Quality & Business Improvement Manager

Chemring Energetics UK (CEUK) is a global business providing a range of equipment based on energetic materials for defence, civil defence, and key commercial customers.

It’s an exciting time to join CEUK. The business has experienced significant growth, creating new opportunities to develop, improve, and shape how we work. As we continue this journey, we are looking for talented people to join us and play an important role in our ongoing success.

We have an exciting opportunity for a Quality & Business Improvement Manager to join our QBI and Proof function. This is a key leadership role responsible for maintaining and continually improving CEUK’s Quality Management System, while leading and coordinating quality assurance, proof, and business improvement activities across the business.

The successful candidate will provide assurance to customers and regulatory bodies that the quality of CEUK’s products and services meets the required standards and requirements. You will act as a champion for innovation and continuous improvement, challenging existing processes and supporting Business Units to deliver measurable improvements.

You will have line management responsibility for the QBI and Proof teams, as well as functional responsibility for Quality Assurance Engineers across our Business Units. You will support the development of team capability, provide leadership on quality and improvement initiatives, and ensure the integrity of our product verification, proof, and release processes.

Key Accountabilities & Duties

• Ensure all activities within your area of responsibility are undertaken in full compliance with HS&E legislation and company and local procedures and policies.
• Promote a strong safety culture and report unsafe acts and conditions through the appropriate Near Miss reporting system.
• Uphold the integrity of the product verification, proof, and release processes, ensuring all relevant measurements, inspections, and tests are completed to the required standards and satisfactory results obtained before products are issued with a Certificate of Conformity (CoC) and released to customers.
• Maintain and continually improve the Quality Management System, ensuring quality engineering, assurance, and control activities meet the needs of internal and external stakeholders and support the maintenance of ISO 9001 accreditation.
• Ensure the effective management and delivery of proof activities, maintaining the required standards, controls, records, and processes.
• Educate and support employees across CEUK in understanding and applying the Quality Management System and associated quality processes.
• Work with the QBI and Proof teams and Business Unit Quality Assurance Engineers to develop and manage an effective audit programme, monitoring the effectiveness of and compliance with business and manufacturing processes and procedures.
• Lead and support effective Root Cause Analysis and resolution of non-conformances from all sources, with a focus on identifying trends and reducing the cost of non-conformance year on year.
• Lead investigations into significant or cross-business quality issues and ensure appropriate corrective and preventative actions are implemented.
• Mentor and support Business Unit Quality Assurance Engineers with customer engagement, product, and process audits, inspections, and other quality-related activities.
• Work collaboratively with managers across the business to identify, prioritise, and facilitate business improvement projects, ensuring the improvement pipeline, prioritisation matrix, and project boards are maintained and regularly reviewed.
• Champion a culture of continuous improvement through education and training in Lean Six Sigma tools and techniques, supported by standardised processes, templates, and effective project management.
• Scrutimise and challenge projects and programmes across the Business Units to ensure continuous improvement is embedded as a key driver and that measurable outcomes are achieved.
• Provide leadership, coaching, and development to the QBI and Proof teams, ensuring effective delivery of quality, proof, and business improvement activities while building capability across the function.
• Ensure appropriate resources, skills, and training are in place within the QBI and Proof teams to meet current and future business requirements.