Supplier Quality Engineer

Owen Daniels are supporting a well-established and highly regarded engineering and manufacturing business, supplying technically advanced products into global industrial markets. As part of continued growth and a focus on operational excellence, they are looking to appoint an experienced Supplier Quality Engineer to strengthen supplier performance, product quality and manufacturing readiness across the full product lifecycle.

This is an excellent opportunity for a quality professional with a strong background in supplier quality, manufacturing engineering and new product introduction, ideally gained within a complex mechanical or electro-mechanical manufacturing environment.

The Role

The Supplier Quality Engineer will play a key role in ensuring supplier capability, component quality and process compliance from product design and development through to build, validation and full production release. Working closely with Engineering, Procurement, Operations and external suppliers, you will support both new and existing product programmes, driving quality improvements and robust supplier performance across the supply chain.
This role will suit someone who is comfortable operating at the interface of design, manufacturing and supplier development, with a proactive and hands-on approach to quality assurance and continuous improvement.

Key Responsibilities

• Manage supplier quality activities across the full product lifecycle, from design and development through to production build and ongoing manufacturing support
• Support supplier selection, qualification and approval processes, ensuring suppliers meet technical, quality and delivery expectations
• Work with design, manufacturing and procurement teams to ensure quality requirements are clearly defined and effectively communicated to suppliers during new product introduction and change management activities
• Conduct supplier audits, capability assessments and process reviews to ensure compliance with quality standards, manufacturing controls and customer requirements
• Drive supplier APQP activities, including PPAP submissions, FMEA reviews, control plans, process flow reviews and first article inspection activities where required
• Investigate supplier-related non-conformances, quality escapes and manufacturing issues using structured problem-solving tools such as 8D, 5 Why, Ishikawa and root cause analysis
• Lead and support corrective and preventive actions with suppliers, ensuring robust containment, permanent corrective action and verification of effectiveness
• Monitor supplier quality performance through KPIs, scorecards, reject trends, SCARs and ongoing performance reviews
• Work closely with manufacturing and operations teams to resolve build issues, component quality concerns and process-related non-conformances impacting production
• Support engineering change control, validation builds, pre-production trials and production readiness activities from a supplier quality perspective
• Review drawings, specifications and technical documentation to ensure supplier requirements are fully understood and achievable in manufacture
• Identify opportunities for supplier development, process improvement, cost of poor quality reduction and risk mitigation across the supply base
• Ensure compliance with internal quality systems, customer standards and relevant industry requirements

Candidate Requirements

• Proven experience in a Supplier Quality Engineer, Supplier Development, Manufacturing Quality or similar quality engineering role within a manufacturing environment
• Strong experience supporting products from design/development through to build, validation and production
• Background working with machined, fabricated, cast, assembled or electro-mechanical components in a regulated or quality-driven manufacturing business
• Experience of supplier audits, supplier development and managing supplier quality issues in a structured and commercially aware way
• Good understanding of APQP, PPAP, PFMEA, Control Plans, FAIR/FAI and problem-solving methodologies
• Able to interpret engineering drawings, specifications, BOMs and technical requirements
• Experience supporting NPI / NPD / product transfer / design-to-manufacture activities
• Strong working knowledge of quality systems and continuous improvement tools
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to influence both suppliers and internal teams
• Practical, detail-focused and confident working in a fast-paced engineering/manufacturing environment

Desirable

• HNC/HND or Degree qualified in Engineering, Manufacturing, Quality or a related discipline
• Lead Auditor / Internal Auditor training
• Experience within pumps, rotating equipment, fluid handling systems, industrial machinery, precision engineering or other complex engineered product environments
• Familiarity with ISO 9001 and structured quality management systems
• Six Sigma / Lean manufacturing exposure would be advantageous

What’s on Offer

• Opportunity to join a respected engineering and manufacturing business with a strong product portfolio and international reach
• Broad role with involvement across supplier quality, NPI, manufacturing and continuous improvement
• Supportive environment with scope to influence quality standards and supplier performance
• Competitive salary and benefits package
• Long-term career development within a technically strong organisation

If you are an experienced Supplier Quality Engineer with a background in managing supplier quality across the journey from product design through to build and production, we would be keen to hear from you.