Supplier Quality Engineer

We’re working with a leading aerospace manufacturing organisation seeking an experienced Supplier Quality Engineer to strengthen their Quality Assurance function. Based around, LA this full-time role sits at the heart of supplier performance, ensuring materials, components, and assemblies consistently meet exacting aerospace standards.

Reporting into senior quality leadership, you’ll act as a trusted partner to suppliers and internal teams alike driving compliance, continuous improvement, and long-term quality excellence across a diverse and technically complex supply base.

As Supplier Quality Engineer, you’ll play a pivotal role in safeguarding product quality from source to delivery. Your responsibilities will include:

• Conducting in-depth process and system audits at supplier facilities to assess compliance with aerospace standards such as AS9100 and NADCAP.
• Qualifying and approving new suppliers through initial audits, capability assessments, and ongoing surveillance activities.
• Developing and managing supplier audit plans, using risk-based approaches and performance data.
• Leading supplier investigations into non-conformances, identifying root causes, and driving effective corrective and preventive actions (CAPA).
• Monitoring supplier quality performance through metrics including FAI/PPAP outcomes, delivery quality, and responsiveness.
• Partnering with engineering, procurement, and programme teams to support new product introductions and supplier readiness.
• Ensuring supplier processes are robust, capable, and well controlled—particularly for critical components and special processes.
• Supporting the creation and maintenance of supplier quality agreements and related documentation.
• Staying up to date with aerospace regulations, customer-specific requirements, and evolving industry best practice.

To succeed in this role, you’ll bring a strong technical foundation combined with the confidence to influence and collaborate across organisational boundaries:

• A Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a closely related technical discipline.
• Typically 3–5+ years’ experience in supplier quality within an aerospace or defence manufacturing environment.
• Solid working knowledge of AS9100, NADCAP, FAI/PPAP, and aerospace quality management systems.
• Proven experience conducting supplier audits;
  Lead Auditor certification would be an advantage.
• Familiarity with special processes such as heat treatment, welding, plating, or NDT.
• Strong problem-solving capability using structured methodologies such as DMAIC, 8D, Fishbone, or 5 Whys.
• Clear, confident communication skills and the ability to build productive relationships with suppliers and cross-functional teams.
• Flexibility to travel up to 30–50%, both domestically and internationally, depending on programme needs.
• Exposure to APQP, DFMEA/PFMEA, and control plans.
• Proficiency with ERP systems (such as SAP), Microsoft Office, and quality tools like Minitab.
• Knowledge of Lean, Six Sigma, or other continuous improvement frameworks (certification beneficial but not essential).