Principal Quality Engineer

Job Description:

At Leonardo we are offering an exciting opportunity to join us as a Principal Quality Engineer within our Combat Air division at our Luton site.

In this role, you won’t just be ticking boxes—you’ll be a critical player in high-profile programmes, working side-by-side with Programme and Project Managers to ensure excellence is built into every step of our mission-critical projects.

What you will do as Principal Quality Engineer:

• Act as the dynamic primary point of contact for quality-related matters with customers and key stakeholders, ensuring their requirements and expectations are fully understood and exceeded.
• Provide advice and support on Quality Assurance and Quality Control activities.
• Contribute to delivering products that meet safety, cost, and quality standards on time.
• Develop and track Project Assurance Plans (PAP) to ensure project activities align with risk and improvement goals.
• Collaborate with Assurance Teams to help meet Programme and IPT objectives.
• Monitor and support quality key performance indicators (KPIs) such as Quality Notifications, Cost of Poor Quality
• Conduct Material Review Boards (MRB), and Failure Review Boards (FRB) if required
• Support improvement activities across the Programme, Product, and Project lifecycle.
• Promote a culture of quality and continuous improvement within the team.
• Support project assurance milestones throughout the Programme and Project lifecycle.
• Prepare reports and data for the Programme and Project teams.
• Contribute to reducing Non-Conformance costs by conducting root cause analysis and corrective actions.

What you’ll bring:

• Demonstrated knowledge of quality management standards such as AS9100 and ISO9001, along with continuous improvement practices.
• Practical experience with Quality Tools including Root Cause Corrective Action, Pattern Fault Lifecycle, Process Mapping, Verification, and First Article Inspection.
• Strong analytical and logical thinking skills, with the ability to translate complex data into practical solutions that support business objectives
• Experience engaging with Customers and Suppliers, demonstrating professionalism and responsiveness.
• Previous experience working in a high-precision manufacturing environment or similarly detail-oriented settings.
• Further education or experience in Engineering, Quality, Manufacturing, Defence Electronics, or other similarly complex industries is preferred.
• Good knowledge of APQP is desirable.

This is not an exhaustive list, and we are keen to hear from you even if you might not have experience in all the above. The most important skill is a good attitude and willingness to learn.

Security Clearance

This role is subject to pre-employment screening in line with the UK Government’s Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS). An additional range of Personnel Security Controls referred to as National Security Vetting (NSV) may apply, this could include meeting the eligibility requirements for The Security Check (SC) or Developed Vetting (DV). For more information and guidance please visit:

Why join us

At Leonardo, our people are at the heart of everything we do. We offer a comprehensive, company-funded benefits package that supports your wellbeing, career development, and work–life balance. Whether you're looking to grow professionally, care for your health, or plan for the future, we’re here to help you thrive.

• Time to Recharge: Enjoy generous leave with the opportunity to accrue up to 12 additional flexi-days each year.
• Secure your Future: Benefit from our award-winning pension scheme with up to 15% employer contribution.
• Your Wellbeing Matters: Free access to mental health support, financial advice, and employee-led networks championing inclusion and diversity (Enable, Pride, Equalise, Armed Forces, Carers, Wellbeing and Ethnicity).
• Rewarding Performance: All employees at management level and below are eligible for our bonus scheme.
• Never Stop Learning: Free access to 4,000+ online courses via Coursera and LinkedIn Learning.
• Refer a friend: Receive a financial reward through our referral programme.
• Tailored Perks: Spend up to £500 annually on flexible benefits including private healthcare, dental, family cover, tech & lifestyle discounts, gym memberships and more.
• Flexible working: Flexible hours with hybrid working options. For part time opportunities, please talk to us about what might be possible for this role.

For a full list of our company benefits please visit our website.

Leonardo is a global leader in Aerospace, Defence, and Security. Headquartered in Italy, we employ over 53,000 people worldwide including 8,500 across 9 sites in the UK. Our employees are not just part of a team—they are key contributors to shaping innovation, advancing technology, and enhancing global safety.

At Leonardo we are committed to building an inclusive, accessible, and welcoming workplace. We believe that a diverse workforce sparks creativity, drives innovation, and leads to better outcomes for our people and our customers. If you have any accessibility requirements to support you during the recruitment process, just let us know.

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