Quality Engineer in Portsmouth

To support the business in driving a quality assurance mindset, adopting a proactive approach to ensure all of our processes are engineered to deliver a level of quality that exceeds customer expectations. To constantly strive to eliminate the cost of poor quality.

Responsibilities

• Develop processes to ensure incoming materials meet required quality standards.
• Identify and raise quality issues and resolve them to ensure zero impact to the customer.
• Support new product introductions to ensure the robustness of product builds.
• Work in a team environment to develop and implement best practices that emphasise defect prevention, reduction in variation and waste, and continuous improvements in meeting all customer requirements.
• Review and manage the customer-specific requirements in specifications, CAD data and drawings, ensuring they are correctly applied and integrated into the manufacturing processes via core tools such as PFMEA and Control Plans.
• Co-ordinate measurement activity for customer submissions such as ISIR, Capability Studies and MSA.
• Support pre-production trials to validate a production process with a high quality output.
• Customer facing on quality issues, measurement reports and concessions.
• QMS interaction (NCR, concessions, change management, audit etc.).
• Main Quality contact for select customers.

Principle Accountabilities

• Accountable to the Head of Operations and Program Management functions for ensuring new programmes are introduced to the required standard (PPAP) within the defined project timings.
• Supporting the Head of Operations to ensure the effective quality performance of the team.
• Identifying, defining and implementing opportunities for process and resource improvements.
• Ensuring problem solving tasks are completed to IATF & AS requirements, ensuring efficient and robust closure and employing Unipart Way problem solving methodologies.
• Support project and DFM reviews with achievable feasibility and quality directives.
• Supply comprehensive production support for quality issues impacting the ability to manufacture and supply goods.
• Ensuring Process and Product audits are being completed and acted upon in line with the annual audit plan.
• Any other task as agreed by your manager/supervisor.

Experience, Skills & Qualifications

• Minimum 3-5 years of experience in quality engineering within the automotive or manufacturing sector.
• Hands-on experience with quality tools (e.g., PPAP, APQP, FMEA, SPC, MSA).
• Familiarity with IATF 16949 and ISO 9001 quality standards; AS9100 experience also fine.
• Proven track record in managing supplier quality issues and customer complaints (e.g., 8D, 5 Whys, Ishikawa diagrams).
• Experience with auditing (internal and external), root cause analysis, and corrective/preventive action processes.
• Proficient in using quality management systems (QMS), ERP systems, and Microsoft Office Suite.
• Ability to read and interpret technical drawings (GD&T knowledge preferred).
• Competency in statistical analysis and use of statistical software (e.g., Minitab, JMP).
• Understanding of metrology and hands-on experience with measurement tools (CMM, calipers, micrometers, etc.).
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Detail-oriented with a high level of accuracy.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills to interact with teams, suppliers, and customers.
• Proactive, self-motivated, and capable of working independently and in a team environment.
• Resilient and adaptable in a fast-paced, high-pressure environment.