JOB TITLE: NPI Quality Control Technician (DL Role)
DEPARTMENT: Manufacturing Quality
REPORTS TO: Senior NPI Quality Manager
LOCATION: Littlehampton, West Sussex, UK

SKILLS & QUALIFICATIONS:

• Experience with hands-on inspection tools (e.g., calipers, microscopes, multimeters).
• Able to read and interpret engineering drawings, BOMs, and assembly documentation.
• Basic understanding of defect categorization, rework tags, and NCR processes.
• Familiarity with QMS standards (ISO 9001), IPC-A-610 and R&D prototyping environments is a plus.
• Strong attention to details and ability to clearly communicate audit findings to both operators and engineers.
• Basic computer proficiency for data entry, documentation and reporting.

Education & Experience:

• Diploma or technical certification in Electronics, Mechanical, or Quality disciplines.
• 0 – 3 years of hands-on experience in quality inspection or NPI support role.
• Prior experience in pilot lines, new product builds, or prototype audit environments is a plus.

ROLE SUMMARY:

As an NPI Quality Control Technician in the R&D pilot line, you will play a hands-on role in verifying and validating the quality of new product builds through inspection, auditing, and issue detection. Your focus will be on ensuring that early-stage builds meet internal and customer quality standards before scaling up production. Will interact closely with Quality Managers and NPI assembly teams to ensure risks are detected and addressed at the earliest phase. You will also assist in generating Product Quality Plan documentation that outlines quality requirements and inspection points throughout the product lifecycle.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Perform in-process and final quality audits through visual, dimensional, and functional checks on prototypes and pilot units during NPI builds to verify conformance to assembly drawings, BOMs, and work instructions.
• Check work instructions, build travellers, and inspection records for accuracy and completion.
• Audit assembly processes for adherence to specifications, workmanship and IPC standards.
• Record, classify, and escalate quality issues in real time using the defined QMS tools.
• Work closely with engineers and technicians to identify root causes and validate corrections.
• Support First Article Inspections (FAI) and validate rework effectiveness.
• Monitor and track key NPI quality metrics like, FPY, and build conformance.
• Provide feedback on design or process issues encountered during audit and inspection.
• Assist in training build operators and technicians on quality criteria and defect awareness.
• Collaborate with NPI Quality Program Manager in generating Product Quality Plan documentation, including inspection checkpoints, quality control requirements, and critical-to-quality (CTQ) elements.