SENIOR QUALITY ENGINEER

Location: Daventry, Northamptonshire
Salary: Up to £42,000 per annum
Hours: 37.5 hours per week
Job Type: Full-time, Permanent
Sector: Automotive / Advanced Manufacturing

Workforce Group are working with a highly established specialist automotive manufacturer in Daventry, supporting the recruitment of an experienced Senior Quality Engineer to join their growing engineering and production operation.

This is a genuine opportunity to take ownership of customer and supplier quality within a technically demanding automotive manufacturing environment, working across new product introduction, APQP, PPAP, production launch and ongoing quality improvement.

The business specialises in the design and manufacture of high-end automotive OE components and accessory systems, including specialist exhaust, powertrain and lightweight components. With a strong focus on engineering, innovation, quality and continuous investment in manufacturing technology, you'll be joining a business working on technically interesting automotive programmes rather than high-volume commodity manufacturing.

As Senior Quality Engineer, you will become a key technical quality contact across assigned automotive programmes, working closely with OEM customers, suppliers, production and engineering teams.

You'll have genuine responsibility for driving quality performance from initial development through to production and continuous improvement.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Acting as a key quality contact for assigned OEM customers
• Managing customer quality concerns, non-conformances and concessions
• Leading structured 8D, 5 Whys and Fishbone root-cause investigations
• Managing PSW submissions and supporting customer approvals
• Supporting APQP and new product introduction activities
• Reviewing and approving supplier PPAP submissions
• Managing supplier quality performance and corrective actions
• Conducting and supporting supplier audits
• Identifying and escalating supplier quality, capability and delivery risks
• Supporting new supplier assessment and onboarding
• Leading supplier readiness activities ahead of production launch
• Supporting trial runs, first-off inspections and process validation
• Ensuring quality processes and documentation align with IATF 16949
• Monitoring and reporting quality KPIs
• Working closely with Production, Engineering and Quality teams to resolve issues
• Driving continuous improvement and corrective/preventative actions
• Maintaining a hands-on presence within production and at supplier sites
• Using FARO CMM equipment where required
• Developing measurement programmes
• Working with GD&T, engineering drawings and datum strategies
• Supporting the successful introduction of new automotive products into production

We're looking for an experienced Quality Engineer / Senior Quality Engineer who understands the demands of automotive manufacturing and is comfortable dealing directly with both customers and suppliers.

You'll ideally have experience within an OEM, Tier 1, Tier 2 or specialist automotive manufacturing environment, with a strong understanding of quality systems and new product introduction.

Experience with the following would be highly desirable:

• IATF 16949
• Automotive Core Tools
• APQP
• PPAP
• PFMEA
• Control Plans
• 8D
• 5 Whys / Fishbone
• Customer complaint and non-conformance management
• Supplier quality and development
• Supplier audits
• Engineering drawings and GD&T
• Manufacturing and production processes
• Measurement systems / dimensional inspection
• FARO CMM
• New product introduction / production launch

You'll need to be confident communicating with OEM customers, suppliers and internal stakeholders, while being capable of working independently and taking ownership of quality issues through to resolution.

A full UK driving licence is required due to occasional travel to customer and supplier sites.

This isn't a traditional paperwork-heavy Quality Engineer position.

You'll be working within a specialist automotive engineering and manufacturing environment where quality, engineering innovation and continuous improvement are central to the operation.

The business has a long history within the automotive sector and has worked on programmes involving some of the world's best-known automotive brands, with specialist capability across areas including exhaust systems, powertrain components, titanium and stainless-steel fabrication, tube bending, lightweight materials and automotive accessories.

The company has also invested heavily in its Daventry manufacturing facilities and technology, including dedicated production, distribution and lightweight manufacturing capabilities. Its quality culture has included certification to the automotive ISO/TS 16949 standard, demonstrating its long-standing focus on automotive quality systems and process control.

If you're an experienced Quality Engineer looking to step into a senior position where you can genuinely influence customer quality, supplier performance, new product introduction and production quality, this could be an excellent next step.

Salary up to £42,000 + 37.5-hour week + permanent position + specialist automotive manufacturing environment.

If you have the automotive quality experience we're looking for, get in touch with Workforce Group today.