Quality Engineer - 6 month FTC

In endurance racing, reliability is performance. Success in the FIA World Endurance Championship and at events like the 24 Hours of Le Mans is not defined by outright speed alone, but by the ability of every component, process, and system to deliver consistently for 24 hours under maximum stress. 

The appointment of a dedicated Quality Engineer is therefore critical to strengthening our supply chains and embedding a culture of reliability across the entire programme. This role spans the full supply chain and manufacturing departments, working closely with design engineering, operations, and suppliers to ensure that quality and durability are built in from concept through to trackside delivery. 

This is about anticipating failure before it happens, understanding the unique demands of endurance racing, and driving improvements that ensure our cars can perform flat-out, hour after hour. 

Role Dimensions: 

Based at MTC reporting to the Director of Quality but working and embedded within the McLaren Endurance Team; the role will involve travel to suppliers and test facilities. 

Principal Accountabilities: 

• Review and assess current suppliers to ensure that best practices and quality standards are in place to meet the unique demands of endurance racing. 

• Collaborate with key partners and suppliers to implement and maintain best-practice quality principles, ensuring durability and reliability remain front and centre across the programme. 

• Work with the design team to ensure all aspects of manufacture meet the demands of endurance reliability and Right First Time (RFT). 

• Improve long-term reliability by embedding quality assurance into pre-manufacturing processes, with a focus on components subject to high endurance stress. 

• Partner with the inspection department and manufacturing to resolve non-conformances and capture learning that improves future design for sustained performance. 

• Outline and enforce clear inspection requirements across key partners and suppliers, ensuring that standards are met consistently from manufacturing through to the race track. 

• Develop and control the Audit database to ensure robust records are retained and all NCs are resolved quickly and effectively. 

• Conduct external supplier audits with a specific focus on endurance capability, resilience, and continuous improvement. 

• Input into reliability meetings to ensure supplier issues and trackside learnings are captured, analysed, and actioned. 

• Work closely with the reliability team to resolve component failures from long-duration testing and feed lessons learned back into future builds. 

• Report quality concerns directly to stakeholders and lead the drive for timely resolution, ensuring race readiness is never compromised. 

• Lead structured problem-solving activities for quality concerns, focusing on preventing failures during events. 

Knowledge, Skills and Experience: 

• Extensive Quality Engineering Experience 

• Extensive skilled auditor 

• Capable of self-managing time 

• Degree in production / mechanical engineering or equivalent 

• Six Sigma Green or Black Belt 

• Skilled in problem solving techniques and auditing 

• In depth knowledge of Carbon Fibre and Metallic manufacture 

• Thorough knowledge of metrology techniques and terminology 

• Experience with technical problem solving essential 

• Experience and knowledge in FMEA & process mapping 

• PC literate with good working knowledge of the MS Office suite 

• Team player with a proactive approach 

• Ability to work under pressure 

• Good organisational skills with attention to detail 

• Clear & effective communicator

What McLaren can offer?

We constantly strive to be better tomorrow than we are today. Our ambition is to be the most pioneering and exhilarating racing team in the world, and our collective task is to set the standards for high performance in sport. We show up every day with energy and enthusiasm, ready to play our part.

We encourage and support diversity, equity and inclusion. We will actively promote a culture that values difference and eliminates discrimination in our workplace.

McLaren Racing is based at the iconic McLaren Technology Centre (MTC) near Woking. Our state of the art, sustainable campus offers many facilities including a gym, restaurant and indoor and outdoor break-out areas, as well as direct access to park and common land. The MTC is connected to Woking mainline station via regular shuttle buses, from which London Waterloo is a 30 minute train ride.

We offer a comprehensive package of benefits including private healthcare, car schemes, life insurance and generous pension contributions.