Quality Assurance Associate

Job description

**Definition:** Ensures incoming parts from supply chain companies and internally produced components meet the quality standards and systems required. **Overall Purpose of the Role:** Responsible for ensuring that the products produced meet quality standards required to minimize quality costs and maximize customer satisfaction whilst ensuring that procedures and processes are adhered to. Ensure incoming materials meet required quality standards. Responsible for identifying and raising quality issues and for speedily resolving them to ensure zero impact to the customer. Support new product introductions to ensure the robustness of product builds. Work in a team environment to develop and implement best practices that emphasize defect prevention, reduction in variation and waste and provide for continuous improvements in meeting all customer requirements. Manage the customer specific requirements and offer technical support. Responsible for multiple highly complex major projects requiring innovative original solutions where results are key to successful completion of major projects. Work mostly independently with minimal supervision and work is reviewed at project milestones and/or on completion by Senior Management. **Key Responsibilities: General and Task Management** - Manage all quality-related issues within the manufacturing team (e.g. internal, supplier, customer and customer warranty) - Identify root cause and instigate permanent corrective actions for product quality issues - Work with internal and external stakeholders to resolve quality issues that arise as quickly and efficiently as possible to prevent compromising quality and safety standards - Carry out product and process auditing - Ensure control plans and associated documentation are implemented effectively and maintained - Monitor and report on quality-related key performance indicators including scrap monitoring, rework levels, parts per million (PPM) figures - Stop production in the event of manufacture of unacceptable goods/processes - Ensure compliance and assist with adherence to the Quality Management system (ISO9001) - Write product test procedures - Undertake special projects as required - Assist with training of quality awareness - Report on Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) in order to adhere to process and prevent occurrence of any non-conformity relating to product, process or system - Assist with first off sample approvals - Promote the use of customer preferred techniques for continuous improvement such as Six-Sigma, Poka-Yoke (Error Proofing) etc. - Participate in cross-functional teams in the development of new products or changes related to current products in meeting customer requirements - Participate in the development and refinement of Design and Process FMEA’s (Failure Mode and Effects Analysis) - Manage the Supplier Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) - Manage and coordinate customer PPM (Parts per Million), supplier PPM, supplier problem solving on time, cost recovery and supplier warranty indicators - Lead quality audits - Keep up with current and developing manufacturing and engineering trends that concern product quality - Undertake special projects as required - Contribute to continuous improvement activities - Quality control of work by appropriate reviews - Support and lead process improvement activities - Write reports and present progress at project meetings and to stakeholders - Achieve goals within budget - Conduct benchmarking studies to determine best practices/designs and future trends - Plan projects or subtasks so they may be tracked and presented - Attend various meetings and action/communicate instructions - Produce written reports and make presentations - Undertake continuous training and development - Perform root cause analysis and resolve problems - Independently determine approach and assigned tasks **People Management:** - Lead and/or support groups of technicians and engineers - Provide guidance to other team members - Train both team and broader organization members **Relationship Management:** - Support regular inspection meetings with representatives from appropriate departments to establish an action plan for improving build quality - Communicate efficiently throughout the shop floor and with own and customer’s management - Liaise and communicate with other departments, customers, suppliers and other service providers **Self management:** - Comply with the Health, Safety and Environmental Policies - Assertive, resilient and welcomes change - Engages interest and participation of others and has a collaborative approach to working with others - Proactively contributes to the team - Is self aware Is resilient, optimistic and open to change - Shows moral courage, openness and honesty in all dealings **Skills & Attributes:** - Exercise substantial initiative/judgment in work methods and interpreting goals - Work independently and is reviewed infrequently with minimal supervision - Self-supervising within the guidance and expectations of divisional management - Knowledge of quality systems and measurement - Strong knowledge of Advanced Product Quality Planning (APQP), Production Part Approval Process (PPAP), Failure Mode and Effect Analysis (FMEA) - Lean Manufacturing knowledge - Knowledge of ISO9001 & understanding of ISO14001 and Health and Safety practices - Understanding of engineering drawings and manufacturing processes - Ability to work in a diverse and dynamic environment - Planning and prioritizing activities - Good communication and interpersonal skills - Negotiation skills - Ability to present data effectively - Problem-solving skills - Team working skills - Analytical skills - Understanding of cost and financial impacts **Qualification and experience:** - Btech manufacturing/engineering degree preferred with minimum 2 years experience - Previous experience in a high volume manufacturing environment, preferably automotive - Experience of working in Quali