Quality Improvement Engineer - Contract

Oxford Instruments Plc

Marsh Common

On-site

GBP 42,000 - 58,000

Full time

2 days ago

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Job summary

Oxford Instruments Plasma Technology in Severn Beach, Bristol, seeks a Quality Improvement Engineer for a 6-month contract to strengthen the Quality Management System and drive continuous improvement across manufacturing, engineering, and supplier operations.

You will lead audits, manage SCARs, and partner with suppliers to prevent recurrence while delivering data-driven insights through Power BI and KPI reporting.

Qualifications

ISO 9001:2015 knowledge and experience maintaining a QMS.
Experience maintaining Quality Management Systems (QMS).
Internal auditing experience or qualification.
Strong problem solving using 8D, RCA and 5 Why.
Supplier quality and corrective action experience.
Experience supporting manufacturing environments.
Strong MS Office and SharePoint skills.
Experience with ERP systems (JDE E1 preferred).
Analytical and data interpretation abilities.
Strong communication and stakeholder management.

Responsibilities

Maintain and improve ISO 9001:2015 compliant QMS.
Support document control, process governance and management review activities.
Ensure quality processes remain robust and audit-ready.
Plan and conduct internal audits across processes.
Support supplier assessments and audits.
Drive corrective actions to completion and verification.
Manage Supplier Corrective Action Requests (SCARs).
Investigate issues with suppliers and drive improvements.
Monitor supplier performance and influence long-term quality improvements.
Lead root cause investigations using 8D, 5 Why, Fishbone and other methods.
Implement containment, corrective and preventive actions.
Provide daily quality support to production teams.
Investigate non-conformances and production quality concerns.
Drive Right First Time and defect reduction initiatives.
Review and approve First Article Inspection Reports (FAIRs).
Support engineering changes and product introductions.
Ensure manufacturing and inspection requirements are met.
Analyze quality performance metrics and identify improvements.
Develop Power BI dashboards and KPI reporting.
Support reporting for supplier performance, SCARs, Cost of Quality.
Maintain quality records and documentation in SharePoint and related systems.
Support document governance and migration activities.

Skills

ISO 9001 knowledge

Internal audit experience

Root cause analysis

Supplier quality management

ERP systems (JDE E1)

SharePoint

Power BI

Data analysis

Stakeholder management

Communication skills

Tools

JDE E1 ERP

Power BI

SharePoint

Excel

Job description

As a Quality Improvement Engineer, you will be responsible for supporting and enhancing our Quality Management System while driving continuous improvement initiatives across manufacturing, engineering, supply chain and supplier operations. This is a highly visible role where you'll work closely with internal stakeholders and external suppliers to identify root causes, implement corrective actions, improve quality performance, and ensure compliance with ISO 9001 standards.

Key Responsibilities

Maintain and improve our ISO 9001:2015 compliant Quality Management System.
Support document control, process governance, and management review activities.
Ensure quality processes remain robust, effective, and audit-ready.

Lead Audits & Compliance Activities

Plan and conduct internal audits across operational and business processes.
Support supplier assessments and audits.
Drive corrective actions through to successful completion and verification.

Improve Supplier Quality

Manage Supplier Corrective Action Requests (SCARs).
Partner with suppliers to investigate issues, drive improvements, and prevent recurrence.
Monitor supplier performance and influence long-term quality improvements.

Solve Complex Quality Challenges

Lead root cause investigations using 8D, 5 Why, Fishbone and other structured problem-solving techniques.
Implement effective containment, corrective and preventive actions.
Ensure sustainable solutions are delivered and embedded.

Support Manufacturing Operations

Provide daily quality support to production teams.
Investigate non-conformances and manufacturing quality concerns.
Drive Right First Time (RFT) initiatives and defect reduction programmes.

Support New Product Introduction

Review and approve First Article Inspection Reports (FAIRs).
Support engineering changes and product introduction activities.
Ensure manufacturing and inspection requirements are achieved.

Deliver Insight Through Data

Analyse quality performance metrics and identify improvement opportunities.
Develop and maintain Power BI dashboards and KPI reporting.
Support reporting for supplier performance, SCARs, Cost of Quality and operational quality metrics.

Manage Quality Systems & Documentation

Maintain quality records and documentation within SharePoint and related systems.
Support document governance, migration activities and compliance requirements.
Utilise ERP systems to manage quality-related reporting and transactions.

This role sits at the heart of our quality function and will be instrumental in supporting key initiatives around:

ISO 9001 compliance
Supplier quality improvement
SharePoint and document control enhancement
SCAR and corrective action management
FAI activities
Power BI reporting and data analysis
Production quality support

If you enjoy improving processes, influencing change, and delivering measurable business improvements, we'd love to hear from you.

Are you passionate about driving quality excellence, solving complex problems, and making a real impact in a high-technology manufacturing environment?

Requirements

Working knowledge of ISO 9001:2015.
Experience maintaining Quality Management Systems.
Internal auditing experience or qualification.
Strong problem-solving skills using tools such as 8D, Root Cause Analysis, and 5 Why.
Supplier quality and corrective action experience.
Experience supporting manufacturing or production environments.
Strong Microsoft Office and SharePoint skills.
Experience working with ERP systems (JDE E1 preferred).
Excellent analytical and data interpretation abilities.
Strong communication skills and stakeholder management experience.

Desirable Experience

Power BI dashboard creation and reporting.
Lead Auditor qualification.
Experience within semiconductor, scientific equipment, or high-technology manufacturing environments.
Knowledge of FAI/FAIR requirements and APQP tools.

Desired Personal Attributes

Detail-oriented and quality-driven
A natural problem solver
Analytical and data-focused
Collaborative and influential
Customer-focused
Organised and able to manage multiple priorities
Passionate about continuous improvement

At Oxford Instruments Plasma Technology, we are looking for a Quality Improvement Engineer to join our team in Severn Beach, Bristol. This is an exciting 6-month contract opportunity, with the potential to extend or convert to a permanent position. This is an exciting opportunity to play a key role in improving products, processes, and supplier performance while supporting the development of technologies that help shape the future of healthcare, clean energy, advanced electronics, and quantum computing.

Whether you are an experienced Quality Engineer seeking your next challenge or a quality professional looking to apply your expertise in a world-class engineering environment, this role offers the chance to influence quality performance across the entire business.

Why Join Oxford Instruments?

At Oxford Instruments Plasma Technology, we develop cutting-edge process solutions that enable our customers to research and manufacture advanced materials and semiconductors. Our technologies are helping drive innovation in areas such as: