Product Quality Development Manager

Agratas is a wholly owned subsidiary of Tata Sons. We design, develop and manufacture high-quality, high-performance, sustainable batteries for the mobility and energy sectors. We are a scale-up business with a start-up mentality and the backing of a well-established parent company. The UK business headquarters is in the Midlands and we are currently building a battery manufacturing facility in Somerset and looking to complement, scale and grow our R&D facilities in Abingdon and Coventry with the brightest minds from within the battery and EV sector.

Our battery technology roadmap is based on a foundation of world-class solutions for multiple applications. Collaborating with our technical partners, we are industrialising best-in-class high-energy density and long-lasting battery cells. We are also committed to developing the next generation of battery technologies.

As a product quality development manager, you will be responsible for leading the development and execution of advanced product quality planning (APQP) activities for all products at Agratas. You will lead a team of highly motivated and professional global quality engineers and your remit will cover all customers in all countries. You will interface heavily with all parts of the business, most notably product development, process development and project management functions, as well as with the customer, and you will maintain a single source of the truth for quality in the pre-SOP phase. You will draw cross-functional teams together to develop an aligned approach and drive the business forward towards successful implementation. You will continue to develop best practice methods, processes and drive system development for this across the business.

This is a hybrid working role that will be based in our Coventry office.

Key Duties & Responsibilities:

• Leadership of the advanced product quality development function at Agratas;
• Lead a team of specialist engineers, being fully responsible for recruitment and taking care of employee performance development, coaching and their overall well-being;
• Product Quality Strategy: Develop and implement quality standards, strategies, and metrics that align with product development goals and customer expectations;
• Set demanding quality targets for the APQP and FMEA processes, report on progress with your team and independently identify and autonomously lead targeted escalation where required;
• Identify and lead initiatives required to optimise quality in the APQP phases;
• Oversee the development, optimisation and approval of the sub-elements that make up APQP as well as their integration in new product delivery project plans;
• Interface with customers as required in new business acquisition phases, ongoing project reviews and at Management reviews;
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Work closely with Product engineering, Manufacturing engineering, Operations and Wider business teams to ensure quality is considered at every stage of product development;
• Quality Training & Mentoring: Educate internal teams on best practices for quality assurance, problem solving, and risk mitigation.

Qualifications & Experience:

• 5+ years of experience in product quality development;
• Experience with the AIAG APQP framework, IATF 16949 and FMEA;
• Experience in leading teams with direct reports;
• Holds a degree in an Engineering or Quality-related discipline.

Nice to have:

• Proficient in Data Analytics (Power BI or other tools).
• Certified Six Sigma Green Belt.

At Agratas we strongly believe that people are at their best when they feel supported and happy in their workplace. To that end we continue to cultivate a diverse workforce which protects the individuality of each employee. We therefore warmly welcome applicants from any race, gender, sexuality, and ability. Should you have a preference in how your suitability is assessed for this role or require any reasonable adjustments please let the Talent Acquisition team know.