Head of Quality Assurance & Control

Head of Quality Assurance & Control

Essex area

Full time permanent

About the role

Develop, direct, and execute quality assurance and quality control programs across our products, supply chain, and operations to support the growth of the business and delivery of the highest quality products. Lead on quality issues, managing the non-conformance process from identification through to resolution with effective management of stakeholders and communication.

Duties & Responsibilities

1. Ensuring a robust and phase-appropriate Quality Management System (QMS) is in place to facilitate the design, development, and manufacturing of products.
2. Collaborate with the Procurement and R&D/Product Management teams through design and supply to ensure quality and consistency across our products and supply chain, carrying out in-house quality assurance checks on pre-production samples.
3. Determine, define, and agree quality test procedures, standards, and specifications to minimise design and functionality quality issues.
4. Work with the Compliance Manager and R&D to ensure all aspects relating to compliance for our own products are managed.
5. Ensure the presence of adequate Supplier Technical Agreements that foster good communication with supplier Quality Departments to ensure agreement and clarity on service level expectations and responsibilities over quality standards.
6. Audit suppliers on product quality, including onsite and offsite auditing.
7. Monitor and report the quality performance of suppliers and products against agreed targets.
8. Manage, lead, and develop the NCM (non-conformance) process to ensure prompt action, tracking, resolution, and reporting of all NCMs to stakeholders.
9. Analyse returned product trends and drive corrective action back through manufacturing as necessary.
10. Undertake impartial investigations of opportunities for improvement and customer complaints.
11. Liaise as required with clients and their quality and compliance executives to ensure a strong relationship of mutual support and customer service.
12. Manage and develop the quality team, ensuring their effectiveness and professional growth.
13. Identify skills gaps through audits and follow up by either training staff or identifying an appropriate resource to train.
14. Engage staff with the QMS and nurture a positive culture of quality.
15. Assist and support staff with quality queries from internal and external stakeholders.

Experience, Knowledge & Qualifications

1. Proven experience in effectively and successfully leading a QA/QC function.
2. People management and team building experience, including effectively managing and developing people.
3. Managing multiple stakeholders and communicating effectively at all levels.
4. Experience working within a Global Supply chain.
5. Demonstrable experience with product life cycle management systems.
6. Planning and implementing Quality Management System (QMS).
7. Demonstrable experience using CAPA corrective and preventative action methodology.
8. Experience with injection moulded and electronic components.
9. Product compliance with an engineering/manufacturing background.
10. Structured data gathering, analysis, and reporting methodology.
11. Proficient in the use of MS Office products (Word, Excel, PPT) to gather, analyse and present findings.
12. Providing regular and ad hoc reports for Exec and Board review.
13. Educational qualifications that demonstrate proficiency in English Language and Maths.

Working Conditions

1. Office environment.
2. Full time role - 40 hours per week.
3. Hybrid working policy applicable.
4. Candidate must have the right to live and work in the UK.

Contact Simon Portway for full and further details.