Quality Manager · Former Quality Director
Time-served engineering apprentice turned senior quality leader, with over 20 years across aerospace, automotive and engineering manufacturing, leading teams, QMS governance and continuous improvement that delivers measurable results.
About
I started my career in 1996 as an engineering apprentice, programming, setting and running CNC machines, then moving into inspection, CMM programming, planning and estimating. That hands-on grounding still shapes how I lead quality today.
Since then I've held Quality Manager, Head of Quality & Business Improvement, Business Unit Manager and Quality Director roles across aerospace, automotive, special processes, tooling and assembly. I've led teams across multiple business units, owned budgets and Capex, deputised for a Managing Director and been the senior quality contact for customers including BAE Systems, Thales UWS, Spirit, KNDS and Komatsu.
My approach is practical and evidence-led: understand why a problem really happens, fix the system rather than the symptom, and make sure the improvement is still holding months later. Compliance with AS9100, ISO 9001 and IATF 16949 matters, but it should translate into consistent operational execution, fewer defects and customer confidence.
Based in Lancashire, UK, I'm currently Quality Manager at Buoyancy Aerospace.
Experience
A career built step by step, from apprentice to Quality Director, across aerospace, automotive and engineering environments.
Leads quality operations in an aerospace manufacturing environment, reporting to the Head of Quality with eight direct reports.
Expertise
01
Departmental leadership with Quality Manager and Director accountability, team development, succession planning, budgets and KPI deployment.
Led quality teams of up to thirteen across four business units at BCW Group.
02
AS9100, ISO 9001, IATF 16949 and Nadcap environments, with QMS governance, audit readiness and customer-specific requirements.
ISO 9001 Lead Auditor; maintained AS9100 compliance as Quality Director.
03
Senior customer contact, supplier approval and development, MRB governance, NCR management, RCCA and escalation control.
Senior quality contact for BAE Systems, Thales UWS, Spirit, KNDS and Komatsu.
04
PFMEA, control plans, FAIR/FAV, PPAP, SPC, 8D, 5 Whys and Pareto, finding verified root causes rather than inspecting out defects.
50% reduction in internal non-conformance through disciplined corrective action.
05
Lean deployment, SQCDP, 6S, poka-yoke, process standardisation and Capex planning tied to measurable operating outcomes.
NVQ Level 3 Business Improvement Techniques.
06
From feasibility, quotation and contract review through process verification to full-volume production.
Supported major aerospace and automotive NPI programmes.
Achievements
Outcomes recorded in my career history, shown as they are, without embellishment.
50%
Reduction in internal non-conformance
Structured NCR reporting, Pareto analysis, SPC and disciplined corrective action.
90%
Reduction in arrears (contributed)
Improved project control, resource planning, Capex planning and execution.
30%
Reduction in scrap (contributed)
Trend analysis and preventive action at Kaman Tooling.
20+
Years in engineering & quality
From time-served apprentice in 1996 to Quality Director.
Case 01
Case 02
Case 03
Education & Certification
Philosophy
Verified causes and systemic prevention, especially where recurring issues point to weaknesses in process design, controls, training or supplier capability.
Quality teams provide the methodology, manufacturing teams the process knowledge, and leadership keeps priorities tied to business strategy.
Improvements are checked through KPI trends, process audits and recurrence monitoring rather than assumed to be permanent.
Contact
I welcome conversations about senior quality and operational excellence roles, improvement challenges, and professional networking across aerospace, defence, automotive and engineering.