Quality Assurance Manager

Job Purpose

The role focuses on compliance, customers, and continuous improvement activities to create a total quality culture and reduce quality costs in line with best practice procedures.

• To protect and please the customer by ensuring supply of the highest quality product
• Working with production and support functions to maintain and improve our quality systems and adherence to operational best practice thus guaranteeing compliance to external and internal standards
• To drive improvement activities to support quality and financial performance leading key improvement projects evolving through customer requirements, legislative changes, and amendments to accredited standards to ensure compliance with standards and pending accreditation audits
• Draft, review and implement changes to our current quality systems, standard operating procedures, and policies to satisfy customer and third-party requirements

Role Responsibilities

Key Responsibilities - Quality

• Support the Regional Manager and site Leadership team in quality governance
• Lead and support meetings as required and provide information and analysis as required to support the business in understanding KPI’s and decision making
• Review the quality system as appropriate to ensure full compliance with customer and company best practice guidelines and maximize effectiveness of production contributing to consistent operational performance and standards whilst ensuring conformance to the relevant accreditation standards for the site and customers
• Provide authoritative guidance and advice on all aspects of quality to the site management team and employees; train and coach employees improving knowledge and skills in quality improvement
• Recruit, develop, motivate, and manage a Quality team (QA/QC) that optimizes quality operations and is flexible in the support it offers the business, meeting current and future needs
• Establish and develop professional working relationships with customers, providing a technical service and reference point as required to support the company’s products and reputation as a quality supplier
• Manage the customer complaint procedure, facilitate the investigation of quality problems, faults, and non-conformances with production teams; manage corrective and preventative problems to ensure quality standards are maintained. Initiate and control robust investigations to provide corrective and preventive actions (CAPA) and support the complaints handling process and participate in implementing improvement actions to prevent re-occurring issues.
• The facilitation of customer facing activities and communications including customer visits, responses, and preparation of information whilst leading site audit activities (external body, internal and customer)
• Lead quality initiatives and focus groups to support knowledge and understanding of all operatives and grow awareness of quality issues to improve quality
• Promote a total quality philosophy at all levels developing a culture of right first time and continuous improvement
• Integrate Quality Management System including quality, environment and health and safety

Key Responsibilities – Business Improvement

• Lead improvements to enhance quality system and ensure optimum process in place to meet customer specifications whilst maximizing production
• Review amendments to standards and ensure compliance with accreditation bodies
• Support introduction of new equipment on site and validation processes to meet safety and customer expectations
• Take on other projects and responsibilities as required.
• Contribute ideas and participate in ongoing business improvement initiatives to reduce overall operating costs, improve margin, and provide input into the strategy and operations of the site

Key Responsibilities – Other

• Produce data and present reports for site, customers and corporate as required
• Identify improvement projects and continuous improvement initiatives in line with site and corporate requirements to improve quality and safety and work with colleagues to implement these
• Support senior leadership team in introducing systems and procedures to enhance operating effectiveness and efficiencies
• Deliver GMP, Quality and FSC training to all employees as required
• Take on other projects and responsibilities as required

Knowledge, Skills, Experience

• Minimum 3-5 years’ experience in a Quality role at a senior or management level
• Working knowledge of and audit experience with accredited standards
• Deep expertise in ISO 9000 standards and frameworks (required)
• Strong SQF (Safe Quality Foods) framework experience, including regulatory knowledge (required)
• Experience in a manufacturing/production environment ideally with experience and knowledge of Industry standards and guidelines
• Demonstrable experience of leading change and implementing continuous improvement processes.
• Supervisory experience
• Demonstrable experience of validating new equipment and processes
• Knowledge of Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP)
• Root cause analysis and problem-solving techniques
• Customer relations skills
• Skilled in information handling, analysis, and presentation
• Competent in using Microsoft Office packages

Behaviours

• Analytical thinking
• Self-Control
• Tenacity
• Rational Persuasion
• Efficiency Focused
• Concern for standards and Results focused
• Communication/briefing skills
• Negotiation/consultation skills
• Commercial awareness
• Core Competencies

People Management

• Leadership & Vision – Ability to inspire a team with a clear vision and purpose
• Coaching & Developing people – The ability to teach operational skills to others and mentor/coach accordingly
• Managing performance – Ability to monitor and evaluate performance and take appropriate action.

Personal Competencies

• Communication – Ability to convey ideas and decisions to internal and external customers
• Determination – Ability to overcome obstacles
• Influence/Persuasiveness – Ability to influence and inspire others to act
• Managing the Business

• Organization – The ability to judge situations accurately and make sound operational decisions to deliver results on time
• Continuous Improvement – The ability to continually monitorand review current working practices and make the best use of resources to improve organizational results

Other Requirements

Flexible and adaptable to change and prepared to take on additional responsibilities with other duties as required to meet business needs. Successfully adapts to changing demands and conditions. Be able to be self-motivated, standards driven, with a keen eye for detail whilst being team focused and harnessing collaboration and co-operation of others.