Contract Type: Permanent

Ricardo - Pushing Boundaries: A World leader in propulsion engineering from concept to production                                                                

Ricardo is a trusted engineering partner specialising in complex propulsion, driveline, and energy systems. We work with customers globally to deliver end-to-end solutions from initial design through to full production. For over 110 years, we have been at the forefront of world changing engineering innovation, partnering with many of the world’s most ambitious organisations to improve performance, push boundaries, and accelerate progress.
Headquartered in Shoreham by Sea (UK), Ricardo brings together more than 1,000 experts and delivers in excess of 200 major programmes globally at any given time. For more information, visit www.ricardo.com 

The Role

This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced quality professional to join Ricardo's Shoreham Technical Centre, supporting production and new product introduction programmes within a dynamic manufacturing environment.

As a Supplier Quality Resident Engineer, you will act as the primary quality interface between suppliers and the manufacturing operation, with a strong focus on shopfloor containment, inspection, material control, and rapid response to supplier-related quality issues.

The role is predominantly site-based and requires close collaboration with manufacturing, quality, engineering, procurement, and logistics teams to ensure supplier quality issues are effectively contained, investigated, and resolved with minimal disruption to production.

Unlike a traditional Supplier Quality Assurance Engineer role, the Resident Engineer will support only a portfolio of lower-priority suppliers, reducing the requirement for frequent supplier visits and development activities and allowing significant focus on production containment, inspection activities, and day-to-day manufacturing support.

The role offers the opportunity to work with leading automotive customers and advanced powertrain technologies, including products supplied to premium automotive brands.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and coordinate immediate containment actions for supplier-related qualityconcerns affecting production.
• Establish, maintain, and manage containment activities including controlledshipping, sorting, rework, segregation, and stock disposition.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for supplier quality issues identified within manufacturing, goods-in inspection, assembly operations and from customers.
• Work closely with production teams to ensure suspect material is rapidly identified, quarantined, and controlled.
• Define and implement temporary containment measures to protect customers and manufacturing operations.
• Support line-side investigations and provide hands-on problem-solving within manufacturing areas.
• Monitor containment effectiveness and ensure timely closure of containment actions.
• Coordinate third-party sorting providers when required.
• Maintain containment records, traceability documentation, and reporting metrics.
• Support escalation processes when supplier issues threaten production continuity.
• Manage day-to-day quality activities for designated low-priority suppliers.
• Review supplier quality performance and support implementation of corrective actions.
• Verify supplier responses to non-conformances and ensure actions are completed effectively.
• Support supplier assessments and audits when required.
• Participate in supplier quality reviews and performance discussions.
• Escalate significant supplier concerns to the Supplier Quality Assurance team where appropriate.
• Collaborate with procurement and suppliers to support quality improvements and risk reduction.
• Lead investigations into supplier-related quality concerns using structured problem[1]solving methodologies including 8D, Root Cause Analysis, 5 Why, FMEA, and similar tools.
• Verify effectiveness of corrective actions through production monitoring, inspection activities, and data analysis.
• Support non-conformance management processes and material review activities.
• Assess the production impact of supplier defects and support risk-based decisionmaking.
• Support engineering and manufacturing teams during investigations into product and process concerns.
• Generate and maintain receiving inspection and containment requirements as necessary.
• Support supplier quality activities during product development and launch phases.
• Assist with APQP and PPAP activities for assigned suppliers as required.
• Support supplier readiness reviews and launch risk assessments.
• Participate in project reviews and support issue resolution during programme introduction.
• Support continuous improvement initiatives focused on reducing supplier-related defects and containment costs.
• Drive lessons learned activities arising from recurring supplier quality concerns.
• Maintain compliance with Ricardo quality procedures and IATF 16949 requirements.
• Contribute to improvements in inspection, containment, and material control processes.
• Promote quality-focused behaviours and proactive problem solving within manufacturing operations.
• Reporting & Communication
• Provide regular updates on containment activities, supplier quality issues, production risks, and recovery actions.
• Maintain containment KPIs, supplier defect metrics, and reporting dashboards.
• Participate actively in production, quality, and operational review meetings.
• Support customer-facing discussions relating to supplier quality issues as required.

Key Competencies and Experience                   

• Engineering degree, HNC/HND, or equivalent relevant experience.
• Proven experience in Supplier Quality Assurance, Quality Engineering, NPI, or a related manufacturing quality role.
• Practical experience with APQP, PPAP, and supplier development activities.
• Experience conducting supplier, process, or quality system audits.
• Strong understanding of manufacturing processes such as machining, casting, moulding, fabrication, assembly, or similar.
• Ability to interpret engineering drawings, specifications, and GD&T requirements.
• Experience using quality tools and methodologies, including 8D, Root Cause
• Analysis, FMEA, SPC, and Control Plans.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making skills.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications, including Excel, Word, and PowerPoint.
• Self-motivated with the ability to work independently and collaboratively in cross[1]functional teams.
• Comfortable handling and assessing manufactured components in a production
• environment, with the ability to support hands-on quality activities as required.
• Ability and willingness to work primarily on-site within a manufacturing environment, with regular interaction across production, engineering, and supplier-facing activities.

Desirable

• Automotive industry experience.
• Knowledge of automotive product development and launch processes.
• Working knowledge of IATF 16949 and customer-specific automotive
• Lead Auditor qualification to ISO 9001 and/or IATF 16949.
• Experience with Lean Manufacturing and Six Sigma methodologies.
• Experience working with international suppliers and global supply chains.
• Experience performing component inspections using basic measurement
• equipment such as calipers, micrometers, height gauges, and other standard
• inspection tools.

Working here

You will be warmly welcomed into our workplace where every voice matters. We are diverse thinkers and doers, coming together to create a culture of inclusion. We will support you to find your place.

We will encourage you to use your passion and expertise to make a positive impact through the projects you work on. Your knowledge and desire to bring about change will be invaluable in helping deliver innovative solutions that support communities across the globe in becoming safer and more sustainable.

Diversity, Equality, and Inclusion statement

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer, we believe in each person's potential, and we'll help you reach yours. We have an ambitious diversity, equality, and inclusion approach as explained here. We value diversity; recognising that a more diverse workforce creates a richer and more varied working environment. Diversity also drives innovation, by allowing us to offer our clients the best consultancy service that we can. As part of our commitment to engage positively and pro-actively with all our employees and to ensure an inclusive culture, we are a recognised as a 'disability confident' employer.

Next steps

Once you have submitted your application a member of our Recruitment Team will be in touch. Please be aware that the timing can vary dependent on the volume of applications that we receive for each role and in some cases, we may start to review applications prior to the closing date.

Ricardo is a Disability confident employer please advise the recruitment team via recruit@ricardo.com if you require any adjustments to support you throughout the recruitment process.