Product Quality Manager

Kingdom Services Group Ltd; Fareham; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Kingdom Services Group Ltd. in Fareham seeks a Product Quality Manager to lead the Quality Engineering team and improve product quality across the lifecycle, from NPI to delivery and customer experience.

You will focus on preventing defects, analyze quality data, and collaborate with Production, Engineering, Supply Chain, and suppliers to implement sustainable improvements, while owning customer quality issues and COPQ reduction.

Qualifications

• 4-6 years' Quality Engineering experience within aerospace or another highly regulated manufacturing environment.
• At least 2-3 years' experience leading Quality Engineers.
• HNC/HND in Engineering or Quality, or equivalent relevant experience.
• Working knowledge of AS9100.
• Lean Six Sigma Green Belt.
• Strong Product Quality Engineering experience.
• Excellent understanding of RCCA / 8D.
• Experience with PFMEA and Control Plans.
• Knowledge of MSA, SPC and process capability.
• Strong experience managing non-conformance and MRB activity.
• Ability to confidently interpret engineering drawings.
• Experience analysing Quality data and using it to drive improvement.
• Strong customer and supplier Quality experience.
• Confidence leading cross-functional Quality improvement activity.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop the Quality Engineering team.
• Manage workload, priorities, performance and development across the team.
• Set and monitor departmental objectives and Quality KPIs.
• Drive improvements in product quality across the complete product lifecycle.
• Analyse Quality performance by customer, product family, part number, process and defect type.
• Identify dominant product risks and implement targeted improvement activity.
• Reduce Cost of Poor Quality through defect prevention and structured improvement.
• Lead Root Cause & Corrective Action (RCCA) activity.
• Drive effective use of PFMEA, Control Plans, MSA, SPC and process capability.
• Own operational customer Quality including complaints, escapes, returns and containment.
• Lead 8D investigations and ensure corrective actions eliminate recurrence.
• Manage customer Quality metrics and corrective action commitments.
• Lead customer-facing Product Quality responses and reviews.
• Manage supplier Product Quality including SCARs, RCCA, surveillance and supplier development.
• Work closely with Procurement to improve supplier Quality performance.
• Monitor and improve operational non-conformance including NCR ageing and recurrence.
• Represent Quality within MRB activity.
• Embed Quality Engineering within NPI and APQP.
• Support product and process changes, supplier readiness, FAIR readiness and production readiness.
• Coordinate Quality priorities with Inspection and FAIR teams.
• Escalate significant product conformity, regulatory, customer or safety risks where necessary.
• Deputise for the Quality Manager when required.

Skills

Quality leadership

Data-driven problem solving

RCCA

PFMEA

Control Plans

MSA

SPC

APQP

NPI

Lean Six Sigma Green Belt

Education

HNC/HND in Engineering or Quality

AS9100 knowledge

Tools

PFMEA

Control Plans

MSA

SPC

Job description

Are you an experienced Quality Manager or Senior Quality Engineer with a strong background in aerospace or highly regulated manufacturing?

Do you have a track record of improving product quality, leading Quality Engineering teams and using data and structured problem-solving to eliminate recurring defects?

We're supporting a leading aerospace manufacturing business in Fareham who are looking for a Product Quality Manager to join their Quality team.

This is a genuine product-focused Quality position where you'll lead Quality Engineering across the complete product lifecycle - from suppliers and NPI through manufacture, delivery and customer experience.

What's the role all about?

As the Product Quality Manager, you'll lead the Quality Engineering team and take ownership of improving product quality throughout the business.

Your focus will be on preventing defects rather than simply reacting to them.

You'll analyse where quality issues are occurring, understand the root cause and work closely with Production, Engineering, Supply Chain, Inspection and suppliers to put sustainable improvements in place.

You'll also take ownership of operational customer quality issues, supplier quality performance and non-conformance, while helping the business reduce its Cost of Poor Quality (COPQ).

What will you be doing?

• Lead and develop the Quality Engineering team
• Manage workload, priorities, performance and development across the team
• Set and monitor departmental objectives and Quality KPIs
• Drive improvements in product quality across the complete product lifecycle
• Analyse Quality performance by customer, product family, part number, process and defect type
• Identify dominant product risks and implement targeted improvement activity
• Reduce Cost of Poor Quality through defect prevention and structured improvement
• Lead Root Cause & Corrective Action (RCCA) activity
• Drive effective use of PFMEA, Control Plans, MSA, SPC and process capability
• Own operational customer Quality including complaints, escapes, returns and containment
• Lead 8D investigations and ensure corrective actions eliminate recurrence
• Manage customer Quality metrics and corrective action commitments
• Lead customer-facing Product Quality responses and reviews
• Manage supplier Product Quality including SCARs, RCCA, surveillance and supplier development
• Work closely with Procurement to improve supplier Quality performance
• Monitor and improve operational non-conformance including NCR ageing and recurrence
• Represent Quality within Material Review Board (MRB) activity
• Embed Quality Engineering within NPI and APQP
• Support product and process changes, supplier readiness, FAIR readiness and production readiness
• Coordinate Quality priorities with Inspection and FAIR teams
• Escalate significant product conformity, regulatory, customer or safety risks where necessary
• Deputise for the Quality Manager when required

What do you need?

We're Looking For Someone With

• 4-6 years' Quality Engineering experience within aerospace or another highly regulated manufacturing environment
• At least 2-3 years' experience leading Quality Engineers
• HNC/HND in Engineering or Quality, or equivalent relevant experience
• Working knowledge of AS9100
• Lean Six Sigma Green Belt
• Strong Product Quality Engineering experience
• Excellent understanding of RCCA / 8D
• Experience with PFMEA and Control Plans
• Knowledge of MSA, SPC and process capability
• Strong experience managing non-conformance and MRB activity
• Ability to confidently interpret engineering drawings
• Experience analysing Quality data and using it to drive improvement
• Strong customer and supplier Quality experience
• Confidence leading cross-functional Quality improvement activity

Desirable

It Would Also Be Beneficial If You Have

• Degree in Engineering or Quality
• AS9100 Internal or Lead Auditor qualification
• AS9102 FAIR experience
• AS9145 APQP experience
• Part 21G knowledge
• Lean Six Sigma Black Belt
• Minitab experience
• Experience delivering Lean or operational transformation projects

About You

You'll be someone who believes Quality should be built into the process rather than inspected into the product.

You'll be data-driven, commercially aware and confident challenging existing processes when the evidence shows something needs to change.

You’ll Be

• A strong and credible people leader
• Customer-focused
• Analytical and data-driven
• Tenacious when solving recurring problems
• Comfortable holding others accountable for actions
• An effective coach and trainer
• Confident working across Engineering, Production and Supply Chain
• Able to communicate effectively at all levels
• Passionate about continuous improvement

Most importantly, you'll have the technical Quality knowledge to understand why defects are happening and how to prevent them happening again.

The details

Role: Product Quality Manager

Location: Fareham

Department: Quality

Contract: Permanent

Environment: Aerospace / Regulated Manufacturing

Team: Quality Engineering