Supplier Quality Manager - #2183681

Supplier Quality Manager

Location: Manchester (Hybrid, minimum 3 days in the office)

Salary: £58,000

We’re working with an established international business looking to appoint a Supplier Quality Manager to join its Quality and Compliance function.

This is a varied role focused on supplier assurance, consumer product quality and regulatory compliance, working across a broad range of products including apparel, drinkware, electrical items, toys, stationery and branded merchandise.

You'll take ownership of supplier assessments and audits, manage quality issues and ensure products meet the necessary safety and regulatory requirements. Working closely with internal commercial teams, account managers and an international supplier network, you'll need to be confident challenging suppliers, reviewing technical documentation and driving corrective actions.

This would suit someone with a background in consumer product quality and compliance, ideally with hands-on experience auditing external suppliers and working across multiple product categories.

Key Responsibilities

• Manage and oversee the European supplier audit and assessment programme
• Conduct external supplier and factory audits as part of supplier due diligence and qualification
• Assess supplier performance, identify risks and ensure required standards are being met
• Manage supplier quality issues, complaints and non-compliance matters
• Carry out root cause analysis and ensure corrective actions are implemented
• Review technical supplier documentation, product specifications, testing reports and declarations of conformity
• Ensure products meet relevant safety, quality and regulatory requirements
• Maintain accurate supplier records, audit reports and compliance documentation
• Work with internal commercial teams and account managers to support key client requirements
• Support product inspections and quality checks at the Manchester warehouse when required
• Keep up to date with changing product regulations and compliance requirements across European markets
• Support ethical sourcing and supplier assurance, including reviewing SMETA and other audit reports

What We're Looking For

• Experience within consumer product quality, supplier assurance or product compliance
• Hands-on experience conducting audits and assessments of external suppliers or factories
• Experience working across multiple consumer product categories, particularly hard lines
• Understanding of product safety, testing, inspections, sampling plans and technical specifications
• Knowledge of relevant product regulations, particularly REACH
• Experience managing supplier quality issues, corrective actions and non-compliance
• Ability to review and challenge technical documentation and compliance evidence
• Strong supplier relationship management and stakeholder communication skills
• Commercially aware, organised and comfortable working independently in a fast-paced environment
• Able to travel occasionally to European suppliers and attend the Manchester office at least three days per week

Desirable

• Experience with PPWR, EUDR or Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR)
• Knowledge of CE marking and product labelling requirements
• Exposure to Digital Product Passports
• Experience within promotional merchandise, retail, consumer brands or product aggregation
• Background working with toys, electrical products, drinkware or other regulated hard-line products

If this sounds like a good fit for you, or you know someone who would be a good fit, please get in touch via [email protected] or call 07401 087324 for a confidential chat.