Supplier Quality Engineer | Lean & Continuous Improvement

Thorlabs; United Kingdom; Remote; GBP 42,000 - 60,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Contributed Pension Scheme

Group Life Cover

Private Health Care

Onsite Parking

Job summary

Thorlabs seeks a Supplier Quality Engineer to lead supplier audits and drive continuous improvement across the supply chain. The role partners with Quality, Purchasing and Engineering to prevent defects and ensure on-time delivery.

You will engage with suppliers on-site, develop corrective actions, and use Lean/Six-Sigma and PFMEA tools to enhance performance. Based at our Ely/Witchford facility, 3+ years in supplier quality is required.

Qualifications

• Degree in Manufacturing Engineering, Process Engineering or Quality Engineering or equivalent.
• 3+ years in an equivalent Supplier Quality Engineering role.

Responsibilities

• Lead supplier audits and present results highlighting risks to the business.
• Visit and support suppliers on-site; raise and validate Supplier Corrective Action Reports.
• Experience with CNC machined parts to tight tolerances and metal finishing (anodising) preferred.
• Drive supply chain improvements via collaborative supplier engagement to reduce waste and prevent defects.
• Utilise Lean, Six-Sigma, Poka-Yoke, MSA, PFMEA to enhance supplier performance.
• Monitor and critique supplier quality data with cross-functional teams to identify improvements.
• Collaborate with Engineering (R&D, NPI, Quality, Manufacturing) on quality programs.
• Create concise supplier action plans with KPIs to track cost/quality/on-time delivery impacts.
• Develop a supplier audit programme with periodic verification.

Skills

Supplier quality engineering

Lean principles

Cross-functional collaboration

Root cause analysis

Problem solving

Education

Manufacturing/Process/Quality Engineering degree

Tools

PFMEA

APQP

PPAP

Job description

Thorlabs seeks a Supplier Quality Engineer to lead supplier audits and drive continuous improvement across the supply chain. The role partners with Quality, Purchasing and Engineering to prevent defects and ensure on-time delivery.

You will engage with suppliers on-site, develop corrective actions, and use Lean/Six-Sigma and PFMEA tools to enhance performance. Based at our Ely/Witchford facility, 3+ years in supplier quality is required.