Principle Test Engineer (Contract)

Currently recruiting for a Principle Test Engineer to work for a large automotive client.

The role will involve:

Technical subject matter expert for adhesives, sealants and adhesive tapes.
Manage development of materials with global suppliers to satisfy company standards, manufacturing plant process requirements and project Quality, Cost and Delivery objectives.
Lead design reviews to identify potential risks of introducing material changes and develop validation test plans.
Project manage material testing, plant trials and overall approval activity with global suppliers and client manufacturing plants (UK, Russia, South Africa) for new vehicle programmes.
Support validation of supplier Process & Facility Change Request (PFCR). Undertake audits of production process and quality assurance procedures with on-site checks at supplier manufacturing facilities.
Prepare RFQ Technical Files and coordinate testing and Nissan manufacturing plant validation trials for supplier / product changes proposed by the Purchasing department.
Undertake and coordinate material and component investigation for concerns experienced during development, manufacturing, assembly or in the market.
Support component design engineers with material selection and assist in defining required performance validation test programme.
Deliver cost reduction by identifying and promoting the use of alternative materials or production processes for in-house manufacturing plants and bought out component parts.
Undertake competitor benchmarking and material trend analysis.
Prepare CAPEX business plan justification and specification tender requirements for the purchase of laboratory test equipment.
Judge material performance against specification requirements and prepare approval report in the 'Development Report' system.
Conduct root cause analysis, coordinate testing and generate report for material / component concern investigations in the 'Materials Analysis Request' system.
Report progress and delivery of cost reduction ideas in the 'Cost Data Warehouse' system. Register new ideas for evaluation in the 'Innovation Bank' system.
Generate summary reports for Japan R&T Job Request in the 'Development Report' system.
Prepare Technical Files to support supplier RFQ and sourcing activities.

Qualifications/ Skills:
University-level degree (or equivalent) qualification in materials or engineering discipline, or relevant industry experience.
Ideally have experience working for an OEM or supplier in a design & development or manufacturing engineering role.
Knowledge on selecting and validating performance of adhesives, sealants, adhesive tapes and material joining methods in general.
Prior experience conducting and coordinating material laboratory tests according to company internal procedures or international standards, showing an effectiveness with data capture and reporting.
Methodical approach to technical problem solving and root cause investigation, with ability to proactively propose countermeasure solutions.
Able to work under pressure with minimal supervision and prioritise needs on multiple projects, while maintaining timely completion of defined tasks to deadlines.
Strong communication / presentation skills and effective interpersonal skills (collaborative, team player).
Able to work independently while being an integral part of a product development team.