Quality Engineer Cramlington Salary: £45k 10% KPI Bonus A hands-on Quality Engineer with strong experience in electronics manufacturing, supporting product and process quality across the full lifecycle - from development and verification through production and final testing. Skilled in quality assurance, problem-solving, audits, and continuous improvement, with experience guiding a small quality team or supporting technicians on the shop floor. Key Responsibilities Support maintenance and improvement of the ISO 9001 Quality Management System. Participate in internal and external audits (ISO, UL, customer). Maintain quality documentation including procedures, work instructions, and forms. Assist with updating QMS processes and supporting risk-based thinking. Carry out quality checks for: Incoming inspection, SMT and THT processes, manual/automated assembly, electrical and functional testing, final product release Ensure quality controls are in place during NPI and production. Review process changes and deviation requests. Support implementation of control plans and ESD protection measures. Perform in-process and final inspections. Maintain sampling plans and inspection criteria (AQL/risk-based). Support calibration management for inspection and measurement equipment. Carry out incoming quality control for components and materials. Assist with supplier non-conformance investigations and returns. Support root cause analysis and follow up on corrective actions with suppliers. Conduct scheduled internal audits across production, documentation, and processes. Ensure findings are logged, tracked, and closed in collaboration with relevant teams. Provide day-to-day technical support to quality technicians/operators. Assist with training quality processes and raising quality awareness on the shop floor. Facilitate structured problem-solving activities (5 Whys, Fishbone, 8D). Support projects that reduce scrap, rework, and process variation. Utilise statistical tools (SPC, Minitab) for monitoring trends and variation. Analyse KPIs such as PPM, scrap, rework, and defect rate. Key Skills & Competencies Strong knowledge of ISO 9001, IPC standards, UL requirements. Competent with Microsoft Office, SPC tools, Minitab, and ERP/MES systems. Practical, hands-on understanding of electronics manufacturing processes (SMT/THT). Clear communicator, able to work effectively with operators, engineers, and suppliers. Strong analytical mindset, organised, and detail-focused. Certifications (Advantageous) Six Sigma Green Belt ISO 9001 Internal/Lead Auditor IPC-A-610 / IPC-J-STD-001 ASQ Certified Quality Engineer (CQE)