The Role
The Senior Quality Engineer plays a key role in ensuring that all products, manufacturing processes, and quality management systems consistently meet customer, statutory, regulatory, and company requirements for subsea applications.
The primary objective of the role is to ensure compliance with customer specifications and applicable industry standards while driving continuous improvement across manufacturing operations.
Responsibilities
Quality Assurance and Control
Ensure products and manufacturing processes comply with customer specifications, engineering drawings, project requirements, and applicable quality standards.
Monitor manufacturing quality through inspections, audits, and data analysis.
Develop, implement, and maintain quality control procedures, inspection plans, and quality documentation.
Support first article inspections, product validation, and process qualification activities.
Ensure non-conforming products are identified, controlled, investigated, and dispositioned in accordance with company procedures.
Review and approve quality documentation where appropriate.
Provide a visible quality presence on the shop floor, supporting production teams to improve workmanship and ensure quality is built into the manufacturing process rather than inspected afterwards.
Manufacturing Quality
Support production to ensure manufacturing activities comply with approved procedures, specifications, drawings, and customer requirements.
Review manufacturing documentation and inspection records throughout the production process.
Verify material identification and traceability are maintained throughout manufacture.
Support inspection and testing activities including dimensional inspection, pressure testing, Factory Acceptance Tests (FATs), and customer witness inspections where applicable.
Review concessions, deviations, and non-conformance reports prior to customer submission where required.
Ensure MRBs are complete, accurate, and submitted in accordance with customer requirements.
Work closely with Production personnel on the shop floor to improve in-process quality, reduce defects, and strengthen quality ownership throughout manufacturing.
Monitor and improve soldering quality, electrical assembly workmanship, and adherence to recognised IPC standards.
Quality Management Systems
Maintain and continually improve the company's Quality Management System in accordance with ISO 9001 and customer requirements in collaboration with Office Manager.
Support the development, review, and control of quality procedures, work instructions, and associated documentation.
Participate in internal, external, customer, and certification audits.
Monitor compliance with quality procedures and recommend improvements.
Support management reviews and quality performance reporting.
Review and improve shop floor quality processes, workmanship standards, and inspection practices to strengthen manufacturing quality management.
Non-Conformance and Corrective Actions
Lead investigations into internal, supplier, and customer quality issues.
Facilitate root cause analysis using recognised quality tools and methodologies.
Develop, implement, and verify corrective and preventive actions (CAPA).
Monitor the effectiveness of corrective actions and ensure timely closure.
Analyse trends in quality data to identify recurring issues and opportunities for improvement.
Investigate recurring workmanship and soldering defects, implementing corrective actions and operator guidance to prevent recurrence.
Customer and Supplier Quality
Act as a primary quality contact for customer quality issues and complaints.
Coordinate responses to customer corrective action requests and quality concerns.
Support supplier qualification, performance monitoring, and supplier quality improvement activities.
Review supplier documentation, inspection reports, and certification packages.
Participate in supplier audits where required.
Support customer visits, audits, inspections, and witness activities.
Process Improvement
Identify opportunities to improve manufacturing processes, product quality, and operational efficiency.
Lead or participate in Lean Manufacturing and continuous improvement initiatives.
Analyse quality performance metrics and recommend improvement activities.
Support process validation, risk assessments, and engineering change management activities.
Promote quality best practices throughout the organisation.
Work collaboratively with Production and Engineering to improve soldering processes, electrical assembly techniques, inspection methods, and overall shop floor quality performance.
Support continuous improvement initiatives focused on reducing workmanship defects, improving first-pass yield, and enhancing manufacturing quality standards.
Inspection and Testing
Develop inspection methods, sampling plans, and acceptance criteria.
Ensure inspection and testing activities are completed in accordance with documented procedures.
Verify measurement and test equipment is calibrated and fit for purpose.
Support development of inspection criteria and customer-specific quality requirements.
Provide technical support to production teams in resolving quality-related issues.
Act as the subject matter expert for IPC workmanship requirements and electrical assembly inspection where applicable.
Reporting and Business Support
Prepare and maintain quality performance reports and KPI dashboards.
Analyse trends relating to customer complaints, non-conformances, supplier performance, scrap, rework, and audit findings.
Support management reporting and quality performance reviews.
Maintain accurate quality records in accordance with company procedures.
Assist with customer reporting and project quality documentation as required.
Continuous Improvement
Promote a culture of continuous improvement throughout the organisation.
Drive initiatives to reduce non-conformances, scrap, rework, and cost of poor quality.
Support implementation of Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, and other quality improvement methodologies where appropriate.
Mentor and support colleagues in quality principles, problem-solving techniques, and continuous improvement.
Keep informed of relevant industry standards, regulatory requirements, customer expectations, and emerging quality practices.
Provide coaching, guidance, and awareness training to production personnel to continually improve workmanship, soldering quality, and compliance with IPC standards.
Requirements
Experience
Minimum 3 years' experience in a Quality Engineering or Quality Assurance role within a manufacturing environment.
Experience within the subsea, offshore, oil and gas, or other highly regulated engineering industries is highly desirable.
Experience supporting electrical manufacturing processes.
Experience implementing and maintaining Quality Management Systems, preferably ISO 9001.
Experience leading root cause investigations, corrective and preventive actions (CAPA), and continuous improvement initiatives.
Experience conducting internal, supplier, and customer audits.
Experience working with customer quality requirements, Inspection and Test Plans (ITPs) and Manufacturing Record Books (MRBs) is desirable.
Experience supporting shop floor manufacturing operations and driving in-process quality improvements is highly desirable.
Experience with electronic assembly, soldering inspection, and IPC workmanship standards is highly desirable.
Skills
* Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills.
* Strong communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to influence stakeholders at all levels.
* Excellent attention to detail and commitment to quality standards.
* Strong organisational and time management skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities.
* Ability to lead investigations and facilitate root cause analysis.
* Strong report writing and technical documentation skills.
* Proficient in Microsoft Office applications and quality management systems.
* Ability to interpret engineering drawings, specifications, standards, and technical documentation.
* Strong stakeholder management and cross-functional collaboration skills.
* Ability to identify risks and implement practical quality improvements.
* Ability to work independently while contributing effectively within a team environment.
* Strong understanding of electrical assembly workmanship and soldering quality standards.
* Ability to coach and influence Technicians to improve workmanship and in-process quality standards.
Knowledge
* Thorough understanding of Quality Management Systems (ISO 9001).
* Knowledge of quality assurance and quality control principles within a manufacturing environment.
* Understanding of engineering and manufacturing processes, including electrical assembly.
* Knowledge of inspection techniques, measurement systems and calibration.
* Understanding of statistical process control, quality improvement methodologies, and risk management techniques.
* Knowledge of ITPs and MRBs.
* Understanding of material certification and full product traceability requirements.
* Engineering or Quality-related qualification preferred.
* Lead Internal Auditor qualification desirable.
* Knowledge of IPC standards (e.g. IPC-A-610 and/or J-STD-001) is highly desirable, with IPC certification preferred.
Salary- circa £40K
Salary description
£38000.00 - £40000.00 per year