Quality Manager

Thwaites Ltd is a recognized leader in manufacturing high-quality dumpers, known for their advanced design, cutting-edge technology, and exceptional reliability. Thwaites has continually innovated to meet customer needs while maintaining a strong focus on safety, quality, and customer satisfaction.

To own and lead quality throughout the entire product lifecycle, from supplier and component quality through manufacturing processes to finished product, ensuring a right-first-time approach is consistently achieved. This is a critical role in building on Thwaites' well-established reputation for durable, high-quality machines. The role is responsible for the development and continuous improvement of the Quality Management System, embedding robust, scalable processes and standards across the business.

Through strong cross-functional leadership, it ensures quality issues are systematically identified, resolved, and prevented using structured methodologies, driving measurable reductions in defects and warranty, and embedding a proactive, high-performance quality culture across engineering, production, and supply chain.

• Leadership: Lead and develop the Quality Engineering team, providing technical direction, coaching, and workload prioritisation. Build team capability in root cause analysis, 8D problem solving, FMEA, SPC, MSA, process capability analysis, and poka-yoke methodologies, while driving a culture of prevention rather than containment across all quality activities.
• Technical Contribution: Lead investigation and resolution of machine, supplier, production, and field quality issues using structured methodologies. Own and drive supplier quality issue resolution, production defect reduction initiatives, end-of-line quality improvement actions, warranty trend analysis, and field failure root cause elimination. Establish robust prevention controls including statistical process control, measurement systems analysis, process validation plans, poka-yoke error-proofing systems, and control plan deployment. Ensure production quality systems are embedded to improve right first time, reduce scrap and rework, and improve yield.
• NPI: Own quality input into New Product Introduction processes from concept through launch. Responsible for quality gate approval during NPI stages, validation of manufacturing readiness, PFMEA and control plan approval, inspection strategy definition, launch containment planning, and process capability verification before start of production. Ensure product and process risks are identified early and mitigated before production release.
• Production Quality Ownership: Take full ownership of in-process production quality standards and finished goods quality performance. Lead in-line defect prevention systems, process audits, production quality escalation management, final inspection governance, and end-of-line defect trend reporting. Partner with manufacturing teams to improve process robustness and eliminate recurring defects.
• Documentation and Change Control: Own quality-controlled documentation including quality specifications, control plans, inspection standards, quality procedures, and test protocols. Ensure all quality documentation is controlled, current, approved, and effectively deployed across the business, with clear ownership boundaries defined between engineering and quality responsibilities.
• Cross-Functional Communication: Coordinate with production, manufacturing engineering, design engineering, supply chain, and suppliers to ensure quality standards are clearly communicated, implemented, and sustained across all departments. Provide regular KPI reporting to senior leadership on defect rates, warranty trends, supplier PPM, right-first-time performance, and cost of poor quality metrics.
• Continuous Improvement: Lead strategic initiatives to reduce cost of poor quality and improve operational quality performance. Drive improvements in process capability, supplier quality performance, production defect prevention, and product reliability through structured continuous improvement frameworks aligned to lean manufacturing and quality excellence principles.
• Independence: Operates independently with full accountability for quality systems, standards, escalation decisions, and improvement strategy implementation.
• Decision-Making Authority: Defines quality strategy, process control standards, inspection methodologies, escalation thresholds, and corrective action priorities, and approves quality readiness for NPI launch and production release.
• Negotiating Field: Internally, works across production teams, engineering teams, manufacturing engineering, and senior leadership. Externally, engages suppliers, external auditors, and quality system assessors to maintain compliance and drive performance improvements.

• Essential: HNC/HND or Degree in Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Quality Engineering, or related discipline. Extensive experience in a Quality Manager role within automotive, off-highway, or manufacturing sectors. Strong leadership experience managing quality teams. Strong understanding of ISO 9001 and QMS implementation. Proven expertise in SPC, MSA, PFMEA, RCA/8D, control plans, and process validation. Strong knowledge of production manufacturing processes and quality assurance systems. Experience leading NPI quality planning and launch readiness and strong analytical and reporting capability.
• Desirable: Six Sigma Green/Black Belt, Lead Auditor qualification, and APQP/PPAP experience.

Employee Benefits: 26 days holiday plus Bank Holidays, Enhanced pension scheme and DIS benefit, Private medical insurance, Occupational health support, My benefits platform- offering discounts from high street retailers.

Please be aware that Thwaites is not a sponsoring organisation. Therefore the successful applicant must already possess the right to work in the UK or be able to secure the right to work in the UK independently.