Role - Lead Quality Specialist (Inside IR35)
Location - Rugby
Candidates either already need SC clearance or need to be able to obtain it
Lead Production Quality
- Provide day-to-day leadership of the Production Quality organisation
Lead and develop Quality Engineers, Production Inspectors and Receiving Inspection teams
Establish a high-performance culture built around accountability, coaching and continuous improvement
Build capability through objectives, development planning and performance management
Drive Manufacturing Quality
- Lead and develop Quality Engineers, Production Inspectors and Receiving Inspection teams
Develop and optimise inspection strategies based on product risk
Support production flow by balancing quality assurance with operational efficiency
Own Operational Governance
- Lead daily production quality governance
- Own GO / NO GO decision-making processes
- Lead Quality Hold governance and escalation
- Drive Layered Process Audit deployment
- Develop standard work and visual management across production
Purpose
Leads all production quality activities across manufacturing, ensuring product conformity, inspection effectiveness, governance, customer confidence and operational quality performance
Production Quality
- Production quality performance
- Daily quality governance
- Quality resource planning
- Product conformity
- Inspection strategy
- FAT & pre-FAT readiness
- Customer quality interface
Leadership
- QE Inspection team
- Receiving Inspection team
- Quality Engineer team
- Apprentices & graduates
- Daily Quality meetings
- Weekly Quality Review
- Monthly RMR Quality Dashboard
- Production RCA weekly review
RMR Customers
- FATs
- Production audits
- Production escapes
- Production complaints
- Production recoveries
Continous Improvement
- Inspection improvements
- Lean & Kaizen improvements
- Digital Quality reporting systems
- Process automation
- AI innovation
- Lessons learnt
- Mistake Proofing
- Visual Management
Production Quality Manager : Governance and KPI Ownership
Governance
- APQP application
- GO / NO GO process
- Quality Hold process
- Layered Process Audits
- Inspection strategy
- Quality Suite & SAP
- Visual Management
- Technical pack adherence
- Escalations
- Global Audit system
- Quality maturity framework
- Calibration
- Quality documentation control
KPI Ownership
- Customer Escapes
- Internal NCRs
- Product COPQ
- Inspection OTIF
- Inspection Backlog
- Quality Holds
- First Past Yield
- Audit Finding Completion
- Layered Audit Completion
- Calibration Compliance
- Document Compliance
Production Quality Manager : Performance and Capability
Operational performance, compliance, experience and career proposition
Delivery Operational Performance
- Customer Escapes
- Internal Escapes
- Product COPQ
- Inspection OTIF
- Inspection Backlog
- Quality Holds
- Production Area Audit Completion
- Layered Audit Completion
- Calibration Compliance
- Documentation Compliance
Lead Continuous Improvement
- Drive Lean Quality initiatives
- Eliminate recurring defects through structured Root Cause Analysis
- Improve process capability and manufacturing robustness
- Introduce digital quality tools and performance reporting
- Reduce waste and non-value-added inspection activity
Compliance & Quality Systems
- Maintain compliance with the QMS
- Ensure manufacturing processes comply with internal standards and regulatory requirements
- Support audits
- Drive corrective and preventive action implementation
Build Quality into Manufacturing
- Partner with Operations to embed quality at source
- Support Engineering during NPI and manufacturing changes
- Improve defect prevention through robust process controls
- Keep inspection risk-based and value focused
What you'll bring
- Engineering, Manufacturing or Quality degree / equivalent experience
- Manufacturing quality leadership.
- UK security clearance.
- Full UK Passport holder.
- ISO 9001, RCA, CAPA, Lean and KPI management
- Stakeholder management and problem solving
With over 90 years' combined experience, NES Fircroft (NES) is proud to be the world's leading engineering staffing provider spanning the Oil & Gas, Power & Renewables, Chemicals, Construction & Infrastructure, Life Sciences, Mining andManufacturingsectors worldwide. With more than 80 offices in 45 countries, we are able to provide our clients with the engineering and technical expertise they need, wherever and whenever it is needed. We offer contractors far more than a traditional recruitment service, supporting with everything from securing visas and work permits, to providing market-leading benefits packages and accommodation, ensuring they are safely and compliantly able to support our clients.
Lead Quality Specialist (Inside IR35) employer: NES Fircroft
Joining NES Fircroft as a Contracts Specialist offers you the chance to work with a leading Oil & Gas operator in Norwich, where a supportive and collaborative work culture thrives. The company prioritises employee growth through continuous learning opportunities and fosters a professional environment that values integrity and teamwork. With a focus on maximising supplier relationships and a commitment to excellence, this role provides a meaningful career path in a dynamic industry.
