Operations and Quality Manager

Cap Air Systems Limited; St. Ives; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Cap Air Systems Limited in St Ives, UK, seeks a senior leader to run operations and own quality. You will lead a team of about 17, including Stores Team Leader, delivering on-time output and first-time quality as the business scales.

The role focuses on people leadership, building a modern manufacturing culture, driving ISO 9001 and ISO 13485 readiness, implementing Kinabase ERP, and shaping processes across production, quality, and supply chain.

Qualifications

• Five+ years in electronics manufacturing, with team leadership experience.
• Experience with ISO 9001, ideally ISO 13485, and external audits.

Responsibilities

• Production: own output, scheduling, capacity and on-time delivery.
• Quality: own our quality system and drive ISO 9001/ISO 13485 readiness.
• Customer liaison: medtech & aerospace tech and quality lead, audits/CAPA.
• Implement ERP to drive shop-floor efficiency and data-driven decisions.
• Lean/5S, productivity improvements, and people development.
• Supply chain partnering with purchasing and growing the team.
• Act as Deputy with delegated authority when MD away.

Skills

People leadership

Electronics manufacturing

ISO 9001

ISO 13485

External audits

CAPA

8D problem solving

Root cause analysis

Kinabase ERP

ERP/MRP

IPC standards

AS9100

Tools

Kinabase ERP

Job description

Cap Air Systems builds cable assemblies, circuit boards and complete units in St Ives for medical device, aerospace, defence and industrial customers. We are a team of 20. After years of running quietly, we are growing fast: new medtech and aerospace programmes, a new ERP system, and ISO 9001 and ISO 13485 certification under way.

The Role

This is the number two job in the business. You will run operations and own quality so our Managing Director can focus on customers and growth. You will lead a team of about 17, including our Stores Team Leader. Above all, this is a people job: the team should be glad you arrived. The aim is a factory that delivers on time, gets it right first time and is ready for certification.

What you'll do

• Production - Own output, scheduling, capacity and on-time delivery.
• Quality Own our quality system and lead us to ISO 9001 and ISO 13485 in about 12 months.
• Customers Technical and quality lead for medtech and aerospace customers: NCRs, CAPA, first articles, audits. Systems Make Kinabase, our new ERP, the way the shop floor runs. Let the data drive decisions.
• Improvement Lean, 5S and productivity measures, with results we can share with funders. People Lead, coach and grow the team. Build routes in and up, including apprentices and IPC training.
• Supply chain Work hand in hand with purchasing. It may come under this role as it grows; we will shape that together.
• Deputy Hold delegated authority when the Managing Director is away.

Who you are

• An outstanding people leader from electronics manufacturing, with empathy, a sense of humour and real customer focus. You want to modernise how things are made, and to open up skills and opportunity to people from every background.
• Five years or more in electronics manufacturing, two leading a team
• ISO 9001, ideally ISO 13485, and experience of external audits
• Shop-floor use (ideally development/implementation) of an ERP or MRP system
• Root cause analysis, 8D and CAPA
• Credible with demanding medtech and aerospace customers
• A people leader others want to follow: empathetic, fair and good humoured
• A real focus on customers and what they need from us
• A champion of skills, opportunity, diversity, equity and inclusion
• A sleeves-up style that suits a small business

The cherry on top (but we’re in unicorn territory now!)...

• IPC standards: A-610, A-620 and J-STD-001
• AS9100 experience
• IPC trainer (CIT) certification, or the wish to gain it
• Medical device contract manufacturing under a customer's quality system
• Growing a team and bringing on apprentices

Not our vibe:

someone who wants to manage from a desk, or a quality auditor with no production background.

We are small enough that one person shapes the place, and ambitious enough to modernise how manufacturing is done. You won't inherit a fixed system; you'll build it, with backing from the owners, a brilliant customer rosta and strong links across the Cambridge tech and manufacturing scene.

Salary -

Based on expertise and experience