Quality and Compliance Lead in Waterlooville

The Quality & Compliance Lead is a pivotal role responsible for the day-to-day running of the quality function at Pelham, taking full operational ownership of the Quality Management System (QMS) and leading both the Quality Assurance (QA) and Quality Control (QC) teams.

This is a QA-biased leadership role.

The successful candidate is first and foremost a quality assurance professional — strong on the quality system, internal and external audits, regulatory compliance and continuous improvement — who also directs the QC team to ensure product is tested, inspected and released to specification.

They will implement and lead the internal audit process, drive standardised ways of working and GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices) across the company in accordance with ISO 22716, and act as the senior quality voice in front of customers, suppliers and regulatory bodies.

This is a key role in delivering quality excellence, protecting Pelham's compliance position, and embedding a culture of continuous improvement in a fast-paced, regulated manufacturing environment.

Key Responsibilities

• Quality Leadership
• Provide day-to-day leadership of the quality function.
• Act as the senior quality authority on site, providing expert guidance on quality and compliance matters to leadership and cross-functional stakeholders.
• Deputise for the Head of Technical on quality matters as required, and represent quality in cross-functional and customer-facing forums.
• Translate Pelham's quality and compliance objectives into clear team priorities, plans and measurable KPIs.
• Quality Management System (QMS)
• Hold operational ownership of the QMS, including monitoring, SOP creation, change control evaluation and reporting on KPIs.
• Maintain the Document Management System, ensuring documentation is controlled, current and audit-ready at all times.
• Review and manage non-conformances including NCRs, CAPAs, OOSs, Deviations and Complaints — working cross-functionally to facilitate root cause investigations and ensure timely, effective resolution.
• Monitor and analyse quality metrics to identify trends, risks, and opportunities for continuous improvement, escalating issues where appropriate.
• Audit & Regulatory Compliance
• Implement, lead and continually improve the internal audit process, providing effective feedback to ensure audit readiness across the site at all times.
• Lead and participate in external audits by regulatory bodies, Customers and Suppliers, acting as a senior quality contact throughout.
• Ensure ongoing compliance with relevant Standards (e. g. ISO 22716, Sedex, RSPO) and Customer audit requirements.
• Support customers' regulatory obligations, including Responsible Person and Product Information File (PIF) requirements as applicable.
• Drive the implementation of standardised ways of working and GMP throughout the site.
• Quality Control & Product Release
• Oversee QC testing, inspection and product disposition activities, ensuring decisions are made against specification and within required timescales.
• Maintain clear, documented segregation of duties within the function — including defined batch-release authority and independent checking — so quality oversight remains robust, independent and auditable.
• Ensure QC resource, methods and equipment are fit for purpose and that testing keeps pace with production demand.
• Collaborate with all internal teams to ensure new product introductions meet quality and regulatory requirements before release.
• Lead, manage, mentor and develop the QA and QC teams — setting objectives, managing workload and priorities, and conducting one-to-ones and appraisals.
• Build resilience and cover across both teams so that no critical quality activity depends on a single individual, through cross-training and documented deputising arrangements.
• Foster a culture of collaboration between all Pelham teams.
• Manage workforce planning within the function, including recruitment, training and succession planning.
• Champion a culture of Quality and Continuous Improvement (CI) across the Company.
• Play a lead role in CI initiatives using Lean tools such as 5S, Kaizen, Value Stream Mapping (VSM) and Root Cause Analysis (RCA).
• Facilitate training programmes related to quality systems, GMP and regulatory expectations to ensure compliance and awareness across departments.
• Support digital, automation and innovation projects that improve quality, efficiency and compliance.

Experience and Qualifications

• Proven experience in a quality assurance or compliance role, preferably within the Cosmetics, Medical Device, Food or similarly regulated industry.
• Experience of leading or supervising a team, or a demonstrable readiness to step into first-line management of QA and QC.
• Strong working knowledge of quality standards (e. g. ISO 22716) and GMP requirements.
• Experience with RCA tools (e. g. 5 Whys, Fishbone) and Lean tools such as 5S, Value Stream Mapping (VSM), Kaizen and standard work.
• Strong attention to detail and problem-solving skills, with the ability to make data-driven decisions.
• Excellent communication and influencing abilities across different departments and levels of the company.
• Passionate about quality and fostering a quality mindset in others.
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