Machining Quality Engineer – Precision Inspection Lead

Vatn Systems; Bristol; On-site; GBP 45,000 - 65,000; Full time

Job summary

Vatn is seeking a Quality Engineer (Machining) focused on hardware inspection to lead inspection strategy, GD&T guidance, and CMM programming in the shop environment. You will ensure tight tolerances, review drawings, and drive measurement improvements for in-house and supplier parts.

You will collaborate with machinists and mechanical engineers to align designs with manufacturing capability and support increasing production rates through robust quality processes.

Qualifications

• Expertise in GD&T and real-world shop-floor inspection.
• Experience programming and operating CMMs.
• Experience with precision machined components and tight tolerances.
• Hands-on inspection with a wide array of measurement tools.
• Ability to confidently interpret engineering drawings.
• Experience defining, scaling, or improving inspection processes for production.

Responsibilities

• Develop robust inspection plans for complex machined parts, including First Article Inspections and high-volume production sampling strategies.
• Perform comprehensive inspections on in-house manufactured components and outsourced hardware from external suppliers.
• Program and operate CMM and other measurement systems to inspect high-complexity components.
• Define measurement approaches for tight tolerance features.
• Establish and document repeatable measurement methods across production runs.
• Review engineering drawings prior to release to identify tolerance stack risks, unclear/conflicting GD&T, and manufacturability issues.
• Provide GD&T guidance to the mechanical engineering team.
• Translate design intent into practical inspection and manufacturing requirements.
• Document non-conformances and out-of-tolerance conditions on outsourced parts, providing clear and actionable inspection data to drive vendor corrective actions.
• Define in-process inspection requirements within machining workflows.
• Advise and train CNC Operators on proper techniques for manual, in-process hand inspections.
• Identify and resolve sources of shop-floor variation, including tool wear, setup variability, and process instability.
• Lead root cause analysis for out-of-tolerance conditions on the floor.
• Establish tactical, machining-focused quality processes from the ground up (gauge control, inspection frequency, documentation standards).
• Interface collaboratively with the broader Quality organization, who handles overarching product QMS.

Skills

GD&T expertise

CMM programming

Shop-floor inspection

Drawing interpretation

Root-cause analysis

Cross-functional collaboration

Machining knowledge

Tools

Zeiss CMMs

Calypso

Job description

Vatn is seeking a Quality Engineer (Machining) focused on hardware inspection to lead inspection strategy, GD&T guidance, and CMM programming in the shop environment. You will ensure tight tolerances, review drawings, and drive measurement improvements for in-house and supplier parts.

You will collaborate with machinists and mechanical engineers to align designs with manufacturing capability and support increasing production rates through robust quality processes.