Product Quality Manager

Are you an experienced Quality Manager or Senior Quality Engineer
with a strong background in aerospace or highly regulated
manufacturing?

Do you have a track record of improving product quality, leading
Quality Engineering teams and using data and structured
problem-solving to eliminate recurring defects?

We're supporting a leading aerospace manufacturing business in
Fareham who are looking for a Product Quality Manager to join
their Quality team.

This is a genuine product-focused Quality position where you'll
lead Quality Engineering across the complete product lifecycle -
from suppliers and NPI through manufacture, delivery and customer
experience.

What's the role all about?

As the Product Quality Manager, you'll lead the Quality
Engineering team and take ownership of improving product quality
throughout the business.

Your focus will be on preventing defects rather than simply
reacting to them.

You'll analyse where quality issues are occurring, understand the
root cause and work closely with Production, Engineering, Supply
Chain, Inspection and suppliers to put sustainable improvements
in place.

You'll also take ownership of operational customer quality
issues, supplier quality performance and non-conformance, while
helping the business reduce its Cost of Poor Quality (COPQ).

What will you be doing?

Lead and develop the Quality Engineering team

Manage workload, priorities, performance and development across
the team
Set and monitor departmental objectives and Quality KPIs
Drive improvements in product quality across the complete
product lifecycle
Analyse Quality performance by customer, product family, part
number, process and defect type

Identify dominant product risks and implement targeted
improvement activity
Reduce Cost of Poor Quality through defect prevention and
structured improvement
Lead Root Cause & Corrective Action (RCCA) activity
Drive effective use of PFMEA, Control Plans, MSA, SPC and
process capability

Own operational customer Quality including complaints, escapes,
returns and containment
Lead 8D investigations and ensure corrective actions eliminate
recurrence
Manage customer Quality metrics and corrective action
commitments
Lead customer-facing Product Quality responses and reviews
Manage supplier Product Quality including SCARs, RCCA,
surveillance and supplier development

Work closely with Procurement to improve supplier Quality
performance
Monitor and improve operational non-conformance including NCR
ageing and recurrence

Represent Quality within Material Review Board (MRB) activity
Embed Quality Engineering within NPI and APQP

Support product and process changes, supplier readiness, FAIR
readiness and production readiness
Coordinate Quality priorities with Inspection and FAIR teams
Escalate significant product conformity, regulatory, customer
or safety risks where necessary
Deputise for the Quality Manager when required
What do you need?

We're looking for someone with:

4-6 years' Quality Engineering experience within aerospace or
another highly regulated manufacturing environment
At least 2-3 years' experience leading Quality Engineers

HNC/HND in Engineering or Quality, or equivalent relevant
experience
Working knowledge of AS9100

Lean Six Sigma Green Belt
Strong Product Quality Engineering experience
Excellent understanding of RCCA / 8D

Experience with PFMEA and Control Plans

Knowledge of MSA, SPC and process capability

Strong experience managing non-conformance and MRB activity
Ability to confidently interpret engineering drawings
Experience analysing Quality data and using it to drive
improvement
Strong customer and supplier Quality experience
Confidence leading cross-functional Quality improvement
activity
Desirable

It would also be beneficial if you have:

Degree in Engineering or Quality
AS9100 Internal or Lead Auditor qualification
AS9102 FAIR experience
AS9145 APQP experience
Part 21G knowledge
Lean Six Sigma Black Belt
Minitab experience
Experience delivering Lean or operational transformation
projects
About you

You'll be someone who believes Quality should be built into the
process rather than inspected into the product.

You'll be data-driven, commercially aware and confident
challenging existing processes when the evidence shows something
needs to change.

You'll be:

A strong and credible people leader
Customer-focused
Analytical and data-driven
Tenacious when solving recurring problems
Comfortable holding others accountable for actions
An effective coach and trainer
Confident working across Engineering, Production and Supply
Chain
Able to communicate effectively at all levels
Passionate about continuous improvement
Most importantly, you'll have the technical Quality knowledge to
understand why defects are happening and how to prevent them
happening again.

The details

Role: Product Quality Manager

Location: Fareham

Department: Quality

Contract: Permanent

Environment: Aerospace / Regulated Manufacturing

Team: Quality Engineering

Interested?

If you're an experienced Product Quality Manager, Quality
Engineering Manager, Senior Quality Engineer or Aerospace Quality
Manager looking for an opportunity where you can genuinely
influence product quality and drive improvement, we'd love to
hear from you.

Apply today or contact Kingdom People for a confidential
discussion.

Kingdom People are acting as an Employment Agency in relation to
this vacancy.