Quality Assurance Engineer | 40 hours | Leiden/Oegstgeest area | Space industry | Quality Assurance | Start date: December/January | 1-year fixed-term contract | Airbus Defence and Space Netherlands

Start date: December 2026 / January 2027
Hours: 40 hours per week (minimum 3 days on-site)
Location: Leiden, with a possible move to Oegstgeest
Duration: 1 year, secondment with the possibility of permanent employment
Contract type: Secondment only, no freelance
Reason: Additional capacity needed

Company description

At Airbus Defence and Space Netherlands, we work at the cutting edge of technology in one of the most challenging and rapidly changing industries in the world: space. Our products and services—including solar arrays, launcher structures, instruments, and optical communication—are among the best in the world. They enable missions that are of great importance to our daily lives on Earth.

Our multidisciplinary teams develop, integrate, and test innovative space systems that contribute to some of the world's most advanced satellite missions.
 

About the role

Airbus Defence and Space Netherlands is seeking a Quality Assurance Engineer for its Quality & HSE department.

In this role, you will ensure that production processes, products, and supplier deliveries meet the required quality and technical standards. You will identify and manage nonconformities, coordinate solutions with Engineering, Production, AIT, and suppliers, and contribute to the continuous improvement of product quality.

This is a hands-on role for someone who takes initiative, communicates easily with various stakeholders, and is comfortable taking ownership of quality issues.

Your role and responsibilities

As a Quality Assurance Engineer, you will:

• Monitor and control quality processes during production and integration.
• Identify, report, and coordinate the resolution of nonconformities.
• Work closely with Engineering, Production, AIT, Product Assurance, Safety, and suppliers to resolve quality issues.
• Conduct inspections of supplier deliveries, production parts, and finished products.
• Review production-related documentation, drawings, and quality records.
• Coordinate and participate in quality reviews, including manufacturing and test reviews.
• Monitor supplier quality and support continuous improvement.
• Prepare quality reports and maintain quality documentation in the relevant systems.
• Support Product Assurance activities and contribute to successful project delivery.
• Take action when production processes do not meet the required quality standards.

Your profile

You are a proactive and independent professional who enjoys working in a technical and multidisciplinary environment. You take the initiative, think critically, and are comfortable taking responsibility for quality-related decisions.

You bring:

• MBO+ or HBO degree, or a bachelor's degree in a technical field.
• 3–5 years of relevant experience in quality assurance or a technical production environment.
• Strong communication and stakeholder management skills.
• A proactive, hands-on, and independent approach.
• Ability to critically evaluate processes, documentation, and technical issues.
• Experience working with SAP or similar ERP systems is a plus.
• Experience in the automotive industry is highly relevant and considered a strong advantage.
• Ability to understand technical documentation and drawings.
• Experience in aerospace or space is a plus, but not required.

You should live within approximately 45 minutes of the Airbus location, as the role requires a minimum of three days per week on-site.
 

What we offer

• A hands-on Quality Assurance role within a leading international space organization.
• The opportunity to contribute to advanced satellite and space programs.
• Close collaboration with Engineering, Production, AIT, Product Assurance, and suppliers.
• An international and multidisciplinary work environment.
• A one-year fixed-term assignment with the possibility of permanent employment.
• The opportunity to have a direct impact on product quality and production performance.

Recruitment process: First interview on-site. A second interview may be scheduled, and Product Assurance may be involved.

For questions: robert.vandenouwelant@headfirst.nl