Quality Engineer – Manufacturing

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.

• 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)

• 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