Head of Quality

At Eakin Healthcare, we put patients at the heart of everything we do. We are a family-owned global medical device company with a proud heritage of innovation and care. We deliver innovative solutions across Ostomy, Respiratory, and Surgical therapies, along with our Respond home delivery service. Founded over 50 years ago, we now have a team of over 700 dedicated people across three UK manufacturing sites, 12 international sales and distribution centres and export to over 60 countries.

We’ve been recognised as a Great Place to Work®! And we’re proud to be named among the Best Workplaces in Healthcare and Best Workplaces for Women.

At Eakin Healthcare, we’re united by one mission: working together to improve lives - just like we’ve been doing for over five decades.

We’re good at what we do – come and join us and you can benefit from:

• Blended Working
• Bonus
• 25 days holiday plus bank holidays (rising to 28)
• Option to buy holiday days
• Wellbeing Programme
• Health Cash Plan
• Pension
• Life Assurance
• Enhanced Maternity/Paternity
• Cycle to Work Scheme
• Referral Scheme
• Long Service Awards
• Free Parking.

This role will primarily be based at one of our core manufacturing sites in either Cardiff (UK), Comber (NI) or Coleraine (NI) with optional hybrid working.

Reporting to the Director of Compliance, the Head of Quality is responsible for the design, development, and implementation of the Quality Strategic Plan. This includes maintaining ISO 13485 certification and ensuring the smooth and efficient operation of all quality related activities across the company’s multi-site operation.

This role provides an effective quality and regulatory interface, ensuring that the Quality Management System (QMS) and product lifecycle controls support compliance across key markets. It also supports external regulatory interactions with Notified Bodies and strengthens audit readiness through robust documentation, governance, and cross-functional collaboration.

• Develop the Quality Strategy annually and translate it into a rolling multi-year functional plan aligned to business needs, with clear ownership, timelines, and measures.
• Build, embed and sustain a progressive quality culture across all sites. Define and implement meaningful KPIs that drive right-first-time performance, accountability and continual improvement.
• Lead, coach, and develop high-performing QA/QC teams across sites using robust performance management, capability development, and succession planning.
• Own the quality training plan across the group, ensuring appropriate competence frameworks, role-based learning, training effectiveness, and sustained compliance with QMS and regulatory requirements.
• Own and lead QMS governance and operational excellence
  • Ensure policies, procedures and practices are consistently implemented, effective and fit for purpose across all sites including harmonised QA/QC standards and raw material specifications.
  • Maintain robust governance for key QMS processes, with particular focus in change control and CAPA, ensuring timely, risk-based decision making and sustained effectiveness.
  • Champion continuous improvement across operations, embedding process capability and quality by design principles to deliver measurable improvements in efficiency, right first-time performance, and customer outcomes.
  • Partner proactively with Engineering, Operations, and R&D to ensure new processes, systems and assets are compliant by design, effectively validated and successfully embedded.
• Ensure all sites maintain a constant state of audit readiness, with clear ownership, robust evidence, and structured plans in place for both announced and unannounced audits.
• Lead internal audit planning and execution (directly and through the team), ensuring strong root cause analysis and timely CAPA closure and the effective ongoing monitoring of actions.
• Act as the primary quality contact for external audits and inspections including Notified Body and customer audits, ensuring effective preparation, professional conduct, and strong post-audit follow-up.
  • Regulatory Interface & Compliance Leadership Partner with cross-functional stakeholders to ensure…