Quality Manager

Quality managers, whether based in workshops or on production lines, are there to ensure that every single item delivered to customers fully complies with company standards. To do so, they’re responsible for the quality control of manufactured products, as well as improving processes to reduce the number of non-compliant products, working closely with production and maintenance engineers. They’re one of the key guarantees of a company’s credibility and - ultimately - profitability.

The life of a quality manager...

Product quality control

The number one task of any quality manager is to guarantee the quality of all the products coming out of their factories or workshops. To do so, they manage a team of operators who regularly check production samples to ensure everything is in order. The most important thing is avoiding delivering a non-compliant product to a customer.

Managing stops in production

Whenever a defective product is discovered, quality managers will immediately stop the production line and set up a crisis management team with production and quality staff to identify the cause of the issue. It’s vital they solve the problem quickly, because as long as the line is stopped, the company is losing money.

As soon as the issue is discovered and properly resolved, production can start up again.

Continuous improvement

Alongside everyday quality checks, quality managers also play a role in analysing issues that reappear over longer periods of time, trying to come up with ways of improving production lines and processes to see fewer defective products in future.

Creating new lines

Whenever new products or lines are introduced, quality managers are part of the process to design the procedures involved and identify any potential risks related to quality, anticipating solutions from the very beginning.

Required skills

Teamwork, along with good relationship and listening skills, quality managers have to be thorough and proactive with a solid technical background.

Typical educational background

General engineering studies, masters in specific sectors always a plus