Quality Lead

About the Role

Our world-leading Time & Frequency department are seeking a Quality Lead with experience in quality assurance and documentation management .

You will be joining our team at an exciting time - we maintain the UK’s National Time Scale, UTC (NPL), and are currently developing a new resilient Time Scale facility that will underpin UK Digital Infrastructure. This will address the risks associated with our dependency on global navigation satellite systems (such as GPS) that are vulnerable to both natural and intentional interference.

Key responsibilities:

• Primary contact for Quality Assurance best-practice; ensuring first-line checks and compliance, leading communication to implement Quality Management standards, customer testing and reporting, and consultancy.

• Documentation Management: Analyse current processes to identify gaps, risks and improvement opportunities using data-driven methodologies. Develop, implement and manage standard operating procedures (SOPs), process maps, and governance frameworks.

• Compliance of Quality Systems; including data integrity, review of calibration of equipment, lab procedures, software compliance, training and competence records, and assisting with change control processes.

• Audit assistance; ensuring required documentation, evidence, and reports align with regulatory and accreditation requirements. Manage audit outcomes, root-cause analysis and corrective actions with relevant stakeholders, in a timely manner.

• Cross-functional collaboration: nurture supplier relationships, measure supplier performance, ensure quality control, and maintain regulatory compliance.

• Continuous Improvement: act as the process owner, ensuring accountability, consistency, and driving continuous improvement.

About You

To be successful in this role, you will have the following skills, experience, and qualifications:

Essential:

• Experience working in an ISO 9001 environment

• Assisting with internal audit

• Stakeholder management

• Key equipment control and maintenance

Desirable:

• Experience of external audits BSI/UKAS

We actively recruit citizens of all backgrounds, but the nature of our work in specific departments means that nationality, residency and security requirements can be more tightly defined than others. You will be asked about this throughout the recruitment process. To work at NPL, you will need to obtain BPSS security clearance.

However, to work in this role in the Time & Frequency department, you will need to have an SC clearance with no restrictions, or you must have the ability to obtain an SC clearance.

About Us

The National Physical Laboratory (NPL) is a world-leading centre of excellence that provides cutting-edge measurement science, engineering and technology to underpin prosperity and quality of life in the UK. Find out more about what it is like working here -  The measure of us - Overview

NPL and DSIT have strong commitments to diversity and equality of opportunity, and welcome applications from candidates irrespective of their background, gender, race, sexual orientation, religion, or age, providing they meet the required criteria. Applications from women, disabled and black, Asian and minority ethnic candidates in particular are encouraged. All disabled candidates (as defined by the Equality Act 2010) who satisfy the minimum criteria for the role will be guaranteed an interview under the Disability Confident Scheme. 

At NPL, we believe our success is a result of the diversity and talent of our people. We strive to nurture and respect individuals to ensure everyone feels valued by treating everyone on the basis of their own individual merits and abilities regardless of their own or perceived identity, as part of our commitment to diversity & inclusion, we ensure we’re creating an environment where all our colleagues feel supported and welcome. More about this on our  Diversity & Inclusion page.

We are committed to the health and well-being of our employees. Flexible working and social activities are embedded in our culture to create a positive work-life balance, along with a broad range of  rewards, benefits and recognition .  Our values are at the heart of what we do, and they shape the way we interact, develop our people and celebrate success. To ensure everyone has an equal chance, we’re always willing to make reasonable adjustments to the recruitment process. If you would like to discuss, please  contact us .

[Internally, this role will be known as "Quality Lead"]