Technical Quality Engineer Hybrid in Wickford

Gardner Aerospace Group is seeking an exceptional Technical Quality Engineer to lead, develop, and elevate our global quality framework across a truly international footprint. This is a 100% hybrid role, open to candidates based in the UK or overseas, offering the opportunity to work flexibly while influencing quality excellence across our sites in the UK, France, Poland, and India.

Salary: £50,000 if hired in UK, adjusted if hired in Poland, France, India

Benefits:

• Pension
• 25 Days Annual Holiday plus 8 statutory days
• BUPA Healthcare
• Long Service awards
• Death in Service

Purpose of Role and Key Accountabilities:

• Act as internal focal point of contact and support the central quality teams (group) as well as sites in an expert role for escalated special process and material questions, queries and issues (within the assigned scope).
• Work closely with manufacturing engineering to continuously improve planning (with a special (but not single) focus on special processes); share, embed and flow down best practices across the group.
• Coordinate, prepare and support activities within the group (and across the sites) to maintain NADCAP and (customer) process approvals, including supporting site teams with NADCAP preparation audits; conduct internal process audits.
• Support with the effective implementation of corrective and continuous improvement actions including close out of audit NADCAP findings etc.
• Support all ToW and NPI projects in the area of expertise.
• Support customer specification and standard surveillance activities and the flow down to the relevant sites.
• Support the inspection team with technical queries and standardised approach (e.g. CMM strategy, queries around GD&T etc.).
• Support the other Quality functions upon request.
• Work within cross functional teams to support business development, growth and improvement projects as required.

Core Skills/Attributes Needed:

• Quality or Manufacturing Engineering Professional with extensive experience in a similar role.
• Working knowledge of international standards for quality management systems (AS9100, ISO9001).
• Willingness to travel regularly to other Gardner sites.
• Highly proficient in reading, understanding and applying technical documentation such as drawings, technical specifications, standards etc.
• Experience in (at least one of the following) special processes (heat treatment, chemical processing, welding, non-conventional machining, NDT), process qualification processes, approvals (e.g. customer, NADCAP) and auditing (process audits).
• Proficient in developing and improving planning (routing) and supporting documentation (procedures, instructions, process checklist).
• Experience in a highly regulated industry, preferably Aerospace.
• Experience with inspection techniques especially CMM is a definite plus.
• Strong knowledge of problem analysis methodologies (i.e. 8D, Ishikawa, 5-Why, DoE, DMAIC, Kepner Tregoe, etc.).
• Experience in APQP and NPI and associated deliverables.
• Working experience with ERP systems.
• Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously and meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong analytical skills.
• Strong project management skills with the ability to prioritise tasks.
• Excellent IT Skills.

The employee 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.

Measurable Performance Indicators/Objectives of Role:

• Sustained (or new) process approvals and NADCAP accreditations to ensure business continuity and growth.
• Approvals and accreditation up to date with minimal findings from external audits.
• Robust group standards for planning and technical documentation.
• Close out of findings in a timely manner with minimal iterations.
• Quality tools and methods rolled out and deployed across the group (where agreed).
• Achievement of targets in line with project plans and set deadlines.