Quality Engineer – Manufacturing
Location : Maidstone
Salary : £35,000 + 5% annual bonus
Hours of Work – Mon to Thurs 8 – 5pm Fri 8 – 1pm
My client who are based in Maidstone are looking for a Quality Engineer to join their client. We are looking for candidates who have got experience working within a Manufacturing environment and has got experience in leading and driving quality assurance and compliance. The Quality Engineer will ensure that moulded components, tooling, processes, materials and supporting systems consistently meet the quality, safety, environmental and regulatory requirements, delivering zero-defect output, customer satisfaction, and operational excellence.
Qualifications, Skills & Experience
HNC/D or Degree in Engineering, Manufacturing, Plastics, Materials or similar discipline
Demonstrable experience within injection moulding production environments
Experience in assembly and testing of electro-mechanical components within medium/high-volume manufacturing
Strong understanding of QMS aligned to ISO 9001:2015, ISO 14001:2015 and structured audit frameworks
Knowledge of Lean Manufacturing principles (e.g. 5S, Kanban, SMED, JIT, Kaizen) and waste reduction
Ability to perform root-cause and structured problem solving (8D, A3, DMAIC)
Experience with ERP/MRP systems (e.g. SAP) particularly for traceability, batch control, NC management and material control
Capable of reading technical drawings, interpreting tolerances and understanding GD&T
Strong communication, influencing and leadership skills
Advanced knowledge of Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)
Key Responsibilities
Ensure all moulded components meet dimensional, visual, functional and compliance requirements
Lead quality control plans, in-process checks, gauge method validation and sampling strategies
Support the specification, maintenance and validation of mould tools (new and repaired)
Support investigations into moulding defects (flash, sink, splay, burn marks, short shots, warpage, weld lines, contamination etc.)
Own the full complaints process from receipt to closure, ensuring fast, data-driven resolution
Maintain complaints logs, metrics and trend analysis, reporting monthly to senior leadership
Ensure corrective actions are sustainable, validated and embedded
Raise, track and close NCRs relating to product, process, supplier, tooling or material
Manage quarantine processes, concessions, deviations and rework plans
Lead quality investigations and ensure effective verification of corrective actions
Provide hands-on quality support to moulding cells, assembly lines and finishing operations
Regularly review standard times, machine parameters, in-process checks and test procedures to drive efficiency and FPY improvement
Apply Lean, Six Sigma and CI toolsets to reduce scrap, waste, downtime and defects
Deliver training on quality standards, inspection techniques, NCR handling, work instructions and visual controls
Support supplier evaluations, audits, corrective actions and qualifications of new vendors
Ensure all work conforms to safety procedures, environmental standards and company policies