Senior SQA Engineer

Ricardo is a trusted engineering partner specialising in complex propulsion, driveline, and energy systems. We work with customers globally to deliver end-to-end solutions from initial design through to full production. For over 110 years, we have been at the forefront of world changing engineering innovation, partnering with many of the world’s most ambitious organisations to improve performance, push boundaries, and accelerate progress.Headquartered in Shoreham by Sea (UK), Ricardo brings together more than 1,000 experts and delivers in excess of 200 major programmes globally at any given time. For more information, visit www.ricardo.com 

The successful candidate will be rewarded with the opportunity to be a key member of a team with a broad remit to support the quality of New Product Introduction (NPI) and Series Production across projects within the Manufacturing division of Ricardo.  This division specialises in delivering niche powertrain products to many premium brand customers. Ricardo also supplies all engines for McLaren’s range of sports and super cars from its Shoreham Technical Centre in West Sussex.

Job Description

As a Senior Supplier Quality Assurance Engineer, you will be responsible for the quality of purchase parts, from concept to series production for the suppliers and projects you are assigned. Working alone or as part of a team, traveling in the UK and overseas, your key objectives will include (but not limited to):

• Forming healthy relationships to promote responsiveness and influence in the supply chain and internally at Ricardo
• Auditing suppliers and contributing to the nomination process
• Supplier Quality Assurance activities within the supply chain including: APQP, PPAP, supplier assessment audits, product and process audits and surveillance visits.
• Supporting both production and new product introduction
• Problem resolution of parts quality issues working with suppliers using 8D and other automotive industry tools
• Creating and managing customer quality requirements that can be cascaded to the supply chain
• Generating goods receiving inspection documents for pre-production and production phases
• Series process and part approval at product launch
• Working closely with procurement, design and system engineers to achieve parts that are cost effective, fit for purpose and to the required quality standard
• Management of supplier quality performance, including verification and implementation of corrective actions.
• Analyse supplier performance data and develop improvement plans
• Monitor and analyse supplier performance data to identify improvement opportunities
• Managing the parts quality implications of product and process changes
• Reporting status against project targets internally and customer facing
• Actively participating in continuous improvement by developing and introducing new quality focussed processes and procedures to Ricardo
• Complying with internal processes and procedures aligned to IATF 16949 requirements
• Supporting and attending production and NPI meetings

Relevant Experience and Personal Attributes

Experience of NPI and/or Supplier Quality Assurance or a similar role where skills can be transferred into the objectives described above. Preferably gained within the automotive sector but other industries would be considered. 

Essential

• Achieving PPAP
• Experience with various manufacturing processes and components (e.g. casting, machining, moulding, assembly, fabrications) and measurement techniques
• Experience and understanding of geometric design & tolerancing.
• Experience of quality systems, quality tools & techniques
• Experience in using Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
• Engineering degree or equivalent experience
• Ability to work as a team or on your own and be self-motivated.
• A good communicator with intercultural and interpersonal skills together with the ability to communicate and present effectively to suppliers and clients at all levels
• Excellent problem-solving skills, using 8D process and other automotive industry tools
• Tenacity, resilience, and focus
• Attention to detail and strong analytical decision-making skills
• Ownership mindset, taking responsibility for outcomes and being empowered to make the decisions that will lead to those outcomes

Preferred

• Knowledge of automotive technology and product development
• Lead Auditor trained to ISO 9001 and or IATF 16949
• Knowledge of IATF 16949 and APQP.
• Hands-on experience of lean manufacturing & six sigma

You will be warmly welcomed into our workplace where every voice matters. We are diverse thinkers and doers, coming together to create a culture of inclusion. We will support you to find your place. We will encourage you to use your passion and expertise to make a positive impact through the projects you work on. Your knowledge and desire to bring about change will be invaluable in helping deliver innovative solutions that support communities across the globe in becoming safer and more sustainable.

We offer flexible approaches to work, whether that is working from home, being in the office, or as a hybrid worker. We're happy to discuss flexible working arrangements. Wellbeing is at the core to our culture, allowing employees to flourish and to achieve their full potential.

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer, we believe in each person's potential, and we'll help you reach yours. We have an ambitious diversity, equality, and inclusion approach as explained here. We value diversity; recognising that a more diverse workforce creates a richer and more varied working environment. Diversity also drives innovation, by allowing us to offer our clients the best consultancy service that we can. As part of our commitment to engage positively and pro-actively with all our employees and to ensure an inclusive culture, we are a recognised as a 'disability confident' employer.

Once you have submitted your application a member of our Recruitment Team will be in touch. Please be aware that the timing can vary dependent on the volume of applications that we receive for each role and in some cases, we may start to review applications prior to the closing date.

Ricardo is a Disability confident employer please advise the recruitment team via recruit@ricardo.com if you require any adjustments to support you throughout the recruitment process.

NB:  All applications must be accompanied by a covering letter detailing how your skill and experience match this role.

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