Quality Engineer

Process Engineer/Quality Specialist - Automotive Manufacturing Location: Basildon, Essex (On-site) Salary: Circa £45,000 + benefits Overview We are supporting an established European manufacturing business as they launch a brand-new UK production facility in Basildon, focused on plastic injection moulding and paint shop operations for the automotive sector. As part of the site launch, we are looking for a hands-on Process Engineer with strong manufacturing and production process experience who is looking to develop further into a broader quality-focused position over time. This is an excellent opportunity to join a growing operation at an early stage and play a key role in helping establish production standards, process controls, and operational quality across the site. The Role The Process Engineer will support the setup, optimisation, and ongoing improvement of manufacturing processes across injection moulding and paint line operations. Working closely with production and plant leadership, you will help ensure process stability, quality standards, and operational efficiency across the facility. The role would suit someone from a process engineering, production engineering, or manufacturing engineering background who has exposure to quality processes and is keen to grow into a broader quality and operational leadership role as the plant scales. Key Responsibilities Process & Production Support - Support setup and optimisation of manufacturing processes across moulding and paint operations - Monitor process performance, scrap, downtime, and production efficiency - Support troubleshooting and root cause analysis for production issues - Assist with process documentation, operating procedures, and production standards Quality & Continuous Improvement - Support implementation of quality standards and process controls - Work closely with production teams to improve consistency and reduce defects - Participate in continuous improvement initiatives across the site - Assist with audits, inspections, and production quality activities Operational Support - Work closely with production, tooling, and maintenance teams - Support commissioning and ramp-up activities during the site launch phase - Help establish best practices and operational workflows as the facility grows Candidate Profile Essential - Experience within automotive or manufacturing production environments - Background in: • Process Engineering • Manufacturing Engineering • Production Engineering • or similar operational/process-focused roles - Exposure to plastic injection moulding and/or paint line environments - Strong hands-on approach and shopfloor presence - Good understanding of manufacturing KPIs, process control, and continuous improvement Desirable - Exposure to automotive quality standards or quality processes - Experience supporting process improvement or operational optimisation projects - Lean Manufacturing / Six Sigma exposure beneficial Personal Attributes - Hands-on and proactive mindset - Eager to learn and develop into a broader quality-focused role - Strong problem-solving skills - Good communication and teamwork skills - Comfortable working within a growing manufacturing environment Why Join? - Opportunity to join a brand-new automotive manufacturing site at launch stage - Strong long-term progression opportunities as the operation scales - Hands-on role with real ownership and development potential - Work within an established international manufacturing group