QA Technician

DS Smith Plc; Belper CP; On-site; GBP 21,000 - 32,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

25 days holidays

Pension & life assurance

Employee Assistance Programme

Employee discounts

Cycle to work

Job summary

DS Smith Plc in Belper, UK, is hiring a Quality Assurance Technician to support manufacturing quality, safety, and continuous improvement. The role collaborates with operations to ensure products meet customer expectations and comply with site quality systems.

You will be involved in testing, sampling, audits, and supporting NPI trials, with a focus on right-first-time manufacturing and site-wide quality culture.

Qualifications

• Experience in manufacturing/quality environment.
• Commitment to health and safety and ability to lead by example.
• Strong attention to detail and analytical skills.
• Ability to work independently and in a team.
• Knowledge of quality standards, auditing processes, and regulatory requirements.
• Willingness to learn new skills.

Responsibilities

• Ensure health and safety compliance at all times.
• Manage customer complaints per site procedures.
• Conduct PACE testing sampling and reporting to support KPIs.
• Participate in weekly PACE reviews and drive corrective actions.
• Maintain testing equipment and ensure hygiene in QC Lab.
• Support audits, non-conformances, and rework management.

Skills

Manufacturing experience

Detail oriented

Analytical skills

Teamwork

Problem solving

Communication

Organisational skills

Coaching

Regulatory knowledge

Job description

About the Role

At DS Smith, we’re passionate about delivering quality products, operating safely, and continuously improving the way we work. We’re now looking for a proactive and detail-oriented Quality Assurance Technician to join our team in Belper and play a key role in maintaining the highest standards across our manufacturing operations.

This is an excellent opportunity for someone who enjoys working in a fast-paced production environment, has a keen eye for detail, and is committed to driving quality, compliance, and continuous improvement.

As a Quality Assurance Technician, you’ll work closely with operational teams to ensure products meet customer expectations, support site quality systems, and champion a culture of product safety and right-first-time manufacturing.

Key Responsibilities

• Putting Health & Safety Above All Else, ensuring full compliance with site standards and requirements.
• Managing and processing customer complaints in line with site quality procedures.
• Conducting PACE performance and paper sampling, testing, and reporting to support site and business KPIs.
• Participating in weekly PACE review meetings, analysing performance data, identifying trends, and supporting corrective actions where required.
• Providing technical, hygiene, and quality support across the site.
• Maintaining and calibrating testing equipment to ensure accuracy and reliability.
• Ensuring high standards of housekeeping and hygiene within the Quality Control Laboratory and office areas.
• Supporting new product introductions (NPI), customer trials, internal trials, and watch orders.
• Carrying out routine audits and inspections, identifying non-conformances and supporting corrective and preventative actions.
• Assisting with rework activities and the management of quarantined stock.
• Supporting internal, external, and customer audits.
• Deputising for the Quality Assurance Manager when required.
• Championing product safety, quality excellence, and a right-first-time culture throughout the site.
• Representing DS Smith professionally during customer interactions and site visits.

About You

We’re looking for someone who is enthusiastic, motivated, and eager to develop their career within quality assurance.

You’ll ideally have:

• Previous experience within a manufacturing, production, or quality environment.
• A strong commitment to health and safety and the ability to lead by example.
• Excellent attention to detail and strong analytical skills.
• The ability to work independently as well as collaboratively within a team.
• Strong problem-solving and decision-making capabilities.
• Effective communication and organisational skills.
• The confidence to coach, support, and develop colleagues.
• Knowledge of quality standards, auditing processes, and regulatory requirements.
• A proactive, flexible, and adaptable approach with a willingness to learn new skills

Benefits

• Competitive salary
• 25 days holiday plus bank holidays
• Pension scheme, life assurance and income protection
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Employee Discounts
• Cycle to work scheme

Location

Belper – On-site

Hours

Monday – Friday – 08:30 - 16:30

Contract

Perm

About us

We are DS Smith, together with International Paper, we are a global leader in sustainable packaging solutions and other fibre-based products. We believe a better, more sustainable tomorrow is possible with the right people, who challenge and support one another to enact positive change. We employ more than 65,000 colleagues in North America and Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA), who are experts in innovation, manufacturing, design, sales, sustainability, supply chain, and much more. Together with our customers, we make the world safer and more productive, one sustainable packaging solution at a time. Become part of a world-leading organisation and do your best work with us!

Fair recruitment at DS Smith

To fulfil our purpose of redefining packaging for a changing world, we aim to build a diverse, motivated, and engaged workforce. Our goal is to create a culture of inclusion where everyone is treated fairly, differences are valued, and everyone has an equal opportunity to succeed.

Our people come from diverse backgrounds, bring different perspectives, ideas and experiences to generate unique solutions focused on present and future sustainability challenges. We welcome all candidates to apply, even those not meeting all criteria