Graduate Lean / Quality Manufacturing Engineer

Graduate Lean / Quality Manufacturing Engineer My client is hiring a hands-on, energetic Graduate Lean / Quality Manufacturing Engineer to raise the bar on product and installation quality across their company - from first order through to "right first time" site completion. This is a brand-new role (not a replacement) reporting directly to the CEO, with genuine scope to shape processes and influence culture in a fast-moving SME environment. Location & package Highbridge, Somerset (factory-based) + approx. 15% time on local installation sites Hours: 08:30-17:00, Monday-Friday Salary: £38,000-£45,000 Holiday: 28 days including bank holidays Free onsite parking Mileage paid for business travel Company pension No home working (this is a practical, on-the-floor role) Highbridge train station is a 5-minute walk from site; enjoy the Somerset Levels and nearby beaches (Burnham-on-Sea / Weston-super-Mare) What you'll be doing Drive continuous improvement across factory and site operations Lead root cause analysis and corrective actions for non-conformities Analyse recurring defects and feed lessons learned back into the business Define quality standards, inspection plans and milestone checklists Carry out in-process and final inspections (factory and site) Support new product/material introductions and improved build methods Support supplier/raw material quality with Purchasing Track quality KPIs (defects, rework, site issues, customer complaints) What we're looking for Postgraduate level (e.g., MSc) in Lean, Quality, Operations or similar Ideally 0-3 years' experience (flexible for the right person) desirable Knowledge of 5 Whys, Ishikawa, CAPA, PDCA and/or DMAIC, Lean, 6 sigma Practical, solutions-first communicator with real drive and energy Apply today if this is you This is a permanent role