Supplier Quality & Development (SQD) Senior Engineer - Composites

McLaren Racing; Old Woking; On-site; GBP 50,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading automotive company in the UK is seeking a Senior Supplier Quality & Development Engineer to oversee suppliers within the composites commodity area. You will manage the entire lifecycle, ensuring quality and delivery targets are met for advanced composite materials. Successful candidates will have a strong understanding of manufacturing processes and be skilled in driving supplier performance. This role includes a structured career development framework and a comprehensive employee benefits package.

Benefits

Structured career development framework

25 days' holiday plus bank holiday

Enhanced company pension scheme

Discretionary annual bonus award

Private medical insurance and health cash plan

Life assurance 4x your basic salary

Generous parental leave policies

Tax efficient nursery scheme benefit

A range of wellbeing initiatives

Qualifications

• Strong understanding of the end-to-end supply chains within automotive OEM supplier networks.
• Proficient in analysing programme plans and assessing suppliers' capability.
• Skilled in planning and overseeing the full manufacturing process.

Responsibilities

• Manage suppliers across the full lifecycle from sourcing to production.
• Conduct assessments of global supplier sites for composite components.
• Ensure composite suppliers meet programme launch, quality, and delivery targets.

Skills

Understanding of manufacturing processes relevant to composites

Knowledge of automotive OEM manufacturing processes

Ability to influence senior stakeholders

Scenario planning skills

Job description

Overview

As a Senior Supplier Quality & Development Engineer, you will take ownership of suppliers within the Composites commodity area, managing a global supply base for components such as carbon fibre monocoques, body panels, aerodynamic components, structural composites, interior composite trim, and complete composite assemblies. You will manage these suppliers across the full lifecycle—from sourcing and industrialisation through to series production—ensuring launch success and ongoing performance in quality, delivery, and structural integrity. Operating from the UK with a global remit, you will lead industrialisation activities, assess and guide supplier manufacturing processes, and build long‑term capability within the supply chain for advanced composite materials and structures.

What You'll Do

Supplier Sourcing & Qualification

• Ensure non‑IATF16949 suppliers achieve certification in line with nomination plans.
• Collaborate with Engineering and Purchasing to select and nominate capable suppliers that meet programme requirements for structural and cosmetic composite components.
• Conduct thorough assessments of global supplier sites for composite components to ensure competent and reliable supply.

Advanced Product Quality Planning (APQP) & PPAP

• Support and implement APQP for all new toled Composite parts, ensuring timely and robust completion of activities.
• Work with Engineering and suppliers to complete PPAPs (including appearance approval) according to commodity timing plans and track approvals against delivery milestones.
• Provide progress reporting to Purchasing and SQD Programme teams, covering APQP open issues, PPAP pedigree, and delivery forecasts.
• Manage non‑PPAP part concessions to ensure a "Plan for Every Part" is in place for build support.

Design for Manufacturing (DFM) & Process Feasibility

• Collaborate with Engineering and suppliers to refine product designs, focusing on feasibility for composite manufacturing processes.
• Ensure manufacturing processes achieve quality, durability, and visual appearance standards.

Launch & Series Production Support

• Ensure Composite suppliers meet programme launch, quality, and delivery targets.
• Manage supplier performance during series production to maintain PPAP compliance and address quality, cosmetic, and delivery concerns.

Series Supplier Management & Governance

• Conduct annual supplier audits to verify continued compliance with McLaren standards and regulatory requirements.
• Monitor supplier performance through KPIs and quality metrics, ensuring sustained capability and delivery.
• Facilitate regular governance reviews with key suppliers to address risks, elevate issues, and drive continuous improvement.
• Identify critical suppliers and parts requiring cross‑functional engagement and oversight.

Risk Management & Issue Resolution

• Implement risk mitigation strategies to prevent supply chain disruptions and ensure business continuity.
• Identify critical suppliers and parts requiring cross‑functional engagement.
• Drive resolution of major open issues, ensuring supplier senior management is actively involved.
• Deliver quality and capacity verification in line with McLaren Development Process (MDP) targets.

Supplier Development & Continuous Improvement

• Develop and implement improvement strategies with suppliers to enhance performance and capability.

Qualifications

• Strong understanding of manufacturing processes relevant to composites, advanced engineering.
• Strong understanding of the end‑to‑end supply chains within typical automotive OEM supplier networks.
• In‑depth knowledge of automotive OEM manufacturing processes.
• Proficient in analysing programme plans and assessing suppliers' capability to deliver high‑quality components on time, aligned with key project milestones.
• Able to plan and oversee the full manufacturing process at the supplier—from goods receipt to final dispatch—when required.
• Skilled in scenario planning to identify risks and define effective mitigation strategies as needed.
• Ability to influence senior stakeholders within supplier organisations to ensure correct prioritisation and focus.

McLaren Automotive

As part of McLaren Automotive's continued growth and its multi‑propulsion strategy, we are expanding our Supplier Quality & Development (SQD) team. Strengthening the global SQD function will enhance collaboration with suppliers worldwide and reinforce the delivery of robust quality standards across both new and existing vehicle programmes. We don’t simply push boundaries; we completely rethink them.

McLaren Automotive commits to equal opportunity for all. Diversity, Equality and Inclusion is at the heart of our impact, it drives our innovation and enables us to truly create something special.

Benefits

• Structured career development framework
• 25 days' holiday, plus bank holiday. Annual buy & sell up to five days
• Enhanced company pension scheme
• Discretionary annual bonus award
• Private medical insurance and health cash plan
• Life assurance 4x your basic salary
• Benefits you can adapt to your lifestyle, such as discounted shopping
• Generous parental leave policies including market leading maternity leave
• Tax efficient nursery scheme benefit
• A range of wellbeing initiatives, such as employee assistance programme and free financial & mortgage advice