Senior Quality Engineer

We are looking for an experienced Senior Quality Engineer to join our team at our Derby site. This is an excellent opportunity in a key role as the Customer Interface in a fast paced, high quality production environment where your Quality expertise and knowledge will directly influence product quality, compliance and continuous improvement.

As a Senior Quality Engineer, you will be a trusted technical authority, working closely with production, engineering and supply chain teams across the wider business to ensure consistent achievement of the highest quality standards.

Working Hours

• Monday – Thursday: 8.00am to 4.45pm
• Friday: 8.00am to 12.30pm (early finish every Friday)

Benefits:

• 25 days annual leave plus 8 statutory holidays
• Pension scheme
• BUPA private healthcare
• Death in service benefit
• Long service awards
• Free on-site parking

Core skills/attributes needed:

• Minimum of 5 years’ experience within the Aerospace Industry, AS9100 requirements & NADCAP
• Minimum of 10 years Engineering experience
• Experience in lean tools and practical problem solving such as 8D, Kaizen processes
• High attention to detail, good problem solver and strong communication skills
• In-depth understanding of engineering/technical documentation and specifications
• A natural leader, who can motivate and lead with excellent interpersonal skills
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills as this is a customer faced role

Knowledge and Experience:

• Previous Internal auditing experience advantageous
• Experience in a quality control environment preferred
• First Article Inspection Report experience
• Experience of Machining, Fabrications and Treatments
• Chemical and special processes knowledge
• New Product Introduction & associated tools FMEA, APQP + PPAP Awareness
• Ability to resolve issues logically and methodically using proven methods
• Self-motivated with a desire to learn

Seniority Requirements:

• A key part of this role will be interacting and communicating with shop floor operators, management and customers, it is essential you can communicate in a clear and concise manner
• Setting staff expectations in line with department and company objectives
• Ability to prioritise work based on criticality ensuring timescales are met
• Development, coaching & Support of others
• Manage and lead a team to achieve the set expectations
• Manage all quality-related issues within the manufacturing team (e.g. internal, supplier, customer)
• Monitor and report on quality-related key performance indicators including scrap monitoring, rework levels, parts per million (PPM) figures, NCR status
• Communicate throughout the shop floor, with peers, management and customers
• Carry out team supervision, development reviews & annual resource reviews
• Confident and effective verbal and written communication and presentation skills

Purpose of role and key accountabilities:

• To provide Quality and Inspection support for both existing and new business opportunities and to develop the Right First-Time philosophy required to become a leading supplier of quality components to the aerospace industry
• Maintain quality control within the manufacturing process, in line with business standards and customer requirements
• Check and verify the compliance of components produced at all stages within business
• Identify reoccurring quality issues and communicate them to the chief inspector along with recommendations
• Assist in the 5Why, Non-conformance procedures, RCCA & CAPA quality procedures and produce root cause analysis of product failures
• Represent the quality function at team meetings
• Support, develop and improve the relationship with quality contacts within our customer base
• Support and promote improvement activities to directly benefit product and processes
• To work within cross functional teams to support business development, growth and improvement projects as required.
• To support, develop, maintain and improve the company’s quality management system and conduct internal audits against the system
• To conduct root cause analyses, SPC and other appropriate quality tools and techniques to ensure that the manufacturing processes meet customer requirements
• Activities will focus on the internal Quality SQCDP requirements, including closing out actions and reporting against the company requirements
• Gardner’s key objective is to ensure Right First Time, Every time! Which is achieved by effective allocation, and any issues are resolved in a timely and effective manner

Measurable performance indicators/objectives of role:

• The Candidate must also strive to support the elements of the SQCDP framework of the wider Gardner business;
• Safety: work in line with all accredited company safety standards in order to provide a safe working environment for all
• Quality: support the quality accreditations across the business to ensure the delivery of a ‘right first time’ performance
• Cost: support the continuous improvements in cost reduction activities across the company in order to deliver increased profitability and value for money to our customers and stakeholders
• Delivery: drive improvement in delivery performance to continually exceed customer expectations and targets
• People: support organisational capability and influence cultural change by embracing diversity, inclusion, wellbeing and community

Key Performance Indicators:

• Reduction in quality escapes from the shop floor with a goal of 0.0004 parts per million
• Reduction in second time manufacture failures
• Reduction in rework to 0.0004 parts per million
• Manage and maintain RCCA & CAPA activities