The Role
Lead Design Quality Assurance for AGNC systems, ensuring quality integration in aerospace and defence processes while maintaining compliance and supporting engineering teams.
Summary Generated by Built In
Help Build Europe's Hypersonic Capability
At Hypersonica, we’re redefining what’s possible in European defence technology. We exist to deliver speed, resilience, and technological independence at a pace that sets a new standard. We are a small, elite team working on problems that matter, and solving them fast.
As our Design Quality Assurance Manager you’re not stepping into a predefined role. You’re joining a talent dense environment where every individual shapes the direction of the company. Our philosophy is to hire a small number of exceptional people with broad, deep technical capability, strong judgement, and the ability to operate autonomously.
We hire for talent, not rigid boxes. This role represents a business need, but the way it evolves will be shaped by the individual. If you’ve achieved what others said was impossible, or you bring a unique combination of skills that doesn’t fit a traditional mould, we want to hear from you. The work you do here directly contributes to Europe’s technological independence.
What you'll do
- Lead Design Quality Assurance for AGNC (Avionics, Guidance, Navigation and Control) systems, ensuring quality is built into requirements, design, and decision making from the outset.
- Define and maintain internal design quality processes covering requirements management, risk management, and design documentation.
- Ensure compliance with applicable AQAP requirements for defence programmes, without introducing unnecessary bureaucracy.
- Act as the quality interface between engineering teams and external stakeholders, audits, and customer expectations.
- Embed quality thinking into day to day engineering workflows, supporting rapid iteration while maintaining traceability and rigour.
- Review and assure design artefacts, change management, and risk registers to ensure consistency, clarity, and readiness.
- Work closely with AGNC engineering, systems, and verification teams to resolve quality issues early and pragmatically.
Who you are
- A design or quality assurance professional with 5+ years’ experience in aerospace or defence engineering environments.
- Experienced applying AQAP standards in live programmes, with a pragmatic understanding of what auditors expect versus what engineering needs.
- Fluent in requirements, risk, and design artefact assurance, and comfortable challenging weak or unclear inputs.
- Someone who believes quality is an engineering discipline, not a policing function.
- Confident operating as a peer to senior engineers, with the credibility to influence design decisions early.
- Able to balance traceability and rigour with speed and iteration, especially in fast-moving programmes.
- Motivated by building quality systems from first principles, not inheriting legacy process.
- Energised by responsibility in a small team where design quality directly affects flight success.
What we offer
- A mission driven environment with the opportunity to work on one of Europe’s most consequential defence challenges, with direct impact on sovereign capability and security.
- Daily collaboration with top experts across engineering, operations, and defence, with real opportunity to learn from the best, contribute, and grow.
- High ownership and autonomy; no time tracking, no micromanagement, just clear objectives and accountability for outcomes.
- A fast paced environment where good ideas are implemented quickly, and feedback from test and flight drives real decisions.
- A culture that values clarity, integrity, and excellence, and supports people who take initiative and push boundaries responsibly.
- Competitive compensation and real share options aligned to responsibility and impact, not tenure or hierarchy.
At Hypersonica, every hire raises the bar. We are deliberately small, intensely capable, and deeply mission-driven. If this role feels like a strong fit, or if you believe you bring something exceptional that goes beyond the description, we encourage you to apply.
Hypersonica is an equal-opportunity employer and assesses candidates solely on merit, capability, and potential.
You can apply directly to this role or reach out to Nathan Sweeney, Head of Talent. We review every application and aim to respond to all candidates within two weeks, whether the answer is yes or no.
Skills Required
- 5+ years' experience in aerospace or defence engineering environments
- Experience applying AQAP standards in live programmes
- Fluent in requirements, risk, and design artefact assurance
- Confidence operating as a peer to senior engineers
- Ability to balance traceability and iteration
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The Company
What We Do
Hypersonica is a mission-driven European defense and aerospace company that develops next-generation hypersonic systems for military and civilian applications. Founded in 2023, the company aims to equip European allies with sovereign, cost-effective hypersonic strike capabilities. By utilizing a modular architecture and rapid iteration, they significantly reduce development costs and timelines, focusing on enhancing Europe's defense autonomy and technological independence in a complex global security environment.
