NPI Quality Lead

Vibe Recruit Limited; East Hagbourne; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 85,000; Full time

Job summary

Vibe Recruit Limited seeks an experienced NPI Quality Lead for a precision engineering manufacturer supplying nuclear, medical and defence sectors. This senior, hands-on role owns quality delivery across New Product Introduction and major projects in a high-integrity, safety-focused environment.

You will guide APQP and NPI stage gates, author and maintain quality frameworks, and act as the quality authority in cross-functional teams, ensuring traceability and compliance from prototype through

Qualifications

• Full APQP lifecycle leadership.
• NPI quality from prototype to production readiness.
• Experience in regulated manufacturing (nuclear/defence/aerospace) preferred.
• Audit experience internal/external/supplier.
• CAPA and containment experience.

Responsibilities

• Own NPI quality delivery from feasibility to production readiness.
• Act as quality authority within cross-functional teams.
• Drive APQP deliverables through NPI stage gates.
• Author/maintain NPI quality framework: control plans, FMEA and FME procedures, capability and inspection regimes, and the quality gates themselves.
• Assess QMS against customer requirements; conduct gap analysis and implement corrective actions.
• Support accreditation, safety and compliance.

Skills

APQP leadership

NPI quality

FMEA

MSA

Cp/Cpk

Audits

Traceability

NDE/Coatings

Education

Engineering degree

Job description

NPI Quality Lead A Manufacturer of precision engineering products and equipment, supplied into a range of sectors including nuclear, medical and defence, now have an opening for an experienced Quality Engineer familiar with NPI disciplines. This is a senior, hands‑on role that owns quality delivery across New Product Introduction and major projects in a regulated, high‑integrity manufacturing environment with a strong nuclear and safety focus. The role holder takes new products from feasibility through to production readiness, ensuring they are compliant and fully traceable. Much of the work is bespoke, low‑volume and safety‑critical: capability and integrity must be proven on small quantities, and every part matters. The role applies APQP and structured NPI disciplines to this high‑integrity fabrication and requires the confidence to act as the quality authority in front of demanding, safety‑driven customers.

KEY TASKS

• Own NPI quality delivery across new product introduction and major projects, from feasibility through to production readiness
• Act as the quality authority within cross‑functional project teams
• Drive APQP deliverables through the NPI stage gates
• Author and maintain the NPI quality framework: control plans, FMEA and foreign material exclusion (FME) procedures, capability and inspection regimes, and the quality gates themselves
• Assess the quality management system against customer requirements, conduct gap analysis, and author and implement the procedures needed to close any gaps
• Support accreditation, safety and compliance

EXPERIENCE & QUALIFICATIONS

• Full APQP lifecycle leadership
• Hands‑on authoring of quality procedures and processes from first principles
• NPI quality delivery from prototype through to production readiness
• Non‑conformance investigation, containment and corrective action
• Internal, external and supplier audits
• Core quality tools: FMEA, MSA, SPC and capability studies (Cp/Cpk)
• Lifetime Records, lot traceability and material certification
• Special processes such as welding, NDE or coatings
• Knowing where engineering (design) control ends and manufacturing (process) control begins, and managing the interface between them

DESIRABLE SKILLS

• Quality engineering within regulated manufacturing, including demonstrable ownership of APQP and NPI quality delivery
• Degree, HND or HNC in an engineering or related discipline, or equivalent demonstrable experience
• ISO 9001 lead auditor qualification (desirable)
• Chartered Quality Institute membership or Six Sigma certification (desirable)

REGULATORY AND SECTOR EXPERIENCE

• Experience of NPI quality in a regulated, high‑integrity sector (nuclear, defence, aerospace, pressure equipment or similar) is essential.
• Readiness to operate under a customer holding witness, hold and approval rights is expected; direct experience of doing so is an advantage.
• Depth of experience and proven, hands‑on ownership of NPI quality are essential.