Supplier Quality Lead

Job Description

Overview Spirit AeroSystems designs and builds aerostructures for both commercial and defense customers. With headquarters in Wichita, Kansas, Spirit operates sites in the U.S., U.K., France and Malaysia. The company’s core products include fuselages, pylons, nacelles and wing components for the world’s premier aircraft. Spirit AeroSystems focuses on affordable, innovative composite and aluminum manufacturing solutions to support customers around the globe.

Role Purpose Responsible for the management and resolution of all Supplier Quality Compliance and Quality Engineering related issues including:

• Ensure that Supplier Quality is maintained by adherence to Customer and Regulatory requirements.
• Ensure that plans are in place and maintained for compliance audits, surveys and inspections with our suppliers to monitor and report supplier quality related activities to verify their Quality System, product and contract or purchase order compliance.
• Ensure that valid Quality Processes are deployed within the supply chain that drive effective corrective action for all product and process non-compliances.
• Manage the customers (internal and external) in respect of all supplier product quality related issues and ensure the appropriate dialog is maintained throughout.

Responsible for the leadership and problem resolution of supplier quality engineering issues affecting product both in-house and in the supply chain with extended support to Spirit representatives on-site at the customer premises as required.

Work in partnership with the operations and internal Quality Teams to drive a quality mindset and compliance methodology using the designated quality review processes to deliver improvements.

Supplier Quality Lead

This opportunity, based at our Prestwick site offers:

• 37 hour working week (half day Friday)
• Shift premiums up to 33%, where applicable
• Overtime at time and a half, where applicable
• 33 days holiday per year, rising with service
• Annual Bonus related to company performance
• Defined contribution pension scheme (default contributions; 4% employee and 8% employer)

• Virtual GP Service 365 days per year
• Employee Assistance Program
• A wide range of flexible benefits
• Death in service payment (default 4 times basic salary)
• Professional development and growth

• Free car parking
• And more

Responsibilities

• Support the planning and resourcing of quality engineering support for the projects to ensure the execution of all planned arrangements for quality control and quality assurance as appropriate to the business. Managing a team of Supplier Quality engineers who will support both internal and external activities, whilst delivering own objectives for Supplier Compliance, Improvement and Engagement.
• Ensuring key activities are understood and resources balanced to meet multiple requirements both internally and externally.
• Responsible for all people management tasks associated with the Supplier Quality engineering team and support the continuous improvement of the quality engineering activities by developing staff and procedures.
• Manage the deployment of the PDR process across the product quality team and ensure that all quality engineers have a robust set of objectives supporting the business drivers and that there is a direct link to the top-level company objectives as flowed down through function.
• Responsible for ensuring that training and development plans are established and monitored for all team members.
• Accountable for establishing and managing labour and overheads budgets.

Plans, organizes, and conducts audits, surveys, and inspections.

• Carry out approval and audits of our suppliers.
• Ensure audits are undertaken in accordance with audit plans; regularly monitor and formally audit conformance to requirements of quality system, in form of product, and system audits.
• Attend and contribute as required to Strategic Supplier Reviews.
• Plan and discharge quality support to project lifecycle activities, bid support, contract review, quality planning, risk management, supplier evaluation.

• Monitors and reports on supplier quality-related activities to verify Quality System, product and contract, or purchase order compliance
• Report regularly on quality performance, develop targets, analyse factors behind problems and generate solutions. Escalate quality issues within the business review structure.
• Regularly report on the overall effectiveness of the supplier’s quality system, identify areas of improvement and ensure corrective/preventive actions are discharged.
• Prepares, maintains, and reviews applicable Supplier Quality QMS procedures to ensure compliance with customer and government requirements.
• Conducts training programs and coordinates company initiatives to develop and improve supplier performance and productivity. Provides technical expertise, regulatory and compliance advice and Quality Management System coaching to key stakeholders such as company employees, suppliers, and customers.

Represents the company with suppliers.

• The most difficult part of the role is dealing with multiple issues within the supplier premises. This requires an awareness and understanding of the cultural issues which may impact upon operations, thus participating in cultural awareness training and behaving in accordance with this training is a requirement to developing and maintaining appropriate professional relationships within all levels of supplier management.
• To identify and develop a two-way communication process with key stakeholders.
• To understand the organisational structure for the Supplier and Spirit AeroSystems and identify contact maps in order to facilitate the relationship.

Ensures that suppliers manufacturing and Quality Management System, special processes, and products meet purchase contract requirements and applicable regulatory agency and government regulations.

• Ensure product handover paperwork meets customer requirements and regulatory authorities.
• Preparation of first article qualification plans, assist in the first article verification and first article inspection process.
• Ensure, where applicable, the execution of Customer Delegated Source Inspection is carried out where appropriate in a timescale which supports delivery requirements.
• Supports qualification activities with suppliers when gaps are identified or introduced via change process e.g. a process changes from non to special.

Communication / Contacts

• Report directly to Senior Supplier Quality Manager in Prestwick on supplier related activities.
• Liaise with the operational supply chain teams as necessary in relation to delivering quality material, parts and assemblies in line with Operational requirements.
• Liaise with the Engineering team to obtain technical data in support of the supplier delivering on their contractual requirements.
• Actively liaise with both customers and suppliers, both internal and external, to ensure product and process quality problems are quickly contained and effectively rectified.

Ensures that suppliers document and maintain an approved Quality Management System to meet the appropriate company or customer requirements.

• Provide support to the teams (NPI and TOW) for the creation and maintenance of supplier quality documentation including quality plans for new suppliers and customers alike to ensure all site, regulatory and customer quality requirements are identified and met.
• Ensure through supplier compliance audits and reviews that the supplier QMS and associated product and delivery documentation meets both customer and regulatory requirements and is produced, stored and archived in a compliant manner.

Qualifications Knowledge, Skills and Experience

• Qualified to Degree level or equivalent in a related engineering discipline.
• Have 7 years relevant quality/engineering experience within a Quality and Manufacturing Engineering environment.
• Excellent communication and inter-personal skills – interface with Customers and Suppliers.
• Ability to prioritise tasks and work independently. Knowledge of engineering systems and the ability to deploy the Quality Toolset and the Continuous Improvement Toolset – Seven Wastes etc.
• Awareness of drawings and systems as applied within our major customers such as Boeing and Airbus.
• A good working knowledge of Microsoft Packages – Word, PowerPoint, Excel and Access.
• Certified as a lead auditor.

Decision Making Authority

• Decisions based on the achievement of day to day tasks that are in line with the overall team and functional objectives seldom require approval, in fact it is expected that the role should demonstrate a level of leadership, tenacity and positivity to delivering results through the effective management of the team, thus making decisions is part of the role.
• Decisions which impact on other functions or have the ability to impact the supplier of customer through a fundamental change to the agreed site objectives, schedules or EACs will require regular approval.
• The job holder is likely to be responsible for direct reports, indirect reports and contract staff. Will generally be responsible for the leadership of others, for co-ordinating or supervising a team member or team; scheduling hours, checking results, taking actions to ensure quality standards are met and conducting performance assessments on others . click apply for full job details