Job Description:

Quality Manager

If you want to own quality strategy rather than just police it, and see your work end up in military vehicles, buses and construction plant worldwide, this is worth a look.

About the company

Pailton Engineering designs and manufactures steering components and systems, from drag link assemblies to complete steering columns, for military, commercial vehicle, and bus and coach manufacturers. Its parts have gone into vehicles for names including JCB and IVECO.

The business started in a small shed and has since designed over 10,000 different parts, with a number of staff who've been there 25 years or more. It holds IATF accreditation, reflecting the standard its automotive and defence customers expect.

The role

As Quality Manager, you'll take ownership of the quality management system across the site, reporting into senior site management. You'll be the first point of contact for customer and third-party audits, and the person managers turn to when a quality issue needs root-causing fast.

What you'll do

• Lead root-cause investigation into quality issues across production and own the fix
• Develop and maintain the site's quality management system, procedures and documentation
• Manage internal, third-party and customer audits from planning through to close-out
• Assess new suppliers for quality performance and support new product introduction
• Drive APQP and PPAP activity through every new project launch
• Apply recognised problem-solving tools to cut waste and lift efficiency
• Liaise with customers and internal teams to keep quality expectations aligned
• Report quality trends and performance to senior management and key customers

What you'll bring

Essential

• HNC/HND (or equivalent) in Engineering, Manufacturing, or a Quality discipline
• Proven experience in quality management and warranty analysis
• Auditing experience certified to ISO 9001
• Practical experience with APQP and PPAP
• Confident use of structured problem-solving tools for continuous improvement

Useful, not essential

• Experience within a medium-sized automotive Tier 1 manufacturer
• Familiarity with FMEA, control plans and work instructions
• Project management or programme launch experience
• Exposure to IATF 16949

Benefits & culture

Financial

• £55,000 per annum, plus workplace pension

Development

• Genuine ownership of the QMS, with exposure to APQP and PPAP across every new project launch

Culture

• A long-serving team, several with 25 years or more at the business, in a site that's been solving the same kind of engineering problems for decades

Working arrangements

Location: Coventry, office-based, full-time.

Contract: Permanent.

Travel: Some international travel may be required for supplier or customer visits.

How to apply

If this sounds like the quality role you've been looking for, click apply and send us your CV. We'll be in touch to talk through the details.