Configuration Engineer - SC Cleared

Contract Configuration Engineer - Defence & Aerospace

We are seeking an experienced Configuration Engineer to join a major defence and aerospace programme based in Luton.

This is an excellent opportunity for a Configuration Engineer with experience in configuration management, change control and engineering governance to work within a highly regulated environment, supporting the control and traceability of complex hardware, software and firmware throughout the product life cycle.

Key Responsibilities

• Support the implementation and delivery of Configuration Management (CM) activities across defence and aerospace programmes.
• Identify and control Configuration Items (CIs) covering hardware, software and firmware.
• Establish and maintain configuration baselines throughout the product life cycle.
• Ensure robust traceability between requirements, design information, verification evidence and delivered products.
• Support the development, maintenance and implementation of Configuration Management Plans (CMPs).
• Ensure CMPs align with contractual, regulatory and organisational requirements, including relevant defence and aerospace standards.
• Support the end-to-end change control process, using TCU as the authoritative configuration and change management tool.
• Support Change Control Boards (CCBs) and ensure changes are assessed, approved and appropriately recorded.
• Support the classification and management of Class I and Class II changes, considering impacts on safety, airworthiness, cost, schedule and support.
• Manage and maintain accurate records for concessions, deviations, waivers and temporary changes.
• Ensure approved changes are implemented, verified and correctly reflected in configuration baselines.
• Act as a key user of TCU, ensuring configuration and change data is accurate, controlled and traceable.
• Support the definition and improvement of workflows, data structures and status accounting within TCU.
• Maintain configuration data integrity and ensure appropriate access controls, security classifications and export controls are applied.
• Support internal, customer and regulatory configuration audits, including FCA and PCA activities.
• Produce configuration status accounting, metrics and management reports.
• Support configuration management activities across design, development, manufacturing, in-service support, modification and obsolescence.
• Support release-to-manufacture, release-to-service and in-service modification activities.
• Identify configuration risks and provide support to programme teams in assessing impacts and mitigation.
• Work closely with Engineering, Systems, Quality, Safety, Manufacturing, Supply Chain and Programme teams.
• Support continuous improvement of configuration management processes, procedures and tools.
• Provide guidance and support to junior Configuration and Change Control Engineers.

Essential Skills & Experience

• Proven experience in Configuration Management and Change Control within Defence, Aerospace or another highly regulated industry.
• Experience working with Configuration Management Plans (CMPs).
• Strong understanding of configuration management principles, including configuration items, baselines, change control and configuration status accounting.
• Experience with TCU or a similar configuration/change management tool.
• Understanding of Class I/Class II change management.
• Experience supporting configuration audits and compliance activities.
• Strong attention to detail with excellent analytical and organisational skills.
• Experience handling classified and/or export-controlled information.
• Ability to work effectively across multidisciplinary engineering and programme teams.

Desirable Experience

• Experience managing complex products involving hardware, software and firmware.
• Knowledge of airworthiness, safety-critical systems or certification environments.
• Familiarity with additional PLM or Configuration Management tools such as Windchill, Teamcenter or Dimensions.
• Experience improving CM processes, procedures or ways of working.
• Experience working to defence and aerospace configuration management standards, including DEF STAN 05-057.

Personal Attributes

• We are looking for someone who is:
• Methodical and highly detail-oriented
• Process-driven with a strong understanding of governance
• Confident working within a regulated and audit-focused environment
• A strong communicator and effective team player
• Comfortable working with engineering and programme stakeholders
• Proactive in identifying configuration risks and process improvements
• Able to take ownership and work independently when required

The Opportunity

This is a great opportunity for a Configuration Engineer/Configuration Management Engineer to gain valuable experience working on a complex defence and aerospace programme.

You will be exposed to configuration control, change management, engineering governance and life cycle management, working alongside experienced Engineering, Programme, Quality and Configuration professionals.