Senior Quality Engineer, Chassis and Powertrain

Purpose

The Senior Quality Engineer is responsible for driving quality performance across the assigned products and supplier base throughout the full product lifecycle, from supplier development and production readiness through launch, current production and issue resolution.

The primary responsibility for this role is the Chassis vehicle system, with additional execution support for selected Powertrain suppliers and activities within the UK, including the Powertrain Controls interface. The role requires a high level of ownership, practical judgement and technical understanding.

Effective cross functional collaboration to identify quality risks early, develop effective solutions and ensure robust implementation. Working closely with Engineering, Manufacturing, Supply Chain and suppliers, the Senior Quality Engineer will take ownership of quality concerns, drive supplier performance and support the continuous improvement of Quality Engineering processes, standards and practices.

The Role

Supplier Development & Production Readiness

• Support supplier selection by assessing manufacturing capability, process maturity and identify key quality risks and required actions before supplier nomination.
• Apply the Supplier Qualification Framework and lead or coordinate the appropriate APQP, PPAP, audit and production-readiness activities.
• Review key manufacturing controls, including FMEAs, Control Plans, inspection strategy, process capability and validation evidence, challenging gaps and driving actions where controls are not adequate.
• Drive supplier-development actions and ensure significant supplier or manufacturing changes receive appropriate validation and requalification before implementation.

Supplier Execution & Current Quality

• Own Quality Engineering follow-up for assigned suppliers and components  after launch, monitoring performance and emerging risks, proactively driving improvement.
• Lead containment, root-cause analysis and corrective action for significant supplier-related concerns, verifying sustainable prevention of recurrence, including clear ownership, timing and evidence of effectiveness.
• Determine when supplier visits, additional controls, escalation or supplier-development activities are required, using risk and data to determine the appropriate level of response.
• Own and coordinate incoming inspection requirements for assigned parts when defined by the Supplier Qualification Framework or required as part of issue containment, including stock checks, increased inspection and verification of subsequent purchase orders until confidence in product quality is restored.
• Provide local UK execution support for selected Powertrain suppliers while maintaining alignment with the Powertrain system owner and relevant Engineering teams.

Product Quality & Ticket Management

• Own and coordinate the Product-quality ticket landscape for the assigned vehicle system, including Issues, Enhancements, FAR’s (Field Action Requests) and other applicable concerns.
• Ensure concerns are clearly defined, prioritised and progressed with appropriate containment, technical ownership and corrective action.
• Coordinate resolution across Engineering, Manufacturing, Supply Chain and suppliers, clearly escalating significant or ageing risks when progress is insufficient.
• Maintain alignment between supplier-level actions and Product-level resolution, including support to Powertrain activities when assigned.

Quality Documentation & Standards

• Support the development, implementation and continuous improvement of Quality Engineering standards and documentation, using lessons learned from practical supplier and product quality experience.
• Ensure applicable requirements are understood and consistently deployed internally and within the supplier base.
• Capture lessons learned from supplier and Product-quality concerns into standards covering areas such as qualification, APQP/PPAP, inspection, critical characteristics, supplier changes and structured problem solving.
• Promote effective and proportionate quality controls without unnecessary complexity or bureaucracy.

Basic Qualifications

• Strong ownership and a track record of taking complex issues through to effective closure, with the ability to work independently and make sound decisions in a fast-moving environment.
• Practical experience in Quality Engineering, Supplier Quality, Manufacturing Engineering or a related technical environment, ideally within a high-complexity manufacturing environment.
• Hands-on experience working with suppliers and manufacturing processes, with sound structured problem-solving capability.
• Working knowledge of APQP, PPAP, FMEA, Control Plans and production-process qualification, with the ability to apply these tools practically and proportionally.
• Ability to understand engineering drawings, specifications and technical requirements, and translate them into practical quality controls. Previous GD&T experience is a plus.
• Confidence working cross-functionally and constructively challenging suppliers or internal stakeholders when required, whilst maintaining effective working relationships.
• Ability to prioritise in a fast-moving environment, combining a practical, data-driven approach with sound judgement, and focus effort on the highest quality risks.
• Strong communication, curiosity and willingness to develop a detailed understanding of the product and manufacturing process, with the ability to communicate technical quality risks clearly to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience within automotive, motorsport, aerospace or other high-complexity manufacturing environments is essential.
• Chassis or Powertrain experience is advantageous but not essential where strong transferable technical capability can be demonstrated.
• Experience with low-volume, high value, high performance and technically complex products is particularly relevant to the role.

Work Environment

• Onsite