Full-Time

Quality Inspector

Gooch & Housego PLC

Gooch & Housego PLC

201-500 employees

Optical design, testing, and manufacturing

No salary listed

St Asaph, Saint Asaph, UK

In Person

UK Top Secret Clearance Required

Category
Manufacturing Quality & Test (1)
Required Skills
Microsoft Office
ISO 9001

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Requirements
  • Previous experience in a similar Quality Inspector role within a precision manufacturing environment is ideally sought.
  • Awareness of ISO 9001 and AS9100 quality standards is required.
  • Working knowledge of Microsoft Office applications is required.
  • A good level of numeracy and literacy is required.
  • Strong organisational skills are required.
  • Critical thinking and problem-solving ability are required.
  • Punctuality and adaptability are required.
  • A flexible approach to working and shift patterns is required.
  • Willingness to learn and develop skills is required.
  • Attention to detail is required.
  • Ability to work in a fast-paced environment and meet deadlines is required.
  • Ability to undertake and pass the company eye test, aided or unaided, is required.
  • UK applicants must be able to successfully complete security vetting to the UK Government’s Baseline Personnel Security Standard, including a criminal record check.
Responsibilities
  • Carry out incoming, in-process, and final inspection of optical components, assemblies, and finished products against customer drawings, specifications, inspection plans, and applicable ISO 9001 and AS9100 standards.
  • Perform cosmetic and dimensional inspections using appropriate measuring equipment.
  • Conduct visual inspections to identify scratches, digs, chips, coating imperfections, and other non-conformities.
  • Select inspection samples and perform measurement and testing activities according to inspection procedures.
  • Complete First Article Inspection activities where required.
  • Approve or reject incoming materials, work in progress, and finished products based on specification requirements.
  • Raise Non-Conformance Reports, record defects, and support Material Review Board activities where required.
  • Verify that reworked products meet specification before release to the next manufacturing stage or customer.
  • Maintain product traceability by completing inspection reports, batch records, First Article Inspection Report documentation, and quality records.
  • Record inspection results, non-conformances, rework, and scrap data in company quality systems and databases.
  • Work with Production, Engineering, and Quality teams to communicate inspection findings and support investigations into quality issues.
  • Assist with root cause analysis, corrective actions, and continuous improvement activities to reduce defects and improve product quality.
  • Carry out process and product audits to support compliance with the Quality Management System.
  • Handle measuring equipment correctly, maintain it in good condition, and report it for calibration or repair when necessary.
  • Handle delicate optical components safely, including cleaning, waxing, and unwaxing components where required.
  • Maintain a clean, safe, and organised working environment in accordance with Health and Safety, Environmental, and Quality procedures.
  • Adhere to company policies, procedures, and legal requirements.
  • Participate in training and development activities to maintain and improve technical knowledge and inspection skills.
  • Undertake other reasonable duties appropriate to the role as requested by the Quality Manager and Quality Engineer.
Desired Qualifications
  • Previous experience in a similar Quality Inspector role within a precision manufacturing environment is ideally sought.

Gooch & Housego PLC designs, tests, and manufactures optical components and assemblies for demanding applications. Its products cover acousto-optic, electro-optic, crystal-optic, fibre optic, and precision optic technologies, enabling customized optical systems for life sciences, industrial, and aerospace/defence customers. The company’s offerings work by integrating specialized optical components into turnkey systems and subsystems tailored to user needs, backed by in-house design, testing, and manufacturing capabilities. G&H differentiates itself through a broad portfolio of optical technologies and a long track record (over 75 years) across global operations in the UK, USA, and Europe, making it a trusted supplier for original equipment manufacturers. Its goal is to be the preferred source for OEMs by delivering consistent quality, performance, and reliability across its optical products and solutions.

Company Size

201-500

Company Stage

IPO

Headquarters

Ilminster, United Kingdom

Founded

1948

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Simplify Jobs

Simplify's Take

What believers are saying

  • H1 2026 revenue rose 15.5% to £81.9 million, driven by aerospace and defense.
  • NatWest added $10 million in June 2026, lifting total bank support to $70 million.
  • Arlington’s £345.6 million offer locks in immediate cash and removes listed-company volatility.

What critics are saying

  • UK National Security and Investment Act approval still blocks completion into Q4 2026.
  • G&H is exiting medical laser Pockels Cells after materials shortages and yield problems in Cleveland.
  • Private equity ownership invites back-office cuts and possible deeper reductions after Arlington’s evaluation.

What makes Gooch & Housego PLC unique

  • G&H’s photonics spans aerospace, defense, life sciences, and quantum systems across 2026.
  • Arlington cited G&H’s mission-critical photonics and high-precision optical subsystems in July 2026.
  • G&H’s vertically integrated manufacturing supports diagnostics, quantum, and precision optics from prototype to production.

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Benefits

Paid Holidays

Performance Bonus

Employee Referral Bonus

Remote Work Options

Growth & Insights and Company News

Headcount

6 month growth

15%

1 year growth

15%

2 year growth

14%
Investegate
Jul 16th, 2026
Arlington Capital to acquire Gooch & Housego for $438.9M at $15.68 per share

Greenlight Bidco Limited, indirectly owned by Arlington Capital Partners VII, has announced a recommended cash acquisition of Gooch & Housego for 1,234.9 pence per share. This comprises 1,230.0 pence in cash and a 4.9 pence interim dividend. The offer values the photonics engineering company at approximately £345.6 million on a fully diluted basis. It represents a premium of approximately 40.7% to the closing share price on 15 July 2026. The board of Gooch & Housego unanimously recommends shareholders vote in favour of the scheme of arrangement. The acquisition is expected to complete in the fourth quarter of 2026, subject to regulatory approvals and shareholder consent. Arlington Capital Partners brings experience investing in aerospace, defence, and life sciences sectors where Gooch & Housego operates.

Gooch & Housego PLC
Jun 1st, 2026
G&H to showcase quantum-enabling photonics technologies at Optica Quantum 2.0 2026.

G&H to showcase quantum-enabling photonics technologies at Optica Quantum 2.0 2026. June 2026 - Glasgow, UK G&H (LON: GHH), a global leader in optics and photonics technology, will showcase its advanced quantum-enabling technologies at the Optica Quantum 2.0 Conference and Exhibition, taking place 15-18 June 2026 at the Scottish Event Campus (SEC) in Glasgow, UK. Visitors can meet the G&H team at Booth #115. Co-located with the Optica 2026 Quantum Industry Summit - Fifth Edition, Quantum 2.0 brings together researchers, technology developers, and commercial leaders working to accelerate the transition of quantum technologies from laboratory research to real-world deployment. As quantum architectures continue to scale in complexity, photonics has become increasingly critical to enabling precise control, measurement, communication, and computation. G&H supports customers across the quantum ecosystem with a broad portfolio of acousto-optic, electro-optic, fiber-optic, and precision optical technologies, combined with the manufacturing expertise required to transition innovations from prototype to production. At the exhibition, G&H will highlight technologies supporting quantum computing, quantum communications, quantum sensing, quantum metrology, and emerging quantum-enabled systems. "Quantum technologies are moving rapidly from proof-of-concept demonstrations toward scalable, deployable systems," said Richard Hendel, Head of Global Sales, Photonics. "As this transition occurs, the need for precision photonic infrastructure becomes increasingly important. G&H combines decades of photonics expertise with scalable manufacturing capabilities to help customers overcome the challenges associated with building practical quantum systems."

World News Network
May 18th, 2026
Gooch & Housego secures $10M NatWest funding, bringing total bank support to $70M

Somerset-based photonics engineering firm Gooch & Housego has secured $10 million from NatWest, bringing the bank's total backing to $70 million (£52 million). The Ilminster company will use the fresh funding to stock up on crucial materials like germanium, increase manufacturing capacity and strengthen its supply chain. The investment marks continued support for the photonics specialist as it scales operations. No further details about the company's valuation or revenue were disclosed.

The Business Desk
May 18th, 2026
Focus on growth for optical components firm after it lands $10m in bank funding - South West

NatWest backs Ilminster firm with £10m funding

Gooch & Housego PLC
Mar 1st, 2026
G&H showcases photonics-enabled diagnostic innovation at ESCMID 2026.

G&H showcases photonics-enabled diagnostic innovation at ESCMID 2026. March 2026 April 2026 - Ashford, UK G&H (LON:GHH), a global leader in life sciences manufacturing, optics, and photonics, will exhibit at the Congress of the European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID Global 2026), taking place April 18-21 at Messe München in Munich, Germany. Attendees can visit G&H at Hall B1, Booth #D12 to explore how the company enables next-generation infectious disease diagnostics through its vertically integrated medical device development capabilities, delivered through its life sciences business, G&H | ITL.