Kinetic are currently searching for a Supplier Quality Engineer for a leading Automotive Manufacturing business (Remote with Travel) Description: Due to exponential growth within the category a Supplier Quality Engineer is required. This is a 100% remote role, candidates can be based anywhere in the UK. In normal circumstances around 25% of the time would be spend onsite at supplier sites (mainly Netherlands and Germany) but since we're onboarding new suppliers it is expected that this will initially be a lot more. Initial assignment duration is 12 months, a 12 month extension is possible after evaluation. Working in a Category specific team the contractor will be managing APQP (Advanced Product Quality Planning) activity with EMEA suppliers; UK/ European travel will be required to service these suppliers. Contractors will need a valid passport or visa allowing them to travel freely to and from mainland Europe. Must Haves: - Understand PPAP (Product Parts Approval Process) approval process. - AIAG exposure (Automotive Industry Action Group). - Supplier Quality Core Tools experience. - Strong APQP skills. - Supplier maintenance experience. - Exceptional communication skills. - Exceptional stakeholder management skills. The candidate will need to be flexible and have a self-starting attitude with the ability to manage their own workload. A strong collaborator that will manage internal stakeholders from peer to peer through to senior leadership. Job Summary: Assists in the selection, development, management, and assurance of defect-free performance of the Distribution Business' supplier base with the objective of overall quality improvement. Resolves supplier quality issues. Key Responsibilities: Participates in supplier evaluation, selection, and strategic sourcing process development. Assists in the supplier corrective action process including containment, root cause investigation, and corrective action. Ensures suppliers use quality tools effectively. Works with supplier to ensure all product requirements are met. Reviews the supplier quality resources for new product introduction and current products to reduce supplier related issues, improve process capabilities, and ensure timely project launches. Responsible for determining if all requirements are met by the supplier for new or changed products. Measures supplier quality performance according to established procedures; drives appropriate improvements to meet established targets. Facilitates continuous improvement activities to reduce defects. Competencies: Action oriented - Taking on new opportunities and tough challenges with a sense of urgency,, high energy, and dependable enthusiasm. Collaborates - Building partnerships and working collaboratively with others to meet shared objectives. Decision quality - Making good and timely decisions that keep the organization moving forward. Persuades - Using compelling arguments to gain the support and commitment of others. Statistical Foundations - Applies foundational statistical concepts required to run appropriate statistical tests and ensure the quality of data and correctness of the conclusions by using standard practices, choosing the right sample size, confidence level, level of significance, type of test; applies knowledge of statistics in cleansing or modelling such as outlier detection, time series, rank statistics, imputation, probability distribution fitting among many techniques. Problem Solving - Solves problems using a systematic investigation process by leveraging industry standard methodologies to create problem traceability and protect the customer; determines the assignable cause; implements robust, data-based solutions; identifies the systemic root causes and recommended actions to prevent problem reoccurrence. Advanced Product Quality Planning - Leads the technical quality planning and ensures customer satisfaction through structured and measurable processes as defined by industry standard. Dimensional Metrology - Applies dimensional measurement science in the development and application of measurement/inspection processes that deliver capable measurement results, supporting design validation and conformity assessment meeting regulatory, customer and product requirements. Quality System Management - Guides in the practice and application of quality system standards required by international certification bodies, industry specific regulatory authorities and customer's contractually specified requirements Supplier Quality Management - Leads all aspects of supplier quality management; helps develop strategy and collaborative supplier partnerships; identifies supplier innovation capabilities; contributes to supplier audit and certification process; tracks supplier performance metrics and acts to quickly resolve issues to improve supplier quality performance. Project Issue and Risk Management - Understands and Manages the process to identify, assess and prioritize issues and risks using recommended tools and processes to minimize, monitor, and control the probability and/or impact of negative events or to maximize the realization of positive events. Education, Licenses, Certifications: Either: College, university, or equivalent degree / Time served / H/ONC / HND in Engineering or a related technical or scientific subject required. Industry specific experience will also be considered in the absence of a degree or formal qualification. Experience: Ideally 3- 5 years' work experience required BUT CVs at a lower level with the relevant skills will be considered. Kinetic plc is a Recruitment Consultancy with over 40 years of experience of delivering staffing solutions to the engineering, manufacturing and technical industries. Kinetic plc treats all applications with a high degree of care, we review all submissions and will attempt to contact applicants who match the job profile. Those that do not meet the specification may not be contacted but their CV retained to be considered. S&T1