Regional Quality Supervisor / Manager

Regional Quality Supervisor / Manager

Salary: £35,000 – £42,000 per annum (DOE)
Location: Doncaster ideally, with flexibility on base across the region. Regular travel to our laboratories.
Company van provided

CTS is looking for a Regional Quality Supervisor / Manager to lead quality and accreditation activity across our laboratories and site testing teams in the region. We currently have five locations: Doncaster, Warrington, Redditch, Whitby and Hartlepool.

You’ll work closely with our Group Quality Manager to make sure our testing is technically sound, compliant with ISO/IEC 17025 and UKAS requirements, and delivered to a standard our clients can rely on. This is a hands-on role combining quality system management with practical, day-to-day support for laboratory and site staff. There are no direct reports, so you’ll be supporting and influencing our location managers and building a genuine culture of quality, not simply policing it.

In your first few months, you’ll build key working relationships, learn the CTS quality system, and make sure each location is conforming to it and being properly monitored.

What you’ll be doing

• Developing, implementing and maintaining quality policies, procedures and work instructions that meet ISO/IEC 17025 and UKAS requirements.
• Acting as the regional point of contact for UKAS assessments: preparing laboratories and site teams, attending visits and leading the response to any findings.
• Supporting extensions to scope and the introduction of new test methods, including method verification and validation.
• Managing nonconformities, complaints and corrective actions through to effective closure, using root cause analysis to prevent recurrence.
• Planning and carrying out a programme of internal audits across laboratory and site testing, including vertical, horizontal and witnessed test audits.
• Overseeing proficiency testing and inter-laboratory comparisons, and monitoring the validity of results through quality control checks, trend analysis and measurement uncertainty.
• Managing equipment traceability, making sure calibration and verification are scheduled and in date, and that non-compliant equipment is promptly withdrawn from use.
• Coaching and supporting laboratory and site staff, identifying training needs and supporting competency assessments and authorisation records.
• Driving continuous improvement by reporting on quality performance and contributing to management reviews.
• Supporting client audits and responding to quality-related client queries clearly and professionally.
• Building strong working relationships with the Managing Director, General Managers, Group Quality Manager, fellow Regional Quality Managers and Laboratory Managers.

What we’re looking for

You’ll have:

• Experience in a laboratory environment, including managing, overseeing or supporting ISO/IEC 17025 accredited laboratories.
• A sound working knowledge of ISO/IEC 17025 requirements and UKAS accreditation and compliance.
• Experience of planning and conducting internal audits and managing corrective actions.
• Excellent written and verbal communication, with the ability to explain technical and accreditation requirements clearly to people at all levels.
• Strong negotiation and diplomacy skills to champion quality initiatives and encourage collaboration.
• An analytical mindset, a keen eye for detail and a proactive approach to problem-solving.
• Good organisation and the ability to manage competing priorities across several locations.
• A coaching style that builds capability and ownership of quality within teams.
• A full UK driving licence, and the flexibility to travel regularly, including occasional overnight stays.

It would be great if you also have:

• Knowledge of construction materials testing in a UKAS-accredited laboratory or site testing environment, such as concrete, aggregates, soils or asphalt. We’ll also consider candidates from other UKAS-accredited environments, such as environmental, chemical or calibration testing.
• Experience of UKAS accreditation for site-based testing as well as fixed laboratories.
• Experience of estimating measurement uncertainty and running proficiency testing schemes.
• Experience working across multiple sites or a regional network of laboratories.
• A degree, HNC/HND or equivalent in a relevant scientific, engineering or construction discipline.
• Formal ISO/IEC 17025 internal auditor or lead auditor training.
• Membership of a relevant professional body (for example the Chartered Quality Institute or the Institute of Concrete Technology), or working towards it.
• Confident use of laboratory information management systems (LIMS) and quality management software.

Whether you’re an established Quality Manager or a strong Quality Supervisor ready for the next step, we’d love to hear from you.