Head of Quality Recruitment

What the role involves

• Leading the quality management system strategy across the business, ensuring compliance with customer and regulatory requirements including IATF 16949, AS9100, ISO 13485, or BRC as applicable
• Managing the quality management team across sites or departments, including Quality Managers, Quality Engineers, and Supplier Quality Engineers
• Overseeing customer quality performance, managing escapes and customer complaints to resolution, and reporting quality performance at senior level
• Leading supplier quality development programmes, including supplier audits, PPAP, and supplier development initiatives
• Driving quality improvement through Six Sigma and lean quality tools, targeting systemic reduction in defects and customer returns
• Representing quality at the senior leadership team level, including board quality reporting and quality culture leadership across the organisation

Who employers are looking for

An engineering degree or equivalent in a quality or technical discipline is the standard entry point. CQI MCQI CQP (chartered quality professional) status is valued at Head of Quality level, and in some sectors is becoming an expectation rather than a differentiator. IRCA Lead Auditor qualification in the relevant standard, ISO 9001, IATF 16949, or AS9100, is required in most regulated manufacturing environments.

Six Sigma Black Belt is expected at this level. Candidates who can demonstrate both the knowledge of quality improvement tools and the track record of delivering measurable quality and cost improvements through Six Sigma programmes stand out clearly from those who have the qualification without the results to back it. Multi-site quality leadership experience is increasingly important as businesses centralise quality leadership above site level.

The leadership and influencing skills to drive quality culture across a manufacturing organisation are as important as technical quality knowledge at Head of Quality level. The most technically qualified candidates who cannot build the organisational commitment to quality improvement consistently underperform expectations in this role.

Salary benchmarks

Aerospace and pharmaceutical Heads of Quality earn at the top of the range due to regulatory complexity. Chartered quality professionals (MCQI CQP) earn 10-15% above unqualified equivalents. Group Quality Directors in large manufacturers earn £120,000-£160,000+.

Industries that hire Heads of Quality

• Automotive: leading IATF 16949 quality management across UK operations, managing OEM customer quality requirements and APQP programmes
• Aerospace: leading AS9100 and NADCAP quality compliance across complex assembly and machining programmes
• Medical devices: leading ISO 13485 and regulatory quality function across device design and manufacture
• Pharmaceuticals: leading GMP quality management across manufacturing sites with MHRA and EU regulatory compliance
• Food and FMCG: heading BRC and retailer standards quality management across multi-site food production operations

Related roles

• Operations Director: the typical line management relationship for the Head of Quality in manufacturing businesses
• Engineering Director: a peer relationship in product manufacturing businesses where quality and engineering share oversight of product conformance
• Manufacturing Director: in manufacturing-led businesses, the Head of Quality often reports into or works alongside the Manufacturing Director
• Head of Manufacturing: the peer role responsible for production operations, with quality and manufacturing working closely on defect reduction and process improvement

Where we place Head of Quality professionals

We place Head of Quality professionals across the UK. Browse by location or register your CV for roles that match your experience.