Head of Quality

RS Group plc; Manchester; Hybrid; GBP 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading company in the industrial sector seeks a Head of Quality to ensure products meet high standards of quality and compliance. The role involves developing a quality management system, enhancing supplier partnerships, and driving operational excellence. Candidates should have proven experience in quality assurance and a degree in a relevant field.

Qualifications

• Proven experience in leading a Quality Management System.
• Experience managing supplier quality assurance programs.
• Strong background in compliance and regulatory standards.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement a best-in-class Quality Management System.
• Lead global supplier quality assurance programs.
• Drive continuous improvement across the quality function.

Skills

Data analytics

Supplier quality assurance

Lean

Six Sigma

Continuous improvement

Education

Degree in Engineering, Quality Management or relevant field

Tools

QMS

SAP

Job description

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Head of Quality (RS Pro - Own Brand)
Hybrid Working (Corby, London or Manchester - with regular visits to our Corby Offices)

RS PRO is the own brand of RS. The RS PRO brand was launched in 2016 as a one-stop shop for industrial supplies. Now, it serves over customers in 31 global locations.

With over 90,000 products across all industries and 1400 technologies, we have the largest offering in the RS portfolio of products. RS PRO provides customers with a brand that they can trust, at the price and quality they expect.

Our culture is paramount to our success, ensuring we have the right people in the team and a diverse view in the way we think and see the world is essential to how we operate.

The Role:

The Head of Quality is responsible for ensuring RS PRO’s products meet the highest standards of quality, compliance, and performance. This role will drive a proactive quality strategy that supports business growth, enhances customer trust, and ensures operational excellence. By embedding robust quality assurance frameworks, optimising supplier relationships, and leveraging data-led insights, the Head of Quality will play a critical role in strengthening RS PRO’s reputation as a trusted value brand in the industrial sector.

Key Responsibilities

Quality Strategy & Execution
• Develop and implement a best-in-class Quality Management System (QMS) aligned with global regulatory requirements and RS PRO’s strategic objectives.
• Drive product lifecycle excellence, ensuring quality is embedded from NPI (New Product Introduction) through to end-of-life processes.
• Lead quality-driven initiatives to enhance innovation, sustainability, and operational efficiency across the portfolio.
• Ensure compliance with global regulatory standards, industry certifications, and company policies.
• Use data-led insights to monitor quality performance, proactively identifying and resolving issues.

Product & Supplier Quality Assurance
• Lead global supplier quality assurance programs and compliance audits, ensuring products consistently meet performance and reliability expectations.
• Provide strategic leadership in supplier relationships, holding suppliers accountable for continuous improvement and capability enhancement.
• Drive early intervention for product quality risks, leading root cause analysis and corrective action plans.
• Establish robust monitoring processes for product quality mitigation and due diligence across the supply chain.

Operational Excellence & Continuous Improvement
• Work closely with cross-functional teams (Product, Category Management, Sourcing, Business Development) to integrate quality into sourcing and product strategies.
• Drive process improvements within the quality function, leveraging automation, technology, and best practices to enhance efficiency.
• Support future customer demands by delivering quality alternatives at the expected price point, aligning with RS PRO’s value-driven market positioning.

Stakeholder & Leadership Responsibilities
• Collaborate with MDs of EMEA and support peers in Americas & APAC regions to align global quality standards.
• Lead, mentor, and develop the quality team, fostering a high-performance culture focused on continuous improvement and accountability.
• Represent RS PRO in executive-level discussions regarding quality strategy, risk management, and supplier partnerships.
• Communicate effectively with stakeholders to drive alignment on quality priorities and objectives.

How I Make a Difference

• Enhancing Product & Supplier Quality: Ensure that all RS PRO products consistently deliver on performance, safety, and reliability, reinforcing our brand reputation.
• Embedding a Data-Led Quality Culture: Through advanced analytics and continuous monitoring, drive proactive decision-making and risk mitigation.
• Optimising Supplier Performance: Build strong, accountable partnerships with suppliers, ensuring quality is a key driver of RS PRO’s growth strategy.
• Driving Process Efficiency: By simplifying and improving quality frameworks, enable seamless execution of RS PRO’s ambitious product expansion plans.
• Fostering Cross-Functional Collaboration: Ensure that quality is integrated into every aspect of RS PRO’s product and sourcing strategy, aligning teams towards a common goal.

What we're looking for from you:

• Proven experience in leading and developing a best-in-class Quality Management System (QMS) aligned with global regulatory requirements, ensuring compliance with ISO 9001, RoHS, REACH, CE, UL, and other relevant industry standards.
• Strong expertise in supplier quality assurance programs, compliance audits, and corrective action plans, ensuring products consistently meet performance, safety, and reliability expectations.
• Experience managing end-to-end product quality, from New Product Introduction (NPI) through to product end-of-life, ensuring adherence to quality standards and optimising product performance.
• Ability to leverage data analytics, statistical process control (SPC), and AI-driven insights to proactively identify trends, mitigate risks, and drive continuous improvement.
• Track record of implementing Lean, Six Sigma, and Kaizen methodologies to improve processes, enhance efficiency, and reduce defects.
• Strong leadership in managing high-performing quality teams, fostering a culture of accountability, collaboration, and excellence, and influencing senior stakeholders across global teams.
• Proficiency in Quality Management Systems (QMS) and Enterprise Quality & Compliance Platforms such as SAP, Oracle, or other digital quality control tools.

Any of the following would be a bonus:

• Industrial Distribution & Manufacturing Experience: Previous experience in B2B industrial distribution, manufacturing, or own-brand product development.
• Strategic Supplier & Compliance Management: Familiarity with multi-tier global supply chains, vendor negotiations, and sustainability-driven quality assurance initiatives.
• Regulatory & Compliance Expertise: Understanding of global market compliance for industrial products, including safety standards, ethical sourcing, and sustainability regulations.
• Global Operations & Multi-Site Quality Management: Experience working across multiple international markets, ensuring quality consistency across diverse regulatory environments.
• Multilingual Capability: While not essential, fluency in Mandarin, German, Spanish, or other relevant languages would be beneficial in managing global supplier relationships.

Qualifications

• A degree (or equivalent)in a relevant field, such as: Engineering, Quality Management or Operations Management, Supply Chain, Procurement, or Business Administration
• Recognized Industry Certifications, including:
  ISO 9001 Lead Auditor CertificationSix Sigma Green or Black Belt CertificationCertified Quality Engineer (CQE) or Certified Manager of Quality/Organizational Excellence (CMQ/OE) from ASQRegulatory Compliance Certifications (RoHS, REACH, CE, UL, or industry-specific safety standards)

We are RS Group.

At RS we’ve been solving engineering problems for over 80 years: big ones, small ones, easy and difficult ones. We turn the ‘what ifs’ into the ‘why nots’, the impossible into the possible.

Our purpose? Making amazing happen for a better world.

We offer service and product solutions. We send out a parcel every 2 seconds, to over 130 countries. We provide over 700,000 in-stock and over 3 million unstocked products to more than 1.2 million customers.

We want people like you, as you are curious about things, you like doing things differently and also in a human way with empathy. Because that’s exactly how we partner with people – our customers, suppliers, colleagues and communities – to solve problems.

We’ll also invest in your development and wellbeing – because building a more diverse and inclusive culture, being ethical, responsible and committed to our Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) action plan is at the heart of everything we do.

Come and join us and over 9000 employees worldwide – and we’ll help you to think big, do more and unleash your brilliance, so you do amazing things too.