Quality Engineer

Mission: To develop and assure the application of an adequate control system aimed to guarantee the customer expected quality.

The Role:

You are part of a dedicated Quality Inspection team, responsible for ensuring that:

• Quality process controls are properly engineered, based on ISO:9001 rules, Customer Specific Requirements, feasibility analysis, and PFMEA results.
• Quality process controls are in place and are operating as specified to ensure the expected quality, operating in a safe, clean, and well-ordered environment (5S Approach).
• Inspection under direct quality staff responsibility at all stages of production against the design specification is carried out.

This is a hands-on position, mainly related to inspection, where flexibility and a desire to constantly improve are the most relevant soft skills to assure systematic company improvement.

The role requires a strong cross-functional relationship to communicate key issues effectively on a regular basis to all staff, customers, and suppliers.

Necessary Competences:

It is preferable to have:

• A HNC (Higher National Certificate) / HND (Higher National Diploma) with elements mainly on mechanical and quality qualifications.
• Experience in quality control in the automotive field, particularly on machined components.
• CMM programming using QCT software, online and offline.

Level 1 – Basic Knowledge:

• Interpretation of mechanical drawings (ISO Standard). Knowledge of geometric dimensions and tolerances GD & T.
• Ability to select and use basic measuring equipment, micrometers, calipers, protractors, etc.
• Ability to use standard gauging including plug, gap, acceptance, etc.
• CNC CMM operating (selecting and running programs).
• Ability to interpret and understand specific customer quality standards and requirements.
• Very basic knowledge of ISO:9001.
• Basic IT skills, including Microsoft Office and very basic company bespoke process management software.

Level 2 – Intermediate Knowledge:

• All Level 1 knowledge.
• Calibration of measuring equipment and gauges.
• Self-motivated and able to manage time in accordance with meeting customer deadlines/deliveries.
• Basic IT skills, including MS Office and proficient Excel skills and the company bespoke process management software.
• Ability to provide Quality Assurance support on Automotive quality tools and best practices in a fast-paced engineering environment (ISR – Initial Sample Reports, balloon drawings, control plans, 8D reports, Deviation and Concession Requests, AIMs – Action In Manufacturing, etc.).

Level 3 – Advanced Knowledge:

• All Level 1 and 2 knowledge.
• CMM full programming capability, also on complicated mechanical components like gearboxes. Creating CMM programs and ensuring that they are correct and meet the requirements of the drawing and/or specification.
• Basic IT skills, including MS Office and particularly strong Excel skills (design a spreadsheet, set up filters and conditional formatting, design a Pivot table) and the company bespoke process management software.
• Ability to carry out MSA studies.
• Advanced knowledge of ISO:9001.
• Basic knowledge of TS16949 quality systems.
• SPC – Statistical Process Control, including QS-Stat (SPC Software).
• Ability to provide Quality Assurance management on Automotive quality tools and best practices in a fast-paced engineering environment (ISR – Initial Sample Reports, balloon drawings, control plans, PFMEAs, 8D reports, PPAPs documentation, Deviation and Concession Requests, AIMs – Action In Manufacturing, etc.).

Responsibilities and Duties of the Quality Engineer:

Level 1:

• First off inspection.
• In process inspection.
• Running CMM programs.
• Keep the Quality areas in order and clean according to the 5S method.

Level 2:

• All responsibilities and duties at Level 1.
• Calibration – Internal and external controls, booking of external calibration activities.
• Control of non-conforming product, ensuring that parts are correctly entered into casting and setting registers and reporting details to management.
• In case, under supervision, edit and modify Automatic CMM programs and carry out probe qualification in an autonomous way, etc.
• Support the Quality Manager on Automotive quality tools and best practices application.
• Identify and recommend potential improvements at the quality system, for example at the control plans, quality instructions, PFMEAs, in order to welcome lessons learned and new requirements.

Level 3:

• All responsibilities and duties at Level 1 and Level 2.
• Producing programs on the CMM coherently with drawings, customer specific requirements and the specific machining process characteristics.
• Carry out Feasibility Study on new or modified drawings.
• Drawings and specification check on status to be online with the last updated released applicable version.
• Supplier performance monitoring – checking of all quality related subcontract deliveries (incoming inspection) and recording its status in an excel file. Keeping the Data analysis spreadsheet up to date, including the material received free of charge by customers.
• Manage Automotive quality tools and best practices application in a fast-paced engineering environment.
• Identify and apply potential improvements at the quality system, for example at the control plans, quality instructions, PFMEAs, in order to welcome lessons learned and new requirements.
• Liaising with customer SQA – Supplier Quality Assurance.