Quality, Compliance and HSE Manager

Quality, Compliance & HSE Manager Leeds £55,000 - £60,000 (Flexibility for the right candidate) Permanent

SF Recruitment are partnering with a growing and evolving business in Leeds to recruit a Quality, Compliance & HSE Manager. This is a newly important leadership role within the Operations function, reporting directly to the Head of Operations and taking ownership of Quality, Compliance and Health & Safety across the organisation. The business is going through an exciting period of integration and growth, creating an opportunity for someone to come in and genuinely shape how quality, compliance and HSE are managed. You will have the autonomy to strengthen existing systems, introduce greater consistency, and build a robust framework capable of supporting the organisation as it continues to scale.

This would suit an experienced Quality, Compliance, QHSE or Operational Governance professional who enjoys taking ownership rather than simply maintaining an established system.

The role

You will take full ownership of the company's ISO 9001 Quality Management System, ensuring standards, processes and documentation are maintained, developed, and continuously improved. Alongside ISO, you will oversee wider certification and compliance requirements, supplier quality and audit activity, product quality control, and the company's Health & Safety framework.

Key responsibilities will include:

• Taking full ownership of the ISO 9001 QMS, including audits, documentation, corrective actions and continuous improvement.
• Managing relevant certification and assurance requirements, including FSC Chain of Custody, EcoVadis and SMETA.
• Leading internal, external, customer, and certification audits.
• Managing non-conformances, Root Cause Analysis and CAPA activity.
• Developing consistent quality and compliance procedures across the organisation.
• Overseeing product quality control and ensuring incoming products/materials meet required specifications.
• Developing supplier quality standards, scorecards and KPIs.
• Supporting supplier audits and managing supplier-related quality issues and corrective actions.
• Establishing clear quality, compliance, and operational risk reporting.
• Managing customer quality and compliance requirements, including audits and due diligence.
• Owning and developing the company's Health, Safety & Environmental framework.
• Driving a positive Health & Safety culture and improving engagement across the business.
• Ensuring appropriate risk assessments, safe systems of work and incident reporting processes are maintained.
• Leading investigations into accidents, near misses and quality incidents.
• Supporting operational integration and continuous improvement projects.
• Developing scalable systems and controls that support future business growth.

Depending on the successful individual's experience and the evolving structure of the function, there may also be the opportunity to have dedicated HSE resource reporting into this position.

What we're looking for The successful candidate will have proven experience within Quality, Compliance, QHSE, Technical or Operational Governance, with strong knowledge of ISO 9001 being particularly important. You do not necessarily need to come from the same industry. Experience within packaging would be advantageous, but the business is equally interested in candidates from product-led buy/sell, distribution, import/export, or supply chain environments who understand the challenges of supplier quality, product compliance, and customer expectations.

We are particularly interested in candidates who can demonstrate:

• Strong working knowledge and ownership of ISO 9001.
• Experience managing internal and external audits.
• Supplier quality and supplier audit experience.
• Root Cause Analysis and CAPA experience.
• Experience developing and improving Quality Management Systems.
• An understanding of product Quality Control and inspection processes.
• Strong risk management and compliance knowledge.
• The ability to influence operational teams and embed improved standards.
• A practical, commercially minded approach to Quality and Compliance.
• Health & Safety knowledge, ideally supported by a NEBOSH qualification or equivalent.

Experience with FSC Chain of Custody, EcoVadis, SMETA, ISO 45001 or multi-site operations would be beneficial but is not essential.

The opportunity This isn't a role where you'll simply inherit a mature system and keep it ticking over. The business is looking for someone who can assess where they are today, identify where standards and controls can be improved and then take ownership of making those changes happen. You'll work closely with the Head of Operations and wider leadership team, with the opportunity to influence how Quality, Compliance and HSE operate across the business as it continues to grow. For someone who enjoys building systems, improving standards, challenging existing ways of working and seeing tangible results, this is an excellent opportunity to make a significant impact.

To find out more, apply today or contact Olivia at SF Recruitment for a confidential discussion