Group Quality & Technical Manager

Always Candid Ltd; Preston; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Always Candid Ltd is supporting a major UK manufacturing group with the confidential appointment of a Group Quality & Technical Manager based in Preston. You will take ownership of the group’s quality management approach, building a consistent framework that strengthens customer confidence and supports operational performance.

Reporting to the Operations Director, you will work with site leadership teams to align systems with accreditation and customer requirements, turning audit findings into

Qualifications

• Leading and improving quality management systems with strong knowledge of ISO 9001.
• Planning and conducting audits, identifying weaknesses and driving actions to completion.
• Root-cause analysis, corrective action and continuous improvement.

Responsibilities

• Lead quality management systems across sites to ensure current, effective and consistently applied processes.
• Lead internal audits and coordinate external and customer audits; ensure corrective actions are implemented.
• Ensure processes meet accreditation standards, customer specifications and internal requirements.
• Manage customer quality requirements and supplier standards to maintain consistency.
• Coach operational teams to own quality standards and drive performance improvements.
• Establish reporting and action plans to reduce quality losses and improve product and process performance.

Skills

Quality management systems

ISO 9001

Auditing

Root cause analysis

Continuous improvement

Job description

Lead quality. Strengthen systems. Raise standards across the group.

Always Candid is supporting a major UK manufacturing group with the confidential appointment of a Group Quality & Technical Manager.

The business is going through a significant period of investment and change. This is a key appointment with the scope to shape quality standards, management systems and audit performance across its UK operations.

Reporting to the Operations Director, you will work closely with site leadership teams to bring consistency to how quality is managed, ensure systems meet accreditation and customer requirements, and turn audit findings into lasting improvements.

The emphasis is firmly on quality leadership, effective systems and robust auditing. We’re looking for someone who can identify gaps, establish clear standards and help teams embed practical processes that work in a busy manufacturing environment.

The role

You will take ownership of the group’s quality management approach, building a consistent framework that strengthens customer confidence and supports operational performance.

Key responsibilities will include:

• Quality management systems: Develop, strengthen and align systems and procedures across sites, ensuring they are current, effective and consistently applied.
• Audits and accreditation: Lead internal audit programmes, coordinate preparation for external and customer audits, and ensure findings result in effective corrective action.
• Standards and compliance: Ensure manufacturing processes and controls meet accreditation standards, customer specifications and internal requirements.
• Customer quality: Use complaints, feedback and performance data to identify root causes, prevent recurrence and improve customer outcomes.
• Supplier quality: Work with suppliers, supply chain and operations to ensure materials and finished products meet agreed specifications.
• Site engagement: Coach and challenge operational teams, building clear ownership of quality standards.
• Performance improvement: Establish meaningful reporting and action plans that reduce quality losses and improve product and process performance.

About you

You will be an experienced manufacturing quality professional with a strong grounding in systems, auditing and accreditation. You will combine attention to detail with the credibility to influence site leaders and engage operational teams.

Your experience should include:

• Leading and improving quality management systems, with strong knowledge of ISO 9001.
• Planning and conducting audits, identifying weaknesses and driving actions through to completion.
• Root-cause analysis, corrective action and continuous improvement.
• Managing customer quality requirements and supplier standards.
• Translating quality requirements into clear, workable processes.
• Experience across multiple manufacturing sites would be valuable, alongside the ability to build consistency while understanding individual site challenges.

The opportunity

This role offers group-wide influence, access to senior operational leadership and the scope to shape how quality systems, audits and standards are embedded across the business.

It will suit someone who enjoys building effective systems, developing accountability and seeing measurable improvements on the factory floor.

For a confidential discussion, contact Andrew Osbaldeston at Always Candid. Further business details will be shared during an initial conversation.