SUMMARY:
Introduction:
Our client, a well-established company in the Metal and Steel industry, is seeking a Quality Assurance Manager to lead and strengthen their quality management processes. This role requires a detail-oriented professional with strong leadership abilities and a drive for continuous improvement, ensuring that all products consistently meet industry standards and customer expectations.
Job Purpose:
Manage and oversee the company-wide Quality Management
System (QMS) to ensure products meet or exceed customer
requirements and industry standards.
POSITION INFO:
Minimum education (essential):
- Relevant trade certificate (Metrology, Tool, jig and die maker or a related trade).
Minimum education (desirable):- National Diploma or Degree in Quality Management, or closely related discipline.
- Further qualification in Quality Management (e.g., ISO 9001 Lead Auditor).
- Postgraduate qualification in engineering or quality systems.
- Degree in Engineering (Mechanical, Industrial, Manufacturing).
Minimum applicable experience (years):- 5+ Years’ experience in Quality Assurance.
- 2 Years in a management or leadership position in a relevant industry.
Required nature of experience: - Quality management in a CNC machining or precision manufacturing environment.
- Leadership of a quality control/assurance team.
- Use of measurement and inspection instruments (including CMM, micrometers, callipers, gauges etc).
- Supplier quality management and audits.
- Root cause analysis and corrective/preventive actions (CAPA).
- Implementation and maintenance of ISO 9001 (or AS9100) QMS.
- Preference will be given to a candidate who also has experience in surface treatment processes and the management of the quality aspect thereof, including chromate conversion, anodising, passivation, electro- and electroless plating, specialised painting, and powder coating.
Skills and Knowledge Required: - Technical drawing interpretation.
- Drawing and tolerancing standards (e.g., ISO 1101, ISO 2768, ISO 128 and other relevant ISO GPS standards related to technical drawings and machining tolerances).
- Excellent knowledge of measurement and inspection equipment, including understanding its operating principles, correct usage, maintenance requirements, limitations, and appropriate application for different inspection tasks.
- Quality Management Systems (ISO 9001 or AS9100).
- Statistical process control (SPC) and quality metrics analysis.
- Special process quality control (plating, anodising, passivation, powder coating, painting).
- Excellent computer proficiency (MS Office Excel and Cloudbased systems).
- Report and proposal writing skills.
- Internal and external auditing.
- Good communication, training, and leadership skills.
Other: - Strong attention to detail.
- Willingness to take ownership of their team’s work.
- Ability to work independently, while always being aware of their contribution to the team and company at large.
- Ability to plan and prioritise both their and their team’s individual actions to meet company deadlines.
- Physically fit and being able to stand for extended periods.
- English (Essential).
- Afrikaans (Preferred).
Key Performance Areas, Weights and Objectives:
Quality Management – Internal focus area (35%)
Quality Policy & Culture: Lead the development, improvement, communication, and roll-out of the Quality Policy; embed quality behaviours across departments and ensure employees understand how their actions affect overall quality.
QMS Maintenance & Improvement: Maintain, review, and improve the QMS to meet ISO and customer requirements by translating external requirements into clear internal procedures, work instructions, and controls.
Controls, Documentation & Change: Develop, implement, and maintain internal controls, document control, Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), forms, and quality procedures; manage change control to drive adoption of QMS processes.
Internal Audits & CAPA: Plan, schedule and conduct internal process/product audits; report nonâconformances, lead rootâcause analysis and corrective or preventive actions, and verify effectiveness of actions closed.
Continuous Improvement & Metrics: Lead continuous improvement initiatives using data (SPC, trend analysis, scrap/rework metrics); prepare inputs for Management Review and drive agreed actions to closure.
People & Training: Lead, supervise and train QC personnel; maintain a competence/skills matrix, deliver toolbox talks/induction, and ensure resources are adequate for current and forecasted workload.
CrossâFunctional Liaison: Work closely with Production, Programming and Foremen to ensure parts meet specifications; provide dayâtoâday guidance so product quality meets or exceeds customer requirements.
Inspection Equipment Readiness (interface): Coordinate with the Equipment Maintenance & Calibration KPA to ensure inspection, measurement and test equipment are available, fitâforâpurpose and controlled.
Records & Reporting (internal): Maintain quality documentation and SOPs; keep risk assessments up to date; prepare internal dashboards and reports for Management Review.
Regulatory & Customer Compliance – External focus area (25%)
Standards & Customer Requirements: Ensure compliance with relevant regulations, standards and customerâspecific requirements across machining and surfaceâtreatment operations.
Customer Audits & Documentation: Plan, host and respond to customer audits; provide required quality documentation (e.g., inspection reports, certificates, compliance/traceability packs) and close out findings.
Supplier Quality: Conduct supplier audits; approve and periodically review suppliers; manage incoming inspection; approve/reject incoming materials based on inspection results; drive supplier corrective actions where needed.
Certifications & Registrations: Maintain facility and product registrations with relevant authorities; coordinate external certifications and surveillance activities as applicable (e.g., ISO 9001).
SurfaceâTreatment Compliance: Oversee compliance of chromate conversion, specialised painting, anodising, passivation, electroâ/electroless plating and powderâcoating to applicable standards and customer specifications; ensure process controls, records and traceability are in place.
External Liaison & Reporting: Act as primary contact for customer quality matters; manage complaints, nonâconformances and CAPA communication; provide clear status updates to customers and stakeholders.
Equipment Maintenance and Calibration (15%)
Equipment Oversight: Oversee the maintenance, calibration, and certification of inspection, measurement, and test equipment.
Calibration Records & Compliance: Maintain calibration records and ensure compliance with traceability requirements.
Equipment Availability: Ensure equipment suitability and availability for production and quality needs.
Record-Keeping & Reporting (10%)
Documentation: Maintain quality documentation, SOPs, and calibration records.
Performance Reporting: Prepare and present quality performance reports for management review.
Risk Management: Keep risk assessments and associated records up to date.
Housekeeping (work area) (5%)
Clean & Organised Workspaces: In order to ensure a safe and efficient work environment, you are responsible to keep your work area clean, neat and well organised.
Work areas and tools: As these are shared between employees, all employees are expected to maintain a neat and organised work environment so that other employees can readily find the required tools, or take over a work area.
Waste Removal: Scrapped, damaged or unusable parts are to be removed and recycled.
Safety Reporting: Report unsafe conditions, and rectify where possible.
(Housekeeping forms part of your daily duties and must form part of your work routine.)
Stakeholder engagement (8%)
Team Leadership: As Quality Assurance Manager you will be required to lead your team and build good working relationships with external stakeholders, such as suppliers and subcontractors.
Motivation & Conflict Resolution: A good manager is able to motivate his team and resolve conflicts quickly.
Change Management: Manage internal change management to drive adoption of QMS within the company.
Internal Liaison: Liaise with internal teams and process owners in order to drive quality management within the company.
Teamwork and Conduct (2%)
Teamwork: At our client they strive to function as a team, as such, all employees are expected to build good working relationships with their colleagues, and to assist colleagues freely as needed.
Professional Conduct: As a representative of your team and the company, you are expected to conduct yourself in a professional manner, and refrain from using foul or abusive language.
Respectful Behaviour: You are expected to treat colleagues, customers and suppliers with respect at all times.
