Quality Lead

The Quality Lead is responsible for overseeing and maintaining the quality assurance and control processes within a fabrication manufacturing environment. This role ensures that all fabricated products meet customer specifications, industry standards, and regulatory requirements. You will lead a team of quality professionals, drive continuous improvement initiatives, and collaborate with production, engineering, and supply chain teams to uphold the highest standards of product quality and customer satisfaction.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead quality improvement initiatives across manufacturing departments.
• Analyse non-conformance data to identify trends and areas for improvement.
• Oversee First Article Inspection (FAI) and Initial Sample Inspection Report (ISIR) processes.
• Investigate internal and external non-conformances; perform root cause analysis.
• Implement corrective and preventive measures to eliminate recurring issues.
• Develop and maintain Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and inspection documentation.
• Conduct internal audits to ensure compliance with specifications and standards.
• Manage disposition of non-conforming materials.
• Collaborate with manufacturing teams to ensure customer requirements are consistently met.
• Liaise with customers regarding quality issues, rejections, and resolutions.
• Attend on- and off-site quality meetings and reviews.
• Assist the Quality Manager with calibration and maintenance of measuring equipment.
• Support contract review processes with a focus on quality considerations.
• Provide leadership and mentoring to the inspection team.
• Maintain and manage inspection team qualifications, approvals, and training records.
• Demonstrate strong knowledge of quality standards including ISO 9001, BS EN 3834, BS EN 15085, and BS EN 1090

Experience

• Proven experience in a quality engineering role within a fabrication background
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal abilities.
• Confident working independently and within cross-functional teams.
• Familiarity with inspection techniques and tools.
• Understanding of quality control procedures and continuous improvement methodologies.
• Competency in interpreting technical drawings and specifications.
• Experience with standards such as ISO 9001, BS EN 1090, and similar is preferred.