Missile Actuator Centre of Excellence Operations Lead

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.

Salary: Competitive depending on experience 

What we can offer you:

• Bonus of up to 21% of base salary
• Pension of maximum total (employer and employee) contribution of up to 14%
• Our 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.
• Fantastic site facilities, including subsidised meals, free car parking and gym on site at Stevenage
• Excellent career progression and development opportunities
• We may be able to offer a relocation package for this role

Dynamic (hybrid) working: We trust our people to agree, within their teams, where and when they can be most effective. Our Dynamic Working policy allows individuals flexibility around the hours they work and where they work.

The opportunity:

Our Missile Actuators Centre of Excellence (CofEx) specialises in the design, development and delivery of Complex Electromechanical Equipment, including:-

• Aerodynamic control surfaces
• Gimbal systems
• Reaction control systems e.g. Thrust Vector Control, Divert Attitude and Control Systems (DACS)
• Deployment mechanisms

We're offering an outstanding opportunity to join our Missile Actuation team as an Operations Lead, taking responsibility for the asset delivery, design readiness and transition of development Actuation Equipment into Series Production with corresponding Test Equipment for UK and non-UK programmes. This role has responsibility across all periods of the MBDA Product Life Cycle (PLC) for delivery on cost, time and quality.

The role:

Reporting to the Group Lead for Post Development, you will be responsible for:

• Leading the development of the Series Production Manufacturing System and supporting validation activities.
• Leading the Test Capability Development, Strategy and Asset Delivery.
• Managing the route-map to full rate and series production and facilitate priority calls with respect to equipment builds across a range of multiple projects.
• Defining Hardware strategy for New Product Development.
• Engaging with Manufacturing Engineering Manager (MEM) and Chief Manufacturing Systems Engineer (CMSE) to drive down Unit Production Cost business objectives.
• Working with the Equipment Design Authority (EDA) and CMSE to ensure that the design definitions are of the correct level of maturity to pass to the production teams, and that a consistent approach is being implemented across projects.

What we're looking for:

• Significant experience in electromechanical product design
• Conversant in Design to Manufacture capability analysis
• Significant proven experience of work package management or equivalent level of responsibility
• Some past experience working with hardware delivery
• Ability to demonstrate thinking and operating at a strategic level
• An overcomer attitude, strong sense of diligence, and conviction to match
• Excellent communication skills and the ability to work across a variety of functions
• Able to explain detail of previous Influencing and Negotiating skills in a professional context
• Confident understanding of Gantt style planning techniques

What's in it for you?

Being at the core of a multi-project and multi-disciplinary team you will have the opportunity to:

• Experience product development across the full product lifecycle from concept development through to production and in-service support.
• Demonstrate tangible experience of deliverable control with excellent visibility
• Develop technical skills and knowledge with structured skills development and training programmes.
• Work across multi-national teams on projects for customers across our partner nations.
• Lead business improvement task packages.

Our Business:

We respect new perspectives and experiences, and we value our collaborative ways of working. We are committed to growing and supporting diversity in our workforce and ensuring everyone has an equal opportunity to reach their potential.   MBDA is 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. We also welcome applicants who are looking for flexible working arrangements.

Follow us on LinkedIn (MBDA), Twitter (@MBDAcareers), Instagram (lifeatMBDA_UK) and Glassdoor or visit our MBDA Careers website for more information.  

Please Note: MBDA UK Limited requires all employees to achieve the required medical and national security clearance for their role. Further restrictions and/or limitations relating to nationality and/or rights to work may also 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.

Due to the nature of our business, this particular vacancy requires the applicant as a minimum to be a British Citizen or a Dual UK national with British citizenship and capable of achieving the clearance levels mentioned above.