Quality Assurance Manager Permanent

Quality Assurance Manager

Location: Newcastle upon Tyne, Hybrid Working

Salary: £53,000 – £68,000 + excellent benefits

Role type: Permanent

A large public sector organisation is seeking an experienced Quality Assurance Manager to lead on quality, compliance and continuous improvement across a complex operational environment.

This is a key leadership role responsible for ensuring robust governance, strong assurance frameworks and compliance with relevant legislation and recognised ISO standards. You will act as a subject matter expert for quality management systems and play a central role in driving organisational performance, consistency and service improvement.

The Role

Reporting to the senior leadership team, you will take ownership of the organisation’s Integrated Management System (IMS) and wider quality framework. You will work across all business areas to ensure processes are well defined, consistently applied and aligned to regulatory and industry standards.

Key responsibilities:

• Leading the development, maintenance and continuous improvement of the organisation’s Integrated Management System
• Ensuring compliance with ISO standards including ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and ISO 45001
• Supporting internal teams to embed quality, safety and environmental standards across all business areas
• Mapping and improving business processes and ensuring appropriate documentation is in place
• Managing the organisation’s legal register and supporting compliance with relevant legislation
• Overseeing audit activity, including planning, delivery and closure of findings
• Supporting change management processes to ensure safety and compliance are maintained
• Managing non-compliance issues and ensuring corrective actions are implemented effectively
• Developing dashboards, KPIs and reporting tools to monitor quality performance
• Producing analysis and insight on quality trends and improvement opportunities
• Leading on document control and ensuring robust governance of policies and procedures
• Acting as a champion for continuous improvement methodologies such as Lean, Six Sigma and Kaizen
• Deputising for senior leadership within the quality, risk and compliance function where required
• Managing a small team and supporting their development

Essential experience

• Degree level education or equivalent experience
• Member of the Chartered Quality Institute (CQI) or working towards membership
• Strong knowledge of ISO 9001, with working knowledge of ISO 14001 and ISO 45001
• Experience working with quality management systems and internal audit processes
• Lead auditor qualification (or equivalent experience)
• Strong understanding of continuous improvement tools and methodologies
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to engage senior stakeholders
• Strong analytical skills with experience of reporting, investigations and audits
• Ability to work independently and manage multiple priorities

Desirable experience:

• Experience in transport, infrastructure, construction or a regulated environment
• Experience of working in a public sector or complex multi-stakeholder organisation
• Knowledge of operational delivery environments and safety-critical systems