Quality Assurance Manager

Thales; Otago; On-site; NZD 110,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

Thales seeks a Quality Assurance Manager (Bids & Projects) in New Zealand to lead QA activities, assure conformity to customer requirements and regulatory standards, and drive continuous improvement across bids and projects. You will coordinate with Quality managers, apply risk-based QA, and oversee audits and certifications.

The role emphasizes ownership of quality by all teams, reducing Cost of Non-Quality, and delivering compliant, timely deliverables within scope and budget.

Qualifications

• Tertiary qualification in engineering or related technical discipline.
• Experience in quality management for systems engineering or similar technical areas.
• Knowledge of ISO 9001:2015 and quality assurance practices.
• Proven analytical and problem-solving abilities with data-driven approach.

Responsibilities

• Manage customer feedback and drive corrective and preventive actions.
• Maintain direct links with Customer’s Quality managers to resolve issues promptly.
• Ensure customer needs are understood and the required quality level is defined.
• Assure quality throughout the Bids and Project lifecycle.
• Build relationships with stakeholders to align quality objectives across entities.
• Attend and contribute to bids, project meetings, and gates as required.
• Analyze data to identify and prevent risks, issue alerts, and veto when needed.
• Monitor project execution and provide independent quality advice.
• Ensure compliance with safety standards and related certifications; perform internal audits.
• Support project and bid teams in applying processes and solving problems.
• Promote teamwork and leadership behaviors; uphold Thales Leadership Model.

Skills

Quality Assurance

Risk Management

Stakeholder Engagement

Auditing

Regulatory Compliance

Problem Solving

Communication

Education

Engineering degree or related technical discipline

Tools

Quality Management System ISO 9001:2015

8D Problem Solving Method

Job description

Specific duties

The B&P QAM role is focused on assuring the deliverables and processes implemented are in accordance with the customer’s requirements, statutory regulations and Thales Group.

This include taking a risk-based approach to define and implement quality assurance activities, assuring compliance, identifying deficiencies, certifying products, evaluating and minimising potential quality related risk, and raising Alerts and Veto for quality issues when necessary. It also include facilitating continuous quality improvement, and ensuring the Thales Quality Reference system (Chorus) is implemented and effective in delivering quality across all areas in the Bids and Project of the business unit.

The primary challenges of this position are:

• Ensuring quality is owned by everyone not only the quality function
• Reduction of quality risks and minimisation of Cost of Non-Quality through active support of operational areas.
• Assuring that the commitments we make to our customers are met while balancing the cost and schedule constraints.

Responsibilities:

• Managing customer feedback ensuring that related corrective and preventive actions are developed and implemented
• Build customer confidence by maintaining direct links with Customer’s Quality managers and making sure that problems are resolved without undue delay
• Ensuring Customer needs are clearly understood and defining the “right” standard of Quality needed within the entity
• Assuring Quality throughout the Bids and Project lifecycle.
• Establishing and maintaining a close relationship with key stakeholders and Quality function in various entities to ensure understanding of quality objectives and expectations in Bids and Projects.
• Attending and participate in Bids and Project meetings including engineering gates, Bid milestones and acceptance review as required
• Analysing data to prevent identifiable risks.
• Fulfilling the duty of alert and veto.
• Monitoring and assessing the execution of the Bid and Project by providing visibility through an independent “Quality Advice”
• Assuring compliance with normative requirements (e.g. safety) and with the related certification standards
• Conduct internal audit and perform maturity assessment when required
• Assisting stakeholders to analyse operational performance and providing management with an overall picture for decision-making purposes
• Support the project & bid teams in applying processes, identifying risks and developing problem solving mindset
• Ensure deliverables comply with the applicable regulations and standards
• Fostering teamwork in the direct area of responsibility and with other teams across Bids and Project, functions or business unit, where appropriate.
• Understanding and displaying the Thales Leadership Model
• Other duties as assigned.

KEY KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE

To be successful in your role, you will have demonstrated and/or acquired the following knowledge and experience:

• Tertiary Qualifications in an engineering or related technical discipline.
• Audit Qualifications (e.g. Internal Auditor) background or qualifications is desirable.
• Minimum 5 years’ experience in Engineering (i.e. systems engineering, ideally with some S/W development knowledge) with a good understanding of systems and software development principles’ and lifecycles
• Experience in quality management, preferably in a system’s engineering organisation, or other relevant technically orientated discipline.
• Detailed knowledge of ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management System requirements
• Working experience in Quality assurance for complex and safety critical projects is desirable.
• Influencing skills including the ability to promote improvement with key stakeholders and managers in the organisation.
• Analytical and problem-solving skills, including the ability to understand and critique requirements. Expertise in applying problem solving tools, such as 8D is desirable
• Good communication & interpersonal skills, including ability to prepare and present reports.
• Ability to work well in a multi-disciplinary team.
• Diplomacy skills, including the ability to withstand pressures and say 'no' when quality is insufficient or processes are not being adhered to.