Mission 1 – Engineering Quality Leader
Global mission
The Discipline Quality Leader (DQL) is the Quality & Customer Satisfaction partner assigned to the Engineering Discipline. He/she improves the quality performance of the Discipline, in close collaboration with the Discipline Manager, by providing independent analysis on recurring, cross-functional problems.
Major activities
Represent and speak for the customer and the principal stakeholders (regulations, suppliers, etc.) with regard to the Discipline, to improve quality performance and customer satisfaction.
Manage quality performance for the Discipline and anticipate risks, so as to achieve long-term operational excellence based on indicators (On-Conformity Delivery, Cost of Non-Quality, Maturity Risk Index, etc.).
Assist in defining and implementing the Quality Performance Plan (QPP).
Manage the reduction of non-quality costs in his/her Discipline.
Measure the maturity of the Discipline, contribute to its improvement and play a proactive role in implementing the resulting changes.
Identify recurring problems and coordinate cross-functional improvement action plans.
Ensure the deployment and development of a quality culture within the Discipline, based on a continuous improvement approach.
Provide methodological expertise in continuous quality improvement practices.
Professional knowledge and experience
Engineer, Master’s degree or VAE equivalent
Comprehensive knowledge of New Product Introduction processes or Product Development Plans
Project management knowledge
Mastery of problem-solving, root-cause analysis and continuous improvement methodologies (EN9136)
Proven experience of EN9145 / APQP methodology
Successful experience in managing transformation plans
Proficiency in English and French
10 years’ experience in the Discipline
Mission 2 – APQP Leader & Project and Product Assurance for New Product Development
Introduction
The development and industrialization of new products is a critical process that determines both risk management effectiveness and future competitiveness. In this context, the management of Thales Alenia Space Belgium aims to improve these processes through enhanced risk management and better control of the cost of poor quality associated with the introduction of new equipment.
The entire mission and its deliverables must follow a clearly demonstrated approach focused on simplification, maximizing the value contribution of people, and drastically reducing the cost of poor quality related to the introduction of new equipment.
Phase 1 – Understand, audit, identify gaps and recommend
Understand and assess the consistency of the development and industrialization process, including its overall risk management approach and the methods used to ensure project quality.
Benchmark the process against the APQP Core Tools (FMEA, Control Plan, SPC, MSA, PPAP according to EN9145) and identify gaps and improvement opportunities impacting project and product quality.
Based on these gaps, provide value-added recommendations for each phase of the process: define required inputs and outputs and their owners, how they should be structured and interconnected, and the roles and responsibilities at each functional interface.
Provide a recommendation on the draft target schedule and assess its feasibility.
Define, together with the TAS-B team, a test and validation plan for the APQP tools selected for implementation on one or several pilot projects.
Phase 2 – Test and validate
Support and coach the teams during the implementation of the test and validation plan on the selected projects.
The detailed schedule will be defined jointly with the pilot project teams.
The testing phase must follow a progressive, collaborative, practical and pragmatic approach.
Phase 3 – Update the standard process, measure performance and sustain the approach
Based on the test and validation results, support the team in delivering a revised development and industrialization process, including its maintenance, monitoring and associated KPIs.
Process maintenance and monitoring
The long-term maintenance and monitoring of the process and its new standards are fundamental.
The project shall deliver a framework for training, deployment, anchoring and monitoring, to ensure effective adoption by operational teams and prevent process deviations.
Roles and responsibilities of all stakeholders, including Quality Assurance, shall be clearly defined.
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
Define indicators that measure risks and enable timely actions to reach the targeted maturity level before production start-up.
Mission 3 – Support the Head of Quality Assurance
Assess and support the Quality Director and the Chief Operating Officer in the overhaul of the Thales Alenia Space Belgium Quality Management System.
Lead the transformation of quality processes and the deployment of new tools in support of the SAP implementation and associated business process changes.
Coach and mentor teams in structured problem-solving methodologies to enhance organizational maturity and foster a culture of continuous improvement.
Required Profile
Technical and hard skills
Extensive knowledge of APQP (Advanced Product Quality Planning), with demonstrated hands-on experience
Mastery of APQP Core Tools and ability to tailor them to different business and operational contexts
Proven experience in project management, product development and related processes
Ability to develop training programs and coach teams for effective deployment of methodologies
Understanding of market requirements as well as manufacturing processes and constraints
Strong knowledge of quality standards and quality management best practices
Ability to audit, assess and develop quality process documentation
Proven experience in quality process management
Ability to lead process redesign and transformation projects
Expertise in structured problem-solving methodologies
Soft skills
Leadership & change
Strong leadership and ability to manage complex projects
Ability to lead organizational change and drive cultural change
Ability to influence stakeholders and manage complexity
People development
Strong training, mentoring and coaching capabilities
Ability to motivate, engage and develop employees and their competencies
Adaptability & mindset
High resistance to stress
Strong adaptability while maintaining high performance standards and ambitious objectives
Flexibility and ability to analyze situations and adapt solutions to specific contexts
Ability to innovate and integrate new technologies and approaches
Communication & rigor
Excellent communication skills to promote new methodologies and ways of working
Strong attention to detail and a methodical, structured approach
Fluency in French and English
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