Lead Engineer - Vehicle Audit and Inspection
Salary: £50k-60k
Location: Coventry
The Recruitment Bunker is recruiting exclusively for a Lead Engineer - Vehicle Audit and Inspection for a leading group of companies based in Coventry.
The primary objective of the Vehicle Audit team is to be responsible for overall and final vehicle quality assurance and craftsmanship approval. The team is responsible for creating Vehicle Quality Standards for specification, fit, aesthetics, and performance attributes, ensuring that every vehicle meets those standards. This includes creating a standard, reviewing craftsmanship as part of the product development process, spot-checking built-in quality activities, and completing final inspections of 100% of production vehicles.
As this is a new position, the successful candidate will have the opportunity to create and shape the Vehicle Quality Standard content and appearance, develop a complete benchmarking process, implement infrastructure for recording and reporting non-conformances, and support recruitment and training for the vehicle inspection, audit, and benchmarking team.
Responsibilities
1. Lead the team of inspectors and auditors.
2. Support recruitment and training of new members of the inspection and audit team.
3. Work with production to ensure that all vehicles meet the complete vehicle quality standard in line with product development timing and running changes.
4. Develop the complete vehicle quality standard format and content.
5. Create complete vehicle quality standards for production, shipping, and dealers.
6. Collaborate with Manufacturing Engineering and Production teams to incorporate standards into the production process, supporting a no-fault forward quality culture.
7. Act as a liaison between Vehicle Quality, Supplier Quality, Design, Engineering, and Programmes departments for complete vehicle craftsmanship and quality issues.
8. Conduct vehicle audits to ensure compliance with standards and specifications.
9. Work closely with cross-functional teams to help resolve vehicle quality issues.
10. Complete and run craftsmanship reviews to elevate the quality level of vehicles.
11. Create and run a full vehicle static and dynamic benchmarking process, creating a library to record benchmarking results for future reference.
12. Support product development processes through benchmarking existing and competitor vehicles.
13. Support root cause analysis and corrective action processes to address quality deviations.
14. Drive and support continuous improvement initiatives within inspection and auditing, optimizing efficiency and increasing defect detection.
15. Stay abreast of industry trends and emerging technologies to implement best practices in vehicle quality techniques and management.
16. Collaborate with internal teams to develop and maintain key performance indicators (KPIs) for vehicle quality.
17. Provide technical expertise and guidance to ensure adherence to quality standards.
18. Work in compliance with IATF16949 and ISO9001 standards.
Essential Skills
1. Mechanical Engineering or Automotive Engineering higher-level qualification, or a related equivalent discipline.
2. Proven experience in an auditing role, static and dynamic audits, working on vehicle Quality Assurance within the automotive industry within an OEM.
3. Knowledge of Inspection and auditing processes.
4. Experience of creating and implementing databases and systems for capturing, recording, and analyzing information.
5. Experience of benchmarking competitor vehicles.
6. Knowledge and understanding of ISO9001/IATF16949 and other relevant quality management systems (preferred but not essential).
7. Ability to create and capture processes and work instructions.
8. Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills, with a focus on root cause analysis.
9. Effective communication skills to liaise with internal stakeholders.
10. Track record in leading initiatives and driving improvements.
11. Ability to work collaboratively in a cross-functional environment.
12. Detail-oriented with a commitment to delivering high-quality results.
13. Strong interpersonal and communication skills, both verbal and written.
14. IT literate - Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
15. Clean driver's license.
16. Must have IDLR/Full right to work in the UK - Sponsorship will not be provided.
17. Able to travel primarily within the UK, but if required, overseas.
Please note we do not provide sponsorships to those who require it and will only accept applications from those who have full rights to work in the UK with no restrictions and IDLR/Full Settlement status. Please provide status on applications.
Our inclusive workplace welcomes and values all candidates from all backgrounds. We believe that diversity enhances our ability to innovate and serve our customers effectively. We are an equal opportunity employer and strive to create an environment where everyone feels respected, supported, and able to bring their authentic selves to work. If you require any reasonable adjustments to participate in the recruitment process, please let us know, and we will do our best to accommodate your needs.
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