An exciting opportunity for a Head of Quality, Compliance & Sustainability to lead overall quality, product testing and safety, factory compliance and sustainability agenda across the business. The role will provide strategic leadership to the existing QA and QC teams whilst building a future-ready governance framework capable of supporting growth on a global basis
A key objective of the role is to integrate the business into the wider operating model, leveraging global resources, shared services and specialist expertise. The successful candidate will elevate the UK function from transactional execution to strategic governance, ensuring the team focuses on risk management, supplier performance, regulatory readiness and continuous improvement, whilst ensuring the day to day is delivered
Main Duties:-
- Lead QA, QC, Compliance and Sustainability functions, writing procedures where needed and evolving methods of collection to meet customer requirements
- Manage sustainability and compliance communication internally and with customers, attending regular meetings, trainings, seminars.
- Develop supplier compliance programmes, audit frameworks and scorecards, driving improvement through ongoing work with In-Country sourcing teams
- Own quality strategy, product safety and compliance governance, advising and guiding team on global and relevant testing standards
- Act as subject matter expert on emerging UK and EU regulations.
Global Integration:-
- Act as the primary liaison between global Quality, Compliance, Sustainability and Sourcing teams.
- Develop a roadmap to integrate processes into global operating frameworks.
- Identify opportunities to transition administrative activities into shared service functions, keeping UK resource focused on strategic priorities
- Establish clear ownership, governance and accountability across UK and global teams.
Regulatory Leadership;_
- Lead readiness for Digital Product Passports, EPR, PPWR, ESPR and future EU sustainability legislation.
- Develop supply chain traceability and sustainability reporting capabilities.
- Ensure compliance with retailers and regulatory requirements across all markets.
- Direct leadership of QA, QC and Compliance personnel.
- Develop future capability and succession plans.
- Build a culture of accountability, continuous improvement and proactive risk management.
Knowledge and Skills
- Experience in Quality, Compliance, Product Safety, Sustainability or Supply Chain Governance.
- Strong understanding of UK and EU consumer product legislation.
- Experience managing supplier compliance and international supply chains.
- Strong leadership, communication and stakeholder management skills.
- Experience leading transformation, change management or shared service integration initiatives
- Experience with ethical audit programs: SMETA, BSCI, SLCP, etc.
- Experience with sustainability & environmental programs: GOTS, GRS, RCS, OCS, BCSS, Higg Index etc
- Understanding Sourcing and Selling market country laws, regulations – or research/study as needed