Background
No restraints. No limitations. We don’t simply push boundaries. We completely rethink them. McLaren Automotive exists to create breath-taking performance road cars.
With innovation at the core of all we do, every challenge starts with the same question. How can we do it better? This restless spirit runs right through McLaren Automotive. And the search for perfection is evident in everything we do.
Purpose of Role
The McLaren Product Audit Manager is responsible for building and managing the MPA team at McLaren. The McLaren Product Audit represents the voice of our customers and guarantees that every aspect of our vehicles meets high-quality standards. The MPA Manager reports to the Product Quality Standards Leader. The individual will not receive direct supervision and is ultimately accountable for building and coaching the team, managing the budgets, and timing plans, and for setting and achieving MPA targets.
Principal Accountabilities
- Lead, manage, motivate, and develop the current MPA team in line with the McLaren Culture, ensuring that team members fully understand their responsibilities and are motivated to achieve the defined departmental targets. Manage MPA manpower ensuring daily audit samples are met and gateway / section audits are managed throughout the week.
- Ensure the product quality validation by monitoring the customer product static and dynamic quality, planning and execution of a weekly sample of static cosmetic and dynamic functional vehicle audits, coverings all areas of the vehicle such as BIW, paint, interior, exterior and underbody (through planned full/section vehicle static and dynamic audits for each build phase with cross functional feedback of issues)
- Lead reviews for key Customer Quality concerns with Engineering, Operations and Quality teams ensuring top trending items for each area are being reviewed and contained. Represent MPA department at daily allocation meeting and oversee the quality of QN’s to allow for efficient allocation and subsequent containment.
- Constantly influence and encourage programme management, and people from across the business, of the importance of quality for the McLaren Vehicles.
- Maintain a Strong ‘Voice of Customer’ while balancing the needs of the Plant against the requirement of standards. Identify improvement required to maintain the quality standards.
- Implement a climate of best-practice and continuous improvement in MPA audit procedures and approach. This includes the team calibration to the audit process, measurement methods and vehicle standards to maintain inter plant standardisation and consistency. Communicate the principles of perceived quality to the McLaren manufacturing community to encourage adherence.
- Win and then maintain credibility within the Plant and the McLaren Automotive structure
- Deploy and communicate the business imperatives through monthly tracking reviews. Draw the targets and departmental goals to meet company imperatives.
- Strategically plan, set, and communicate short-, medium- and long-term priorities with the Vehicle Design Engineering Department to ensure continuous improvement in the quality target delivery and reliability.
- Successfully communicate with the warranty and PDI department to obtain direct customer feedback and ensure that the product audit team are aligned to the findings.
- Work cross functionally with teams including suppliers, supplier quality assurance and engineering departments by outlining and agreeing quality standards, testing methods, environment, and limit samples.
- Lead by example and always ensure that whole teamwork within the McLaren Automotive Ltd ‘Health and Safety policy’.
Knowledge, Skills and Experience
- Degree qualified or has similar qualification in Engineering.
- Proven industry experience working in Quality Engineering, Aftersales or Warranty although not necessarily in the automotive field.
- Previous experience in people management
- Functional knowledge of a variety of production and prototype fabrication methods.
- Competent in Microsoft Office software products.
Personal Attributes
- Clarity and discipline: Clear thought process; a highly organised mind; and the ability to communicate concisely.
- Collaborative and influential: work together cross functionally and have a positive effect that drives the quality
- Intelligence: Sharp and quick intelligence; the capability to deeply analyse bringing new insights; and the ability to think on their feet.
- Impression: A self-assured presenter; with well-founded self-confidence; and with personal affability.
- Perseverance and Open-mindedness: Instinctively curious; resilient to setbacks; accountable and always behaving with integrity.
- Approach and Resilience: Motivated by the challenge; personally, self-driven; and relentlessly positive.