Quality Manager

Salary: £82,025.12 + great benefits and pension

Location: Halewood

Duration: Permanent

Start date: ASAP

GPW Recruitment are partnering with Ford Halewood Transmissions Ltd (FHTL) in Halewood to recruit a Quality Manager to work in their existing site during a huge transformation. Ford is investing £230m into the Halewood site to produce electric power units and it was the first Ford site to manufacture EV components in Europe, commencing in 2024 with a capacity of 420,000 units.

Salary: £82,025.12 plus 33 days holiday (25 vacation and 8 bank holidays)

FHTL Employment Benefits:

• Free on-site gym facility inclusive of a sauna & steam room (outside of working hours).
• Employee assistance programmes: weekly appointments available for all employees to utilise for free such as massages, circuit classes, nutrition advice, yoga, chiropody, reiki and head massages (outside of working hours).
• An on-site physiotherapy and occupational health department is available to employees to support their health and well-being.
• Competitive pension scheme (company pays 1.5 times the amount of the employee contributions paying up to 12%).
• £750 annual attendance bonus (subject to company T&C’s).
• Access Ford's Privilege scheme - allowing you to purchase Ford vehicles at a discount.
• An excellent work-life balance, including a generous holiday allowance of 25 days (inclusive of set shutdown dates).
• Cycle to Work Scheme.

Working hours: Monday to Thursday 7:00-15:30 and Friday 7:00-12:30

The role:

FHTL are seeking a highly motivated and experienced Quality Manager to join the Leadership Team. This is an exciting opportunity to make a significant impact within FHTL's Quality function and contribute to a growing organisation. The successful candidate will lead a diverse and technically skilled department, driving quality excellence across the plant and supporting the integration of corporate systems and initiatives.

Tasks:

• To be a role model for Ford+ behaviours and requirements.
• Management of skilled and semi-skilled areas of the Quality Department, including the Quality Evaluation Garage, Metrology, Metallurgy and Contamination Laboratories.
• Management and leadership of the Quality Engineering Team, ensuring effective delivery against quality objectives.
• Champion structured Problem Solving Methodologies across the plant, including 8D, Six Sigma and 5 Why, embedding a data-driven, root-cause culture.
• Act as Management Representative for the Quality Management System and Internal Audit processes, ensuring compliance with ISO9001 and other applicable standards.
• Drive integration of the plant within central Quality processes and systems.
• Act as the Lean Manufacturing lead for Quality, championing continuous improvement tools such as Kaizens, 5S, and PSTs.
• Lead labour and skills planning and coordination across the Quality Department to ensure versatility and coverage.
• Control departmental headcount and operating costs, delivering YoY efficiencies in line with business targets.
• Empower teams to accept responsibility for their roles in the delivery of tasks.
• Promote safety and a Zero Accident culture, maintaining a controlled environment focused on eliminating risks and reducing accident rates to zero (severity & occurrence).
• Develop your team to adopt a DEI ethos that is at the forefront of your daily business.
• Manage departmental resources – including tooling, labour and stores – within budget and according to target specifications.
• Manage all training requirements to enhance the team's versatility and ensure the ability to effectively cover all absences.
• Effective communication to all levels, including Trade Union.
• Skills planning and bench strength at all levels through people development plans.
• Lead the team to be best in class in Quality areas of the Lean Maturity Model.

Qualifications and Experience required:

• Essential - Qualified to degree level - Candidates not meeting this criterion but with the relevant experience will be considered on an exception basis only. Successful applicants will be required to study for a degree, if required.
• Essential - Experience of working in an automotive environment in a quality or engineering management capacity.
• Desirable - Six Sigma Black Belt qualified, or equivalent experience with structured problem-solving methodologies.
• Desirable - Appreciation of working with a variety of measurement equipment, understanding of metrology principles, quality tools, measurement system analysis (Gauge R&R) and calibration principles.

About Ford:

Ford Motor Company is a global automotive industry leader that manufactures or distributes vehicles across six continents. With over 200,000 employees and 65 plants worldwide, the UK employs over 13,000 individuals.

About Ford Halewood Transmission Limited:

Ford Halewood Transmission Limited (FHTL) develops and manufactures transmissions with an employee workforce of circa 750 people. The Plant has a proud 60-year history as a local employer and is dedicated to manufacturing high-quality products. Ford is currently investing at the facility to transform it to build electric power units for future Ford all-electric passenger and commercial vehicles.

Future Prospects:

The business invests significantly in its employee development. FHTL supports the onward development and growth of all personnel and has a track record of promoting from within based on performance and achievement.

Proposed start date: ASAP – Based on personal availability.

The Company is committed to diversity and equality of opportunity for all and is opposed to any form of less favourable treatment or harassment on the grounds of race, religion or belief, sex, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, age, sexual orientation, gender reassignment or disability. This vacancy is advertised in line with the FORD equal opportunities policy.

To apply for the Quality Manager role please click apply now and please ensure that you apply for this position via one recruitment agency only.