Quality Engineer – ETCS OBU: Freight
Extensive travel required
Base office: Derby, East Midlands
Are you an experienced Quality Engineer with a background in rail vehicle retrofit or modification projects? Do you enjoy being out in the field, working across suppliers, fitment partners, and installation sites to make sure standards are consistently high?
We are working with a client on an exciting opportunity for a Quality Engineer to support a major ETCS Freight programme. This is a hands-on role where you’ll play a key part in quality assurance across multiple sites, helping to ensure modifications, inspections, and handovers are completed to the highest standard.
This role is based in the Midlands but will involve regular travel to supplier locations, fitment partners, and installation sites across the UK. You’ll be working closely with installation, engineering, and materials teams to carry out inspections, lead snagging activity, and support unit acceptance from handover through to hand-back.
What you’ll be doing
In this role, you will:
- Carry out asset inspections to support handover and hand-back processes
- Perform in-process quality inspections and final locomotive snagging
- Complete First Article Inspections at client site and supplier premises
- Support unit acceptance procedures, ensuring assets are in suitable condition for modification work and ready for customer/end-user inspection
- Work with fitment partners to ensure installation and test documentation is completed accurately and to the correct standards
- Visit suppliers to oversee quality control during production and verify parts and equipment meet required standards before installation
- Compile final acceptance documentation packs and maintain accurate quality records
- Own and manage snag lists, track resolutions, and monitor any out-of-scope or additional works
- Carry out root cause analysis on quality issues, identify corrective actions, and share lessons learned
- Close out and archive records in line with quality assurance requirements
- Contribute to the creation and improvement of project-specific procedures
What we’re looking for
We’re looking for someone who is confident, self-sufficient, and quality-driven, with the ability to build strong relationships across teams and suppliers. You’ll need to be customer-focused, proactive, and comfortable working to industry quality and safety standards.
Essential experience and skills:
- Minimum Level 3 apprenticeship in a recognised trade such as mechanical or electrical
- Proven experience in a Quality / Inspection role
- Experience in rail vehicle retrofit or modification projects
- Experience in project mobilisation and implementing procedures/processes
- Strong communication skills and confidence engaging with stakeholders at all levels
- A proactive mindset and willingness to learn and develop knowledge where needed
- Highly motivated, dependable, and self-reliant
- Full UK driving licence and access to transport, due to significant travel requirements
Desirable:
- HNC in a relevant trade
- Experience and/or qualifications in auditing
This is a fantastic opportunity to join a significant rail programme where quality, compliance, and collaboration really matter. You’ll have the chance to work across multiple locations, influence standards, and play an important role in supporting safe and successful delivery.
If you’re an experienced Quality Engineer looking for a varied role with responsibility, autonomy, and plenty of site-based activity, we’d love to hear from you.
