Supplier Quality Engineer China
Our Client’s Challenge
A multinational industrial and green tech company, our client for over 6 years, is expanding globally, including in China. Our client needed to augment the small team in Shanghai with the hire of a self-directed, highly qualified and specialist supplier quality engineer to ensure the business’s expansion was kept on track with high quality delivery in automotive battery technology.
Our Approach and the Agreement/ Our Response
In December 2023 Populus was commissioned to deliver a Supplier Quality Engineer to drive the business forward in its IATF maturity in China. The requirement was for an engineer from a Tier 1 automotive supplier and related manufacturing quality engineering background. The HR Director and Hiring Director were clear about the importance of the role and the long list of Key Selection Criteria that were needed to find the right calibre of candidate.
The Process
An RDR* approach worked well for this assignment. As is our usual practice, Populus allocated the appropriate consultant from the Energy and Technology Practice, who just happens to be our Mandarin Chinese speaker and Asia expert (click through to Donna) to take a brief from our client for this newly created role.
A research phase sourced over 30 candidates with the specific set of skills and qualifications required for the role. The research included searching our own and industry databases, competitor company searching, and deep web searching.
Our CRM is used to share the progress of the recruitment process live with our clients, from search through to hire, and is useful to maintain an iterative process with the hiring and HR directors as candidates move forward.
Our Research Director qualified candidates who matched the criteria most closely via Teams interview and tested their English, Mandarin, and ensured their experience matched the key selection criteria.
Donna selected four CVs to send to the client. All four were invited to first interview. A further three were moved on to second and third interviews with the quality director and senior quality director respectively.
The successful candidate was offered the role with an expectation that she would rise in the ranks.
Three Client Successful Outcomes
1. IATF Momentum
The candidate took up the reins of supplier qualification and IATF credibility immediately.
2. New Locus of Excellence
Once she had been in post for several months, several changes to the operations in China were announced, including a manufacturing facility elsewhere in China. The successful candidate worked with the Director of Quality to ensure new processes ran smoothly
3. Expanding the Team
Our candidate was used to help onboard other engineers Populus recruited to boost the Shanghai operations
Contact Us
To discuss how Populus can recruit roles like this for your organisation please contact:
Donna James – Research Director - Email: Donna.James@PopulusSelect.com