Quality Team Leader (Aerospace Manufacturing)

Job Description:

Quality Team Leader (Aerospace Manufacturing)

Location: Prestwick, Ayrshire
Hours: 37 hours per week (early finish on a Friday)
Type: Full-time
Salary: £50,960 (2027 increase to be confirmed)
Travel Required: Occasional
Work Location: Site-based (100%)

Security Checks: BPSS, Disclosure Scotland, pre-employment medical (including drug and alcohol testing)

Applicants must have the right to work in the UK (no visa sponsorship available). Appointments are subject to pre-employment and security screening.

Join One of Ayrshire's Largest Engineering Employers

Prestwick Aerosystems continues Ayrshire's long-standing aerospace manufacturing heritage. From our Prestwick site, we manufacture major aircraft wing structures that support Airbus programmes worldwide.

Quality underpins every aspect of our operation. From manufacturing performance and regulatory compliance through to customer satisfaction and product delivery, our ability to consistently deliver world-class quality is fundamental to our success.

We're looking for an experienced Quality Team Leader to lead the quality engineering activities that support our manufacturing operations and ensure the highest standards of product and process compliance are maintained across the business.

This is a highly visible leadership role with responsibility for Quality Engineering, Manufacturing Quality, problem resolution and continuous improvement activities within a complex aerospace manufacturing environment.

This is not simply a quality assurance position.

You will lead a team of quality professionals, influence operational decision-making, work directly with customers and suppliers, and play a key role in driving quality performance across the organisation. You will be responsible for ensuring that quality remains a competitive advantage while supporting the delivery of products that meet the exacting requirements of Airbus and other aerospace customers.

If you're motivated by leadership, operational excellence and the opportunity to influence business performance within one of Scotland's largest aerospace manufacturing organisations, we'd like to hear from you.

How You Will Contribute to the Team

You will:

• Lead the Manufacturing Quality function, ensuring product and process quality standards are consistently achieved across manufacturing operations.
• Provide leadership, coaching and development to a team of Quality Engineers, building capability and driving a culture of quality excellence.
• Act as the senior operational lead for quality-related issues, ensuring manufacturing constraints, non-conformances and customer concerns are effectively resolved.
• Partner with Operations, Manufacturing Engineering and Supply Chain teams to drive improvements in product conformity, process capability and overall manufacturing performance.
• Ensure product and process quality is maintained through compliance with customer, regulatory and business requirements.
• Drive the effective investigation and resolution of product and process non-conformances using structured root cause analysis and corrective action methodologies.
• Act as a key quality interface with customers, suppliers and internal stakeholders, ensuring effective communication and timely resolution of quality concerns.
• Support Operations Management by developing meaningful quality metrics and reporting that provide visibility of performance, non-conformances and corrective action progress.
• Ensure compliance with AS9100, NADCAP, EASA, CAA and customer-specific quality requirements.
• Lead quality escalation activities and work with stakeholders across the business to identify and resolve systemic issues.
• Manage relationships with Tier 1 suppliers, ensuring quality concerns, concessions, disclosures and non-conformance issues are addressed effectively and within agreed timescales.
• Establish and maintain robust surveillance, audit and monitoring activities to ensure ongoing product and process compliance.
• Work in partnership with Operations and Manufacturing teams to embed a strong quality culture and deliver sustainable performance improvements.

What You'll Bring

You will have:

• Degree qualification in Engineering, Manufacturing, Quality or a related discipline, or equivalent industry experience.
• Significant experience within a Quality Engineering, Manufacturing Quality or Production Quality environment.
• Experience leading, coaching and developing technical teams.
• Strong working knowledge of quality management systems, quality assurance methodologies and continuous improvement techniques.
• Demonstrable experience investigating and resolving product and process quality issues within a manufacturing environment.
• Strong understanding of root cause analysis methodologies and corrective action processes.
• Experience working with customers, suppliers and cross-functional stakeholders to achieve quality objectives.
• Excellent communication and problem-solving skills with the ability to influence at all levels of the organisation.
• Knowledge of engineering drawings, specifications and manufacturing processes.
• Strong Microsoft Office skills, including Excel, Word and PowerPoint. The Following Would Be Advantageous
• Aerospace, defence or other highly regulated manufacturing experience.
• Knowledge of Airbus and Boeing quality requirements and associated systems
• Auditor qualifications and experience conducting internal or supplier audits.
• Working knowledge of Lean Manufacturing and Continuous Improvement methodologies.

What We Will Offer You

• 37-hour working week with an early finish on Fridays
• Defined contribution pension (4% employee / 8% employer)
• Access to the Airbus Employee Share Scheme
• 33 days annual leave (rising with service)
• Annual bonus linked to company performance
• Life assurance (4× basic salary)
• Virtual GP service and wellbeing support
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Professional development and training opportunities
• Free onsite parking

What Happens Next?

If you're ready to lead quality performance within one of Scotland's largest aerospace manufacturing operations, influence operational excellence and play a key role in delivering world-class products to global aerospace customers, we'd welcome your application.

Right to Work in the UK

All applicants must have the legal right to work in the UK at the time of application. Prestwick Aerosystems is unable to offer visa sponsorship for this role. Any offer of employment will be subject to satisfactory Right to Work checks, carried out in accordance with UK Government requirements.

You will also be required to complete employment references, Disclosure Scotland and a pre‑employment medical.

Prestwick Aerosystems is an equal opportunity employer. We welcome applications from all backgrounds and are committed to building a diverse and inclusive workplace.

This job requires an awareness of any potential compliance risks and a commitment to act with integrity, as the foundation for the Company’s success, reputation and sustainable growth.

Company:

Prestwick Aerosystems Limited

Employment Type:

Permanent

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Experience Level:

Professional

Job Family:

Your application data will be processed by Prestwick Aerosystems and other companies under the control of Airbus for all necessary hiring, vetting, and security checks. This processing is required to assess your suitability for employment. For full details on how and why Airbus uses your data, please see our Privacy Notice.

Prestwick Aerosystems is committed to achieving workforce diversity and creating an inclusive working environment. We welcome all applications irrespective of social and cultural background, age, gender, disability, sexual orientation or religious belief.

As a part of Airbus, Prestwick Aerosystems is committed to equal opportunities for all. As such, we will never ask for any type of monetary exchange in the frame of a recruitment process. Any impersonation of Prestwick Aerosystems or Airbus to do so should be reported to emsom@airbus.com.

At Prestwick Aerosystems, we support you to work, connect and collaborate more easily and flexibly. Wherever possible, we foster flexible working arrangements to stimulate innovative thinking.