Inspector

MacTaggart, Scott and Company; City of Edinburgh; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading engineering firm in Edinburgh is seeking a skilled Inspector to join the Inspection team. This role involves ensuring product quality through robust inspection processes and collaboration across departments. The ideal candidate should have strong expertise in interpreting engineering drawings, excellent communication skills, and a proactive approach to problem-solving. The position offers flexible working options and opportunities for career development within a supportive environment.

Benefits

Flexible working hours

Career development opportunities

Wellbeing support

Onsite facilities (parking, canteen)

Qualifications

• Strong ability to interpret engineering drawings with accuracy.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Well-developed planning and organisational skills.
• Self-motivated and able to work independently.
• Solid knowledge of inspection methods and techniques.
• Proven ability to perform under pressure.

Responsibilities

• Carry out dimensional inspection and quality-control activities.
• Co-ordinate and manage calibration of inspection equipment.
• Investigate defects and provide practical solutions.
• Oversee in-process inspection and product surveillance.
• Work closely with production and engineering teams.
• Lead root-cause analysis activities.

Skills

Interpret engineering drawings

Communication and interpersonal skills

Planning and organisational skills

Self-motivated

Knowledge of inspection methods

Ability to perform under pressure

Proficient IT skills

Job description

Location: Loanhead, Edinburgh Flexible Working Options: 4- or 5-day week

About Us

At MacTaggart Scott, we've been engineering innovative solutions for the Naval Defence industry since 1898. We deliver end-to-end support from design and manufacture to commissioning and life-cycle management for some of the UK's most complex defence programmes. We're proud of our heritage but focused on the future. Continuous improvement, innovation, and developing our people are at the heart of everything we do.

About The Role

We are looking for a highly skilled Inspector to join our Inspection team. This is a critical role responsible for ensuring the quality and compliance of products through robust dimensional and goods-inwards inspection processes. Working with minimal supervision, you will ensure inspection operations are completed efficiently, accurately, and in line with work centre priorities. You'll play a key role in problem-solving, defect prevention, calibration management, and supporting production teams to deliver right-first-time quality. This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced inspector who thrives in a hands‑on technical environment and wants to contribute directly to high-integrity engineering for the defence sector.

Key Responsibilities

• Carry out dimensional inspection and quality-control activities to ensure products meet required standards.
• Co‑ordinate and manage the calibration of inspection and production equipment in line with company procedures.
• Investigate and challenge defects, providing practical solutions to improve product quality and prevent recurrence.
• Oversee in-process inspection and product surveillance from goods‑inwards through to final manufacture, including first‑of‑batch acceptance checks where required.
• Work closely with Production, Production Engineering, and Engineering Support teams to resolve product issues and drive best‑practice approaches that minimise defects.
• Lead or support root‑cause analysis activities, identifying corrective and preventative actions for non-conformances.
• Participate in problem‑solving activities across the business, engaging with operators, team leaders, and engineering teams as needed.
• May undertake training in Non‑Destructive Examination (NDE) techniques where required.

About You

You're a proactive and detail-driven professional who takes pride in delivering high-quality inspection work. You enjoy working collaboratively across departments and can confidently challenge issues to ensure product compliance and integrity.

Essential Skills & Experience

• Strong ability to interpret engineering drawings with accuracy and confidence.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to build effective and sustainable relationships across the business, including internal teams and external suppliers.
• Well-developed planning and organisational skills, with the ability to manage workload effectively.
• Self-motivated and able to work on your own initiative while maintaining high standards of accuracy.
• Solid knowledge of inspection methods, techniques, and processes.
• Proven ability to perform under pressure and meet demanding deadlines.
• A collaborative team player who contributes positively to shared goals.
• Proficient IT skills, including competence with Microsoft Office applications.

Desirable Skills

• Experience within defence, naval, or high-integrity engineering environments.
• Experience working with castings and rubber items.
• Competence in ERP/MRP systems.

Why Join Us

At MacTaggart Scott, you'll work with advanced engineering products that support some of the UK's most important defence programmes. You'll join a company that values quality, precision, and continuous improvement—and one that invests in the development of its people.

Your Future and What We Offer

• Flexible Working: Choose a 4- or 5-day week with flexible hours (07:00-19:00, core hours 09:30-15:30)
• Career Development: Ongoing training, including opportunities in NDE and quality-related progression.
• Wellbeing Support: Access to our wellbeing programme, Employee Assistance Programme, and onsite nurse.
• Onsite Facilities: Free parking, canteen, and a supportive L&D team environment.