Senior Quality Manager

Senior Quality Engineer 📍 Derby | Manufacturing Environment We are looking for an experienced Senior Quality Engineer to join our team at our Derby manufacturing site. This is an excellent opportunity to play a key role in a fast-paced, high-quality production environment where your expertise will directly influence product performance, compliance, and continuous improvement. As a Senior Quality Engineer, you will be a trusted technical authority, working closely with production, engineering, and supply chain teams to ensure the highest standards of quality are consistently achieved. Working Hours * Monday – Thursday: 8.00am – 4.45pm * Friday: 8.00am – 12.30pm ✔ Early finish every Friday Salary 💷 £45,000 per annum Benefits Package * Competitive salary * Company pension scheme * 25 days annual leave + 8 statutory holidays * BUPA private healthcare * Death in Service benefit * Long Service awards * Free on-site parking Core skills/Attributes needed: Essential: * Minimum of 5 years’ experience within the Aerospace Industry, AS9100 requirements & NADCAP * Minimum of 10 year’s Engineering experience * Experience in lean tools and practical problem solving such as 8D, Kaizen processes * High attention to detail, good problem solver and strong communication skills * In-depth understanding of engineering/technical documentation and specifications * A natural leader, who can motivate and lead with excellent interpersonal skill * Excellent verbal and written communication skills as this is a customer faced role Knowledge and Experience: * Previous Internal auditing experience advantageous * Experience in a quality control environment preferred * First Article Inspection Report experience * Experience of Machining, Fabrications and Treatments * Chemical and special processes knowledge * New Product Introduction & associated tools FMEA, APQP + PPAP Awareness * Ability to resolve issues logically and methodically using proven methods * Self-motivated with a desire to learn Seniority Requirements: A key part of this role will be interacting and communicating with shop floor operators, management and customers, it is essential you can communicate in a clear and concise manner * Setting staff expectation inline with department and company objectives * Ability to prioritise work based on criticality ensuring timescales are met * Development, coaching & Support of others * Manage and lead a team to achieve the set expectations * Manage all quality-related issues within the manufacturing team (e.g. internal, supplier, customer) * Monitor and report on quality-related key performance indicators including scrap monitoring, rework levels, parts per million (PPM) figures, NCR status * Communicate throughout the shop floor, with peers, management and customers * Carry out team supervision, development reviews & annual resource reviews * Confident and effective verbal and written communication and presentation skills Purpose of role and key accountabilities: To provide Quality and Inspection support for both existing and new business opportunities and to develop the Right First-Time philosophy required to become a leading supplier of quality components to the aerospace industry * Maintain quality control within the manufacturing process, in line with business standards and customer requirements * Check and verify the compliance of components produced at all stages within business * Identify reoccurring quality issues and communicate them to the chief inspector along with recommendations * Assist in the 5Why, Non-conformance procedures, RCCA & CAPA quality procedures and produce root cause analysis of product failures * Represent the quality function at team meetings * Support, develop and improve the relationship with quality contacts within our customer base * Support and promote improvement activities to directly benefit product and processes * To work within cross functional teams to support business development, growth and improvement projects as required. * To support, develop, maintain and improve the company’s quality management system and conduct internal audits against the system *To conduct root cause analyses, SPC and other appropriate quality tools and techniques to ensure that the manufacturing processes meet customer requirement * Activities will focus on the internal Quality SQCDP requirements, including closing out actions and reporting against the company requirements * Gardner’s key objective is to ensure Right First Time, Every time! Which is achieved by effective allocation, and any issues are resolved in a timely and effective manner Measurable performance indicators/objectives of role: * The Candidate must also strive to support the elements of the SQCDP framework of the wider Gardner business; * Safety: work in line with all accredited company safety standards in order to provide a safe working environment for all * Quality: support the quality accreditations across the business to ensure the delivery of a ‘right first time’ performance * Cost: support the continuous improvements in cost reduction activities across the company in order to deliver increased profitability and value for money to our customers and stakeholders * Delivery: drive improvement in delivery performance to continually exceed customer expectations and targets * People: support organisational capability and influence cultural change by embracing diversity, inclusion, wellbeing and community Key Performance Indicators: * Reduction in quality escapes from the shop floor with a goal of 0.0004 parts per million * Reduction in second time manufacture failures * Reduction in rework to 0.0004 parts per million * Manage and maintain RCCA & CAPA activities