Principal Quality Engineer

Background

The world around us is experiencing significant change, the greatest in generations. At Motion Applied, we’re accelerating the response to that change. Our vision is that our people and technologies will pioneer a better future. Our mission is to achieve breakthroughs in performance. We’re at the cutting edge of innovation in industries including automotive transportation and motorsport. We create solutions that drive efficiency and cost-effectiveness.

Purpose of the Role

To provide senior technical leadership across Supplier, Production and Customer Quality within Motion Applied, owning complex quality issues throughout the end-to-end product lifecycle. The role drives robust problem solving, risk reduction and continuous improvement, ensuring products and processes meet the highest standards and the needs of both internal and external customers. The Principal Quality Engineer is accountable for defining best practice, coaching technical teams and delivering sustainable quality improvements across the business.

Responsibilities

• Act as a recognised technical expert, applying advanced quality knowledge to develop processes and introduce effective tools and techniques across Supplier, Production, Customer and Part Approval Quality.
• Lead complex customer and field-return investigations, ensuring clear containment, robust root cause analysis and effective corrective and preventive actions.
• Provide technical ownership of the non-conforming material (NCM) process and support the effective operation of the Material Review Board (MRB).
• Lead high-priority 8D investigations, guiding cross-functional teams through problem definition, containment, root cause, corrective action and effectiveness verification.
• Support critical programmes by identifying quality risks, defining mitigation plans and ensuring risks are captured and actively managed through programme governance.
• Plan and conduct risk-based internal, supplier and process audits, ensuring findings are converted into timely and sustainable improvements.
• Develop and report quality performance metrics, using data and trend analysis to drive action plans aligned with business KPIs.
• Provide technical leadership for APQP, PPAP, supplier approval and product assurance activities, ensuring requirements and evidence are complete, robust and proportionate to risk.
• Contribute to the development and deployment of Quality strategy, standards and best practice across the organisation.
• Support the maintenance and continual improvement of the QMS, ensuring Supplier, Production, Customer Return and Change Control processes remain aligned, effective and compliant.
• Champion continuous improvement and zero-defect thinking in accordance with the ISO 9001 certified quality management system and applicable IPC Class 3 requirements.