Quality & Compliance Manager

Reports to: Head of QHSE UK&I

Location: London - Heathrow

Contract Type: Permanent

Introduction to role

Vanderlande is a global leader in logistics process automation across the airports and parcel sectors. The UK & Ireland Quality, Health Safety and Environment department forms part of our global organisation with a focus on the projects being delivered in the UK and Ireland region. As a Quality & Compliance Manager, you will play a key role in delivering complex engineering projects in a collaborative and supportive environment. You will collaborate with colleagues across engineering project management, customers, and partners to ensure high-quality technical solutions are delivered safely, sustainably, and on time. This role offers the opportunity to develop while contributing to projects with real-world impact. Vanderlande values different perspectives and supports ongoing learning and career development and welcomes applicants from all backgrounds and experiences as we build a diverse engineering team.

Role Responsibilities

• Develop the regional strategy, objectives and targets in conjunction with regional teams, leadership team and in line with corporate strategy.
• Collaborate with departmental leads to actively promote a right first time culture and ensure that there is sufficient attention on quality deliverables & continuous improvement across the value chain.
• Be the specialist on quality management with oversight of quality critical management topics, risk issues and performance data utilising company provided databases and tooling.
• Co-ordinate key client requirements internally and ensure these requirements are understood and being delivered by relevant teams. Engage with key customer quality representatives to understand quality requirements, address concerns and maintain high levels of satisfaction.
• Collaborate with other domain and business function quality managers and the corporate quality team to ensure quality deliverables are clear, effectively communicated and tracked, with a focus on prevention & continuous improvement.
• Actively promote the effective use and improvement of the Vanderlande quality management system processes, templates and company databases and tooling. Audit program to check compliance and identify improvement opportunities.
• Own and continuously improve the Quality Management System (QMS) and associated processes and procedures in line with relevant standards (e.g., ISO 9001), regulatory obligations and customer-specific requirements.
• Plan and deliver an internal audit programme to assess compliance with standards and company policies; lead/support external audits, ensuring timely preparation, effective follow-up and closure of findings.
• Ensure quality deliverables are defined, communicated, delivered and reported through each phase of projects and maintenance/service contracts.
• Oversee inspection, testing and verification activities to ensure products and services meet quality requirements.
• Collaborate with procurement, suppliers and subcontractors/contractors to ensure incoming materials and outsourced processes meet defined quality requirements; support evaluation and improvement of supplier performance where needed.
• Plan and deliver quality training and awareness, supporting teams to implement quality requirements effectively and consistently.
• Facilitate resources & the support of relevant subject matter experts to enable significant quality issues to be investigated and addressed. Escalate critical topics.
• Use tools such as 8D, 5 Whys, and Six Sigma to address and resolve quality problems and drive continuous improvement activities.
• Establish, monitor and continuously improve leading and lagging quality KPIs; co-ordinate regional and client quality reports to ensure fact-based visibility for leadership teams and contract leads.
• Act as single point of contact for systemic issues via corporate quality team and facilitate process for resolution of corrective & preventive actions in the domain.
• Provide day-to-day leadership and (where applicable) line management for quality resources, setting clear objectives, managing performance, supporting recruitment/onboarding, and ensuring the team has the capability and capacity to meet UK&I project and contract needs.
• Mentor and develop the QHSE team and departmental teams on quality & continuous improvement topics.
• Support Department Lead in other activities as required and support corporate quality program/improvements.

Role Qualification and Skills

• Strong leadership and communication skills, with proven experience leading and developing teams, managing quality improvement programmes, and influencing at all levels of the organisation.
• Degree qualified with 5-10 years experience in a quality management / technical management discipline, preferably within engineering, construction, manufacturing, etc.
• Analytical mindset and attention to detail.
• Strong knowledge and practical implementation of QMS standards such as ISO 9001, including experience preparing for and supporting internal and external audits.
• Proficiency and experience in problem-solving techniques (e.g., 8D, 5 Whys, FMEA) and familiarity with quality control methods and statistical tools (e.g., SPC).
• Certification in Six Sigma (Green or Black Belt) or equivalent and experience with Lean Manufacturing or Continuous Improvement frameworks is a benefit.
• Fluent in written and spoken English. Other languages are useful.
• Must hold a drivers licence and be able/prepared to travel.

What we offer

• 28 days annual leave (excluding public holidays)