Location: Hybrid – Abbey Wood, Bristol, with approximately 2–3 days per week in the office

Rate: Up to £420/day

IR35 Status: Inside IR35

Contract: ASAP to 31/03/2027, with a potential extension

Closing Date: 14/10/2026 at 13:00

Security Clearance: Current SC clearance required

Overview

Our customer, a large defence organisation, is seeking an experienced Quality Manager / Reliability & Maintainability Engineer to provide specialist R&M engineering support to the Mobile Fires Platform (MFP) programme.

The role will provide subject matter expertise across the programme’s contracts, supporting the delivery of the RCH155 self-propelled howitzer capability. The work will focus on reliability, maintainability and dependability requirements, contractor assurance, technical evidence, risk management, testing and through-life support.

Team Context

The Mobile Fires Platform is a high-priority programme being delivered by the Combat Vehicles 1 Project Team. The RCH155 has been selected as the next-generation 155mm self-propelled howitzer capability, with the programme covering demonstrator, qualification and production activity.

Key Responsibilities

• Review R&M documentation to support technical requirements, define technical deliverables and effects, and update documentation across multiple systems, including consideration of in-service support and the practicality of achieving required R&M levels.
• Technically review and assess contractor-supplied R&M artefacts against contractual requirements and relevant standards.
• Produce review reports identifying compliance, risks, issues and recommendations.
• Support the development, maintenance and assurance of R&M Cases and supporting evidence.
• Provide informed recommendations on the achievability of R&M requirements and through-life support assumptions.
• Analyse contractor and trial-derived R&M data to assess achievement against contractual and design requirements.
• Produce R&M performance reports, trend analyses and dashboards.
• Identify reliability growth opportunities and supportability improvements.
• Provide technical recommendations to inform design, support and acceptance decisions.
• Assess contractor compliance with applicable R&M standards, policies and contractual obligations.
• Identify, report and manage non-conformances and associated programme risks.
• Provide technical advice on the impact of compliance shortfalls on performance, safety, supportability and certification activities.
• Support engineering governance and assurance reviews.
• Identify and manage R&M-related risks, assumptions, issues and dependencies.
• Develop mitigation strategies and recovery plans for emerging R&M concerns.
• Provide technical input to programme risk registers and governance forums, escalating significant R&M risks that may affect cost, schedule, performance or safety.
• Support the planning, execution and assessment of R&M demonstration, verification and validation activities.
• Review and assess trial and test evidence against agreed acceptance criteria.
• Provide technical advice to support acceptance, certification and in-service decisions.
• Identify shortfalls arising from trials and testing and recommend corrective actions.
• Contribute to dependability performance reviews and Design Review activities.
• Undertake root cause analysis of significant reliability and maintainability issues.
• Identify and track corrective actions arising from design weaknesses.
• Recommend improvements to reliability, maintainability, availability and through-life support performance.

Additional Information

• Hybrid working, with approximately 2–3 days per week in the office anticipated.
• Base location is Abbey Wood, Bristol.
• Some travel to OEM locations will be required.
• Travel may be required within the UK and EU.
• Current SC clearance required.
• UK nationals only.
• The core assignment runs to 31 March 2027, with a potential extension.