What to Expect
At McLaren, exceptional vehicles start with exceptional supplier partnerships. As a Senior SQD Engineer (Supplier Quality Development Engineer), you'll play a key role in ensuring our supply base is ready to deliver the quality, capability and performance required for every stage of the vehicle lifecycle.
What You'll Do
- Lead supplier quality activities from sourcing and industrialisation through to launch and series production, ensuring quality, delivery, capacity and performance expectations are achieved across your supplier portfolio.
- Drive APQP, PPAP, manufacturing feasibility and supplier readiness activities, helping suppliers establish robust and capable processes while proactively managing programme risk.
- Partner with Engineering, Purchasing, Manufacturing and Supplier teams to resolve complex quality concerns, lead structured problem-solving activities and deliver sustainable improvements.
- Conduct supplier audits, process verification and capacity assessments to support successful new product introduction and stable series production.
- Develop supplier capability through continuous improvement initiatives, driving best-in-class manufacturing standards and long-term performance improvements.
- Lead departmental improvement activities, using data and KPI performance to identify opportunities, inform decision-making and enhance SQD ways of working.
- Provide clear project status reporting and recommendations to senior stakeholders, ensuring risks, priorities and progress are understood and effectively managed.
- Support and develop the wider SQD team through coaching, technical guidance and leadership support, acting as a trusted point of contact and providing cover during management absence when required.
What You'll Bring
- Extensive experience in Supplier Quality, Manufacturing Quality or Quality Engineering within a complex automotive or advanced engineering environment, with strong expertise in interior commodities and supplier development.
- Strong working knowledge of APQP, PPAP, manufacturing feasibility, process audits and supplier development methodologies.
- Experience leading supplier quality activities throughout new product introduction, industrialisation and series production.
- Proven capability in structured problem solving, root cause analysis and driving effective corrective actions with suppliers.
- Strong understanding of manufacturing processes, quality systems and supplier capacity planning.
- Experience influencing and leading cross-functional stakeholders across technical and operational functions.
- Excellent communication and presentation skills, with the ability to deliver concise updates and recommendations to senior audiences.
- A collaborative leadership style with a passion for coaching, mentoring and developing others.
- Strong analytical skills and the ability to use data to inform decisions, prioritise actions and manage risk.
- A proactive, resilient mindset and a relentless focus on delivering quality, performance and continuous improvement.
What We'll Do for You
- Structured career development framework
- 25 days' holiday, plus bank holiday. Annual buy & sell up to five days
- Enhanced company pension scheme
- Discretionary annual bonus award
- Private medical insurance and health cash plan
- Life assurance benefit
- Ability to apply for a sabbatical of up to one year after only two years' service
- Benefits you can adapt to your lifestyle, such as discounted shopping
- Generous parental leave policies
- A range of wellbeing initiatives, such as employee assistance programme and free financial & mortgage advice
Who Are We?
No restraints. No limitations. We don't simply push boundaries. We completely rethink them. McLaren Automotive exists to create breath-taking performance road cars. It takes a community to do what we do. A diverse group of people with many areas of expertise, united by their passion to deliver visionary products and set new benchmarks. McLaren Automotive commits to equal opportunity for all. Diversity, Equality and Inclusion is at the heart of our impact, it drives our innovation and enables us to truly create something special. Join us on our journey.
#J-18808-Ljbffr
Senior SQD Engineer Interiors Automotive in Woking employer: McLaren Automotive Ltd
McLaren Automotive is an exceptional employer, offering a dynamic work culture that fosters innovation and collaboration among diverse teams. With a structured career development framework, generous benefits including enhanced pension schemes and flexible holiday options, employees are empowered to grow and thrive in their roles. Located in a cutting-edge environment, the company prioritises employee wellbeing and provides unique opportunities for meaningful contributions to the automotive industry.
