Quality Manager - Transport Industry

Quality Manager

Department: Transport & Logistics

Reporting To: General Manager

Location: Ashbourne Co.Meath

Job Type: Full-Time

Role Purpose

The Quality Manager is responsible for developing, implementing, monitoring, and continuously improving the Quality Management System (QMS) across the transport operation. The role ensures compliance with customer requirements, legal and regulatory obligations, industry standards, and company procedures while driving a culture of quality, safety, efficiency, and continuous improvement.

The Quality Manager will work closely with Transport Operations, Fleet Management, Customer Service, Warehouse Operations, and Senior Management to ensure that service delivery meets or exceeds customer expectations.

Key ResponsibilitiesQuality Management Systems

• Develop, implement, and maintain the company's Quality Management System (QMS).
• Ensure compliance with ISO standards and other relevant quality accreditations.
• Manage all quality-related documentation, procedures, and records.
• Lead internal and external quality audits.
• Ensure corrective and preventive actions (CAPA) are implemented effectively.

Compliance & Regulatory Management

• Ensure compliance with transport legislation, customer requirements, and company standards.
• Monitor adherence to fleet compliance requirements, including vehicle inspections, maintenance records, and driver documentation.
• Support compliance with Working Time Directive, Driver Hours Regulations, Tachograph legislation, and relevant transport regulations.
• Liaise with regulatory authorities and third-party auditors as required.

Continuous Improvement

• Identify opportunities to improve operational processes and service quality.
• Lead root cause investigations into customer complaints, service failures, and non-conformances.
• Develop and implement improvement plans to reduce errors, complaints, and operational inefficiencies.
• Promote Lean, Six Sigma, or other continuous improvement methodologies where appropriate.

Customer Quality Assurance

• Manage customer quality requirements and service level agreements (SLAs).
• Monitor performance against agreed quality KPIs.
• Investigate and resolve customer quality concerns in a timely and professional manner.
• Support tender submissions and customer audits relating to quality standards.

Performance Monitoring & Reporting

• Develop and maintain quality dashboards and KPI reporting.
• Analyse trends relating to incidents, complaints, delivery performance, damages, and non-conformance.
• Produce weekly and monthly quality reports for senior management.
• Present quality performance updates and improvement initiatives to management teams.

Training & Development

• Deliver quality awareness and compliance training across the organisation.
• Support managers in developing best practices and standard operating procedures.
• Promote a culture of accountability, quality, and continuous improvement throughout the business.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

• Customer complaint reduction.
• On-time delivery performance.
• Audit compliance scores.
• Corrective action closure rates.
• Service failure reduction.
• Quality-related cost reduction.
• ISO accreditation compliance.
• Customer satisfaction scores.

Experience & QualificationsEssential

• Third-level qualification in Quality Management, Supply Chain, Logistics, Business, or a related discipline.
• Minimum 5 years' experience in a Quality Management role within transport, logistics, distribution, or supply chain environments.
• Experience managing ISO 9001 Quality Management Systems.
• Proven experience conducting audits and managing corrective actions.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent report writing and presentation skills.
• Advanced Microsoft Office skills, particularly Excel.

Desirable

• Lead Auditor Certification.
• Lean Six Sigma Green Belt or equivalent.
• Experience in fleet operations or transport management.
• Knowledge of transport legislation and compliance requirements.

Person Specification

The successful candidate will demonstrate:

• Strong leadership and influencing skills.
• Excellent organisational and planning ability.
• High attention to detail.
• Strong communication and stakeholder management capabilities.
• Customer-focused mindset.
• Ability to drive change and embed a quality culture.
• Commercial awareness and understanding of operational performance.
• Ability to work independently and make sound decisions under pressure.

What Success Looks Like

Within the first 12 months, the Quality Manager will:

• Strengthen the organisation's quality framework and compliance processes.
• Improve customer satisfaction and service quality metrics.
• Reduce operational non-conformances and complaints.
• Successfully manage all internal and external audits.
• Drive measurable continuous improvement initiatives across the transport operation.

Excellent Salary and Benefits for the right candidate