Quality & Continuous Improvement Manager

KHR Recruitment Specialists; Marden; On-site; GBP 65,000 - 70,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Benefits

Job summary

KHR Recruitment Specialists is seeking a Quality & Continuous Improvement Manager in Kent to lead the quality strategy and drive Lean initiatives across manufacturing and operations. The role involves enhancing quality systems, leading audits, and collaborating with Engineering, Production and Supply Chain to deliver sustainable improvements.

The ideal candidate will have 5+ years in manufacturing with a quality leadership background, strong Lean knowledge, and experience in ISO 9001.

Qualifications

• HNC, HND or Degree in an Engineering discipline.
• At least 5 years' manufacturing experience with leadership in quality.
• Lead Auditor qualification and ISO 9001 experience are essential.
• Strong knowledge of Lean Manufacturing and continuous improvement methodologies.
• Practical experience with Lean tools such as 5S, VSM, APQP and structured problem-solving (8D, DMAIC, A3).

Responsibilities

• Lead the company's quality strategy and continuous improvement programme.
• Drive Lean initiatives across manufacturing and operational processes.
• Identify waste, improve efficiency and implement best practice using Lean methodologies.
• Manage and develop the Quality Management System, ensuring ISO 9001 compliance.
• Lead internal audits, management reviews and drive a proactive quality culture.
• Support New Product Introduction (NPI) to ensure smooth transition into manufacturing.
• Collaborate with Engineering, Production and Supply Chain to improve capability.
• Monitor supplier quality performance and drive improvements across the supply chain.
• Use data, KPIs and reporting to identify trends and implement corrective actions.
• Lead root cause investigations using structured problem-solving tools (8D, DMAIC, A3).
• Deliver operational change programmes to improve productivity, quality and customer satisfaction.

Skills

Lean manufacturing

Continuous improvement

Quality management

Root cause analysis

Data analysis

Education

HNC/HND or Degree in Engineering

Lead Auditor qualification

CQI membership (desirable)

Job description

Quality & Continuous Improvement Manager

Location: Marden, Kent
Salary: £65,000 - £70,000 + Benefits
Hours: Monday-Friday | 39 hours per week

This is an outstanding opportunity for an experienced Quality & Continuous Improvement Manager to make a genuine impact within a growing manufacturing business.

We're looking for someone who thrives on improving processes, eliminating waste and embedding a culture of continuous improvement.

If you're passionate about Lean manufacturing, operational excellence and developing robust quality systems, this role offers the autonomy and influence to drive meaningful change across the business.

Working closely with senior leadership, engineering, production and the wider supply chain, you'll play a pivotal role in enhancing manufacturing performance, improving quality standards and delivering sustainable operational improvements.

What You'll Be Doing

• Leading the company's quality strategy and continuous improvement programme.
• Driving Lean initiatives across manufacturing, assembly and operational processes.
• Identifying waste, improving efficiency and implementing best practice using Lean methodologies.
• Managing and developing the Quality Management System, ensuring ongoing ISO 9001 compliance.
• Leading internal audits, management reviews and driving a proactive quality culture.
• Supporting New Product Introduction (NPI) to ensure successful transition into manufacturing.
• Working collaboratively with Engineering, Production and Supply Chain to improve manufacturing capability.
• Managing supplier quality performance and driving improvements across the supply chain.
• Using data, KPIs and performance reporting to identify trends and implement corrective actions.
• Leading root cause investigations using structured problem-solving tools including 8D, DMAIC and A3.
• Delivering operational change programmes that improve productivity, quality and customer satisfaction.

About You

You'll be an experienced quality professional who enjoys being hands-on whilst also thinking strategically.

You're passionate about continuous improvement and have a proven track record of delivering measurable business improvements within a manufacturing environment.

• HNC, HND or Degree in an Engineering discipline.
• At least 5 years' manufacturing experience with a minimum of 3 years in a quality leadership role.
• Strong experience managing ISO 9001 Quality Management Systems.
• Lead Auditor qualification.
• Excellent knowledge of Lean Manufacturing and continuous improvement methodologies.
• Practical experience with Lean tools including 5S, Value Stream Mapping (VSM), APQP and structured problem-solving techniques such as 8D, DMAIC and A3.
• Experience managing non-conformance across manufacturing and supplier networks.
• The ability to lead change, influence stakeholders and build a culture focused on operational excellence.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to use data to drive decisions and improvements.

Desirable:

• Chartered Quality Institute (CQI) membership.
• Six Sigma Black Belt.
• Project Management experience within manufacturing.

Why Apply?

This is far more than a traditional quality management role.

It's an opportunity to influence how a manufacturing business operates, improve performance across multiple functions and leave a lasting legacy.

If you're someone who enjoys solving complex manufacturing challenges, leading improvement projects and creating a culture where quality and continuous improvement are embedded into everything the business does, we'd love to hear from you.

At KHR we take care to ensure that you are represented as well as possible so it is worth checking your CV for layout, spelling and grammar as well as making sure it is up to date before you submit.

If you feel you need to highlight particular qualifications, skills or relevant experience with regards to a specific role then please add a cover letter or a preface page.

This does not need to be formatted in the same manner.

In addition, if your CV is heavy with graphics etc, please could you also submit a "clean" copy in Word.

Thank you.

KH Recruitment Ltd is acting as an Employment Agency in relation to this vacancy.

KHR - Recruitment Specialists is a trading name of KH Recruitment Ltd Keep in touch with us online for job alerts, industry updates and market...