Incoming Quality Inspector in Stevenage

An opportunity supporting a major UK defence programme. Clearly defined role focused on goods inwards & stores inspection (not bench/final inspection).

The opportunity: As a trusted partner to the UK Ministry of Defence, our client is seeking an experienced Goods Inwards / Incoming Quality Inspector to join their established manufacturing site in Bolton. This role is critical to ensuring all incoming materials and components meet purchase order, contractual, and quality requirements before entering production. You will play a key part in protecting compliance, supporting manufacturing schedules, and maintaining the highest standards within a safety critical, regulated environment.

What you'll be doing:

• Inspect and verify all incoming goods against purchase orders, delivery notes, and quality documentation.
• Formally accept procured products in line with approved standards and contractual conditions.
• Read and interpret engineering and assembly drawings, including dimensional tolerances and machined features.
• Inspect components for damage, surface finish, paint defects, and first off requirements where applicable.
• Complete, maintain, and update accurate inspection and quality records, ensuring full traceability.
• Validate delivery paperwork and system entries to support audit and compliance requirements.
• Meet agreed inspection turnaround times to support manufacturing demand.
• Identify, segregate, and control non-conforming material, raising and maintaining NCRs as required.
• Support product verification and approval activities, including audits and PCB inspection where applicable.
• Maintain compliance with manufacturing, quality, and safety procedures while contributing to a safe, organised working environment.

What we're looking for:

• Proven goods inwards, incoming inspection, or stores inspection experience within a manufacturing or regulated environment.
• Strong understanding of inspection requirements for safety critical components.
• Experience managing receipt, verification, traceability, and non-conformance control.
• Confidence working with inspection documentation, delivery paperwork, and quality records.

Please note: This role requires goods inwards / stores inspection experience. Final or bench mechanical inspection experience alone is not suitable.

Qualifications (one of the following):

• Level 3 Electrical/Mechanical Engineering or Manufacturing Apprenticeship, or
• Level 3 Electrical/Mechanical Engineering or Manufacturing qualification (e.g. NVQ, ONC, Diploma or equivalent). Qualifications must meet the required standard for the role.

Additional skills:

• Manual handling and ESD awareness.
• SAP experience is desirable but not essential.

Security clearance: British Citizen or a Dual UK national with British citizenship. Restrictions and/or limitations relating to nationality and/or rights to work may apply. As a minimum and after offer stage, all successful candidates will need to undergo HMG Basic Personnel Security Standard checks (BPSS), which are managed by our clients Security Team.

About the site: The Stevenage facility is one of the North West's leading manufacturing sites, supporting defence programmes for over 25 years. The site offers:

• Onsite canteen.
• Free parking, showers, and bike racks.
• Convenient motorway access.

What happens next? Once you apply, and if your application meets the selection criteria, a member of the talent acquisition team will contact you to arrange a structured screening call. This conversation will explore your experience and suitability for the role in more detail.

More about the role: For more than 70 years, our client has been in a strong partnership with the UK military. They have accomplished numerous milestones in defence engineering and have provided essential defence capabilities to meet the requirements of the armed forces across land, sea, and air.

Stevenage: This role is based at MBDAs headquarters in Stevenage which plays a key part in missiles operations. The site also offers excellent transportation links and boasts an onsite gym and coffee shop.