Quality Manager

Salary: £50,000 - £55,000 per year (DOE)
Location: Covering production activities across Newton Abbot and Exeter sites (on-site)
Reporting to: Technical Manager
Facilities: QC laboratory at both sites
Job Type: Full-time, Permanent

About Forgeway Ltd.
Forgeway Ltd. is a forward-thinking company specialising in developing advanced adhesive solutions and high-performance materials for a range of industries, including automotive, construction, and aerospace. Quality is critical to our customers and central to our growth.

Role Summary
We are seeking a proactive and hands-on Quality Manager to support and drive quality performance across our AS9100-certified manufacturing operation. This role covers quality activities at both our Newton Abbot and Exeter sites and works closely with Production, Quality Control, R&D, and Supply Chain to ensure products meet internal standards, customer requirements, and regulatory expectations.

You will lead day-to-day quality assurance activities, manage nonconformances and corrective actions, support audits, and help embed a strong “right-first-time” culture across both sites.

This position is ideal for experienced professionals with a passion for quality control, process improvement, and problem-solving.

Key Responsibilities

· Maintain and support the Quality Management System in line with AS9100 requirements.

· Ensure quality documentation is controlled and maintained, including SOPs, work instructions, batch records, specifications, and inspection records.

· Support internal and external audits, ensuring audit readiness and timely closure of actions.

· Provide quality support to production activities across Newton Abbot and Exeter.

· Ensure consistent application of inspection and release processes across both sites.

· Work closely with QC teams to ensure testing is completed correctly and results are recorded accurately.

· Support investigation and troubleshooting using the QC laboratories at both sites to enable effective decision-making and fast response.

· Lead and support investigations into quality issues, including nonconformances, deviations, scrap and rework.

· Drive structured root cause analysis using tools such as 5-Whys, Fishbone, and 8D where appropriate.

· Implement and track corrective and preventive actions (CAPA) and confirm effectiveness.

· Support customer complaint investigations and provide clear, professional responses.

· Work with Supply Chain and suppliers to ensure incoming materials meet requirements, including CoA review, supplier communication, and escalation where needed.

· Identify trends in quality performance and support improvement actions to reduce defects and improve consistency.

· Support improvements in process control, inspection methods, and data recording to strengthen traceability and compliance.

What Success Looks Like in the First 90 Days

· Strong working relationships built with Production and QC teams across both sites.

· Clear understanding of key products, manufacturing processes, and quality risks.

· Confident management of NCR/CAPA activities with effective containment and follow-up.

· Improved consistency in quality records, inspection approach, and release decisions across both locations.

· Audit readiness maintained with clear visibility of actions and priorities.

Candidate Requirements
Essential:

• Experience in a Quality role within a manufacturing environment (chemical, polymers, coatings, adhesives, aerospace, automotive or similar).
  
  
• Working knowledge of AS9100 and quality system requirements.
  
  
• Strong problem-solving capability and experience with root cause analysis and CAPA.
  
  
• High attention to detail with a structured and pragmatic approach.
  
  
• Confident communicator able to work effectively with production teams and technical functions.
  
  
• Ability to work across two manufacturing sites and manage priorities effectively.
  
  Desirable:
  
  
• Experience in adhesives, sealants, resins, coatings, or chemical batch manufacturing.
  
  
• Knowledge of additional standards such as ISO 9001 or IATF 16949.
  
  
• Familiarity with quality tools such as FMEA, SPC, and Six Sigma methodologies.
  
  
• Experience supporting customer audits and supplier quality activities.
  
  What We Offer
  
  · Competitive salary (£50,000 - £55,000 DOE).
  
  · Opportunities for career growth and professional development.
  
  · A dynamic and supportive working environment.
  
  · Free Friday lunch.
  
  · 1 paid day per year to volunteer for a charity.
  
  · On-site parking