinary technology to our customers, as well as delivering social value to the UK with our products and services.
Governments and private industry rely on us to create satellite‑based systems that provide trusted, anytime‑anywhere connectivity and positioning—helping care for our planet, manage its resources thoughtfully, and explore our Solar System with curiosity and purpose. We view space as a new horizon for collective progress, shaping a more sustainable life on Earth. As a joint venture between Thales (67%) and Leonardo (33%), Thales Alenia Space partners with Telespazio through the Space Alliance to deliver a full suite of integrated solutions and services.
Thales Alenia Space in the UK is seeking an experienced Product Assurance and Quality Assurance Specialist to lead PA/QA activities for units, subsystems, and procured products across its UK operations.
In this role, you will safeguard product quality across the full lifecycle—supporting project teams, manufacturing and AIT activities, suppliers, and customers. You will coordinate specialist quality disciplines, drive supplier assurance, lead audits and reviews, and help shape winning quality approaches for new bids.
What you’ll do
- Lead and coordinate Product Assurance and Quality Assurance activities for TAS UK products, subsystems, and supplier-delivered hardware.
- Define and cascade quality requirements to suppliers and subcontractors; review data packs, participate in or lead reviews and inspections, and manage non-conformances.
- Support Manufacturing and AIT teams, ensuring product quality requirements are implemented effectively throughout production and integration.
- Coordinate Quality Engineering experts across RAMS, radiation, EEE parts quality, and materials & processes.
- Support bid teams by reviewing customer PA/QA requirements, developing or amending procedures, and preparing quality estimates.
- Conduct internal and external audits, including supplier and subcontractor audits.
- Contribute to the Quality Management System through improvement plans, quality reporting, lessons learned, claims and alert management, and certification support.
- Act as a trusted interface with project management, engineering, procurement, customers, ESA/UK MoD representatives, commercial clients, and third-party auditors.
What we’re looking for
- Proven experience in quality or product assurance within a complex, multi-functional engineering or manufacturing environment.
- A strong track record of managing PA/QA activities, supplier quality, audits, reviews, non-conformances, and customer-facing quality deliverables.
- Working knowledge of European Space Agency and/or UK MoD quality and product assurance expectations.
- Desirable experience in Ground Support Equipment (GSE) or propulsion subsystems.
- Advantageous knowledge of RAMS, radiation, EEE parts quality, materials and processes, or related disciplines.
- Excellent communication, stakeholder-management, and influencing skills, with the ability to build productive relationships at all levels.
- Degree-level education in Engineering or a Quality Assurance discipline.
- A relevant professional quality or product assurance qualification is desirable.
Why join us
This is an opportunity to play a pivotal role in delivering high-integrity space products and systems, working with talented engineers, suppliers, and international customers in a dynamic and technically demanding environment.
Thales Alenia Space’s UK operations are based at the Harwell Campus, where its PA/QA teams support product assurance across the product lifecycle, including reviews with customers and suppliers and the resolution of non-conformances.
Benefits
- Performance-related bonus
- Half day every Friday, usually finishing around 13:00
- 28 days annual leave (plus bank holidays) with opportunity to buy up to 40 hours/year (pro rata)
- 24 hours volunteering paid for
- Private healthcare
- Pension scheme
- Life cover
- 24/7 Employee Assistance Program and access to mental wellbeing app
- Employee discount shopping schemes on major brands and retailers
- Gym membership discounts
Security Clearance Requirement
Due to the nature of the work that we do at Thales, many of our roles are subject to security restrictions. This role requires you to be a UK National and achieve Security Clearance (SC) without any caveats. It would be advantageous if currently held, however, if not currently held, it is a requirement that the successful applicant undergo, achieve, and maintain SC Clearance prior to commencing employment. If approved by the MOD, a dual national from a non-ITAR country may be considered.
To be eligible for full SC, you generally need to have resided in the UK for the last 5 years. In some circumstances, a minimum of 3 years’ residence in the UK over the last 5 years may be accepted, with additional overseas checks.
Please visit the UKSV website for further guidance:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/united-kingdom-security-vetting-clearance-levels/national-security-vetting-clearance-levels.
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At Thales, we ensure equal opportunities, pay and working conditions for all. The benefits we offer include private medical insurance, buying or selling annual leave, cycle to work schemes, employee discounts, paid volunteering day, stocks and shares, annual bonus and much more depending on the role. Read more about our benefits here.
We are committed to creating a workplace where everyone feels valued for who they are and the unique strengths they bring. Discover more about our programmes, employee networks, wellbeing policies, and inclusive features here.
If this role isn’t quite right for you, we encourage you to join our talent community where your details will be shared with our recruitment teams for other potential opportunities. Join the Talent Community here.
Join Thales in the UK – Innovate with us and shape the future!
