Plant Quality Manager

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Job Title: Plant Quality Manager
Location: Coventry, UK
Core Hours: 08:00-16:35 (Mon - Thu) 08:00-15:10 (Fri)
Vacancy Type: Full-time, Permanent and onsite
Salary: £45,000 - £50,000 (subject to experience) + Discretionary Bonus

JOB SUMMARY

The Plant Quality Manager is a high impact leadership role at the heart of the CAS business, setting the standard for quality in a highly regulated UK Ministry of Defence environment. You will own quality assurance, governance and compliance end to end, ensuring our products, processes and supply chain consistently meet ISO 9001, MOD AQAP, contractual commitments and statutory requirements.

This is a role for someone who wants to shape how quality is done, not just maintain it. You will lead and strengthen the Quality Management System, drive visible continuous improvement across the plant, and keep us audit ready at all times. Working closely with manufacturing, engineering, supply chain and customers, you will be the go to authority who protects standards, solves problems, and helps the business deliver right first time, every time.

Does it sound interesting? If so, keep reading!

WHAT YOU GET IN RETURN

At NP Aerospace, we know our success comes from our people. That's why we invest in benefits that support your health, reward your hard work, and help you grow your career:

• Performance rewards - discretionary bonus opportunities
• Flex your day - flexible start and finish times (subject to manager approval and operational needs)
• Time to recharge - 25 days' holiday + 8 bank holidays, with the option to buy more through our Holiday Purchase Scheme
• Support for Defence - two weeks' paid leave for Reservists and Cadets, plus paid leave for Cadet Force Adult Volunteers (CFAVs)
• Future security - competitive pension scheme (9% combined employer/employee contributions
• Peace of mind - life cover at 3x base salary
• Health & wellbeing first - BHSF Cash Healthcare Plan to support everyday health costs
• Grow with us - career development and advancement opportunities within a global business
• Supportive environment - a team culture built on innovation, collaboration, and purpose

MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES

The main responsibilities for the role will include:

Quality leadership and compliance

• Own and continually improve the site Quality Management System to ISO 9001 and relevant MOD AQAP standards, ensuring contractual and statutory requirements are met.
• Act as the senior Quality authority for MOD, customer, certification body and internal audits, maintaining continuous audit readiness, configuration control, and effective governance of concessions, deviations and waivers.
• Ensure Quality requirements are fully embedded across operations and flowed down through suppliers and partners.

Operational quality and improvement

• Drive measurable improvements in customer performance and cost of quality, reducing PPM, scrap, rework, concessions and escapes.
• Lead root cause investigation and CAPA, ensuring robust containment, corrective action closure and systemic risk reduction.
• Support New Product Introduction, change control and repeatable manufacture through effective quality planning and control of non-conformances.

Assurance, reporting and risk

• Maintain clear quality metrics and dashboards, reporting performance, trends, risks and compliance status to senior leadership.
• Lead and support regulatory, contractual and compliance reviews, ensuring actions are tracked and closed on time.

People leadership and capability

• Lead, coach and develop a high performing Quality team, ensuring training, authorisation and competence management meet defence expectations.
• Build a strong quality and compliance culture across the site, working in line with health, safety, environmental and ethical requirements.

Business support and resourcing

• Manage the Quality budget and support capital expenditure planning, ensuring resources and capability align to operational demand.
• Support bids and contract review, providing quality, compliance and risk input that strengthens delivery confidence.

The above is not an exhaustive list of all duties and responsibilities required.

EXPERIENCE

Essential

• HND, IQM or equivalent qualification in Quality Management or a related discipline.
• Significant quality leadership experience within a defence or similarly regulated manufacturing environment.
• Strong working knowledge of ISO 9001 and MOD AQAP standards, and how to embed them in day to day operations.
• Proven audit leadership experience, including hosting external audits and driving timely closure of findings.
• Demonstrable capability in CAPA, root cause analysis and non conformity management, reducing escapes, rework and cost of quality.
• Experience operating within MOD contractual requirements, including security and compliance expectations.

Desirable

• Degree, Masters or NVQ Level 7 equivalent.
• Chartered membership or working towards it, for example CQI or CQP or equivalent.
• Experience working directly with the UK Ministry of Defence, defence primes, or major defence programmes.
• Knowledge of Lean, Six Sigma or other structured continuous improvement methods.

WHAT DO WE DO AT NP AEROSPACE?

NP Aerospace is a global leader in armour technology manufacturing and vehicle integration, delivering high-performance, lifesaving solutions for the defence and security industry.

Our mission is to improve and protect lives, and our vision is to be a leading provider of innovative solutions that solve our customers' complex challenges. Our values - Respect, Collaboration, Integrity, and Dedication form the bedrock of our culture.

Our extensive range of combat-proven body armour, from ballistic helmets, plates, and shields to bomb disposal suits, highlights some of the most advanced composite materials. With a team of R&D engineers working on next-generation solutions, we also excel in highly engineered vehicle systems and armour platforms used by some of the world's largest defence organisations.

Founded in 1926, NP Aerospace has served the defence industry for over 40 years, evolving into an agile and diverse company. Our Business Development team is expanding both in the UK and North America.

Equal Opportunity Employer Statement: NP Aerospace is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. We welcome applications from all qualified individuals, regardless of race, colour, national origin, gender, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, or any other legally protected status. All employment decisions are based on qualifications, merit, and business needs. We are also fully committed to supporting the Defence Community and actively advertise roles on Defence specific platforms such as CTP, Force Families, Forces Employment Charity, and Veterans Job Board.

Data Privacy: NP Aerospace respects the privacy of all applicants. Personal information provided during the application process will be treated in accordance with our privacy policy and applicable data protection laws.

Please note: If successful, you will be required to sign the Official Secrets Act and successfully pass the necessary checks before you can begin your employment with NP Aerospace.