Product Quality Manager

Location: Titchfield

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…