Quality Engineer

Quality Engineer Location: Derbyshire Type: Contract (Inside IR35) Rate: Competitive hourly rate About the Opportunity We are working with an established manufacturer in Derbyshire operating in a regulated process environment. The business runs a multi-line production site supplying customers with demanding quality and compliance expectations, and is strengthening its site quality function to support ongoing improvement activity. This is a hands-on, site-based contract role with genuine scope to influence process capability, product quality, and compliance performance from day one. Position Summary As a Quality Engineer, you will ensure that raw and packed materials, manufacturing processes, equipment, and finished products consistently meet defined quality standards. Working alongside Production, Engineering, Supply Chain, and technical teams, you will drive quality improvement initiatives, manage quality risk, and ensure compliance with business, customer, and regulatory requirements. Key Responsibilities * Lead quality risk assessments using recognised methodologies such as FMEA and HACCP, ensuring mitigation plans are implemented and maintained. * Support the qualification and validation of material, process, equipment, and packaging changes to meet quality, process capability, and efficiency targets. * Investigate non-conformances, customer complaints, supplier issues, and batch failures to root cause, implementing sustainable corrective actions and managing containment and disposition of affected material. * Analyse quality and process performance data to identify trends and risks, then lead continuous improvement projects that act on them. * Own quality documentation — developing, reviewing, and maintaining procedures and work instructions, and deploying new or revised standards across the site. * Conduct audits, inspections, and verification activities, and support internal, customer, and certification audits. * Deliver training and coaching to build site-wide understanding of quality requirements and best practice. Knowledge, Experience and Skills Required * Quality experience within a manufacturing environment, ideally chemical, pharmaceutical, food, or a related process industry. * Experience planning and executing qualification and validation activities. * Strong root cause analysis and problem-solving, with a track record of corrective actions that hold. * Confident analysing data to identify trends, with experience in process development and continuous improvement. * Excellent communication and influencing skills — able to engage stakeholders at all levels, lead change across cross-functional teams, and present findings clearly. * Structured, detail-focused approach, with sound judgement balancing quality, compliance, and operational risk. Desirable Experience and Qualifications * Statistical Process Control (SPC). * FMEA, HACCP, or other formal risk management methodologies. * Lean manufacturing tools and continuous improvement techniques. * Packaging development or packaging quality experience. * Quality management systems and ISO standards including ISO 9001, plus internal or lead auditor qualification. * SAP or an equivalent ERP system, and strong Excel for data analysis. Apply To discuss this contract in confidence, including duration, start date, and rate, please apply with an up-to-date CV or get in touch directly