Principal Quality Engineer

Background

The world around us is experiencing significant change, the greatest in generations.

At Motion Applied, we’re accelerating the response to that change. Our vision is that our people and technologies will pioneer a better future. Our mission is to achieve breakthroughs in performance.

We’re at the cutting edge of innovation in industries including automotive transportation and motorsport. We create solutions that drive efficiency and cost-effectiveness.

Purpose of the Role

To provide senior technical leadership across Supplier, Production and Customer Quality within Motion Applied, owning complex quality issues throughout the end-to-end product lifecycle. The role drives robust problem solving, risk reduction and continuous improvement, ensuring products and processes meet the highest standards and the needs of both internal and external customers. The Principal Quality Engineer is accountable for defining best practice, coaching technical teams and delivering sustainable quality improvements across the business.

Responsibilities

• Act as a recognised technical expert, applying advanced quality knowledge to develop processes and introduce effective tools and techniques across Supplier, Production, Customer and Part Approval Quality.
• Lead complex customer and field-return investigations, ensuring clear containment, robust root cause analysis and effective corrective and preventive actions.
• Provide technical ownership of the non-conforming material (NCM) process and support the effective operation of the Material Review Board (MRB).
• Lead high-priority 8D investigations, guiding cross-functional teams through problem definition, containment, root cause, corrective action and effectiveness verification.
• Support critical programmes by identifying quality risks, defining mitigation plans and ensuring risks are captured and actively managed through programme governance.
• Plan and conduct risk-based internal, supplier and process audits, ensuring findings are converted into timely and sustainable improvements.
• Develop and report quality performance metrics, using data and trend analysis to drive action plans aligned with business KPIs.
• Provide technical leadership for APQP, PPAP, supplier approval and product assurance activities, ensuring requirements and evidence are complete, robust and proportionate to risk.

• Contribute to the development and deployment of Quality strategy, standards and best practice across the organisation.

• Support the maintenance and continual improvement of the QMS, ensuring Supplier, Production, Customer Return and Change Control processes remain aligned, effective and compliant.
• Champion continuous improvement and zero-defect thinking in accordance with the ISO 9001 certified quality management system and applicable IPC Class 3 requirements.

Skills & Experience

• Extensive experience developing and improving Supplier, Production and Customer Quality systems.
• Proven experience leading complex internal, supplier and process audits; recognised Lead Auditor training is advantageous.
• Engineering degree or equivalent technical qualification and relevant industry experience.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate complex technical issues clearly and credibly at senior level.
• Strong cross-functional influencing and coaching skills, with experience building effective relationships internally, with suppliers and with customers.
• Advanced analytical and structured problem-solving capability, with practical experience of 8D, root cause analysis, FMEA and statistical methods.
• Proven technical leadership within a multidisciplinary engineering and manufacturing environment.
• Strong understanding of best-in-class quality practices and their commercially focused application.

What we can offer you

In return for everything you bring to the table, we can ensure an exciting, challenging role in a dynamic business surrounded by some of the best people in their respective fields.

At Motion Applied we firmly believe it’s the relationships and friendships we create while working that make us special. We’re also aware that the world is changing and we are part of that change. We all want and need different things from our work and home lives, so, if you have commitments outside of work, we’re open to talking through flexible working options that work for you and us.

• Annual leave (25 days + bank holidays, pro-rated for part time colleagues).
• Enhanced Company Maternity, Paternity and Adoption leave and pay.
• Life assurance to the value of 4 times base salary
• Opportunity to join the Motion Applied Pension Plan
• Company funded individual private healthcare with the opportunity to extend to partner or spouse and/or dependents at a discounted rate.
• Electric car scheme – opportunity to drive a brand-new car in a more affordable way through this salary sacrifice scheme. Employees are eligible to join the scheme after successful competition of their probationary period.

Our values

OWNERSHIP

OPENNESS

BRAVERY

INGENUITY

HUMILITY

Motion Applied are committed to Diversity, Equality and Inclusion (DEI) and promote DEI in all we do. Motion Applied are also members of the UK Government Disability Confident Scheme.