Role - Head of Quality
Location - West Midlands
The Head of Quality is responsible for leading and driving the overall quality strategy and ensuring that the company's quality standards are maintained and continuously improved across all functions.
This role involves strategic oversight of quality assurance and quality control processes, including the development and execution of the Quality Management System, as well as fostering a culture of "Right First Time" throughout the organisation.
The Head of Quality will manage quality-related resources, overseeing project quality, operational quality and central quality management activities, and ensure that all quality objectives align with business goals. In addition, this role will interface with customers, suppliers, and internal teams to ensure the effective implementation of quality initiatives, compliance with industry standards, and the successful execution of both internal and external audits.
- Bringing the ‘Nuclear Safety Policy’ and ‘Quality Policy’ to life within the whole organisation
- Promoting the need of a ‘Right First Time’ Quality Culture in all areas of the business
- Reducing Cost of Poor Quality through prioritising QA/QC resources in the right areas of the business
- Maintain and execute a programme of Continuous Improvement that is embraced by all corners of the quality department as well as the business at large
- Working with all departments in support of their quality improvement objectives
- Measure the effectiveness of the Quality Strategy through the development and maintenance of Key Performance Indicators such as Non-conformity, Cost of Poor Quality and Audit Compliance
Functional Management
- Organise and conduct regular quality team meetings
- Resource planning, including recruitment, management of contract assignments, attendance, annual leave and overtime.
- Management of sickness absence such as return to work interviews and long-term illness management
- Development and update of skills matrices and input into training and development plans for all QA/QC personnel
- Regular 1-to-1s with direct reports
Direct management of a central quality management system team focused on:
- Administration of the Quality Management System (QMS)
- Undertake gap analysis to ensure our QMS is fully effective for the needs of the business as well as required national and international standards
- Management of all customer and third party QA accreditations
Project Quality Assurance
Direct management of the Project Quality function. This function is in charge of the project and supplier quality assurance activities. Primary responsibilities include:
- Support to the tender process ensuring all contract quality requirements are captured and understood and providing information to support the bidding process.
- Support the contract review process, ensuring the contract quality requirements are fully understood prior to contract acceptance.
- Development of a Project Quality Manual, as required for each project or programme, ensuring adherence by the project team.
Operational Quality
Direct management of the Operational Quality Manager whose function is in charge of Product Quality manufacturing facilities including but not limited to:
- Inspection of incoming goods/materials to ensure conformance to the Purchase Order
- All physical inspections – Dimensional, NDT, Visual, Cleanliness etc
Essential
- Knowledge and experience of managing within an ISO 9001 Quality Management System
- Candidate needs to come from a highly regulated manufacturing industry
- Minimum of Bachelor of Engineering (Hons)
- Client facing capabilities including ability to challenge requirements and propose pragmatic solutions
- Trained and experienced manager who can demonstrate being effective at management level both inside and outside own team
- A good influencer, somebody who is able to work effectively with cross-functional colleagues and customers to achieve business goals.
- A critical thinker who has strong problem-solving skills
- Chartered Quality Institute status or working towards this
- Experienced auditor to ISO 9001
- Appreciation of general and structural steel fabrication
- Management of project QA/QC requirements and resources
