Quality Assurance Specialist

Job Introduction
This is a unique role for Network Rail which exists in Route Services, a business area that has been created to supply services to the routes in the safest, most cost-efficient and effective way, enabling them to benefit from economies of scale and optimised national resources.

The Supplier Quality Assurance (SQA) team works with its stakeholders to reduce the risk of the introduction of non-compliant, safety critical railway infrastructure products and materials by the undertaking of supplier quality assurance (SQA) activities anywhere in the world. The Quality Assurance Specialist will have unique knowledge of the products and suppliers of the railway industry and deliver a professional service to its customers.

The SQA team supports its stakeholders by:

- Providing a single point of contact for product supplier quality assurance
- Delivering a product quality assurance audit programme for our customers using our specialist expertise for each asset located anywhere in the world
- Managing the investigation of failed supplied products and where practicable working with stakeholders to improve quality on their premises
- Assisting suppliers with continuous improvement activities to deliver value for Network Rail
- Supporting our engineering and procurement teams with new product development and tendering
- Being a reliable partner in the new product integration process for Network Rail
- Working alongside our suppliers to develop and/or improve processes to achieve our vision
- Carrying out our duties in a safe, professional and reliable way

Main Responsibilities

**What will you be doing?**
- Support the delivery of assurance activities through; audits, review, verification and validation in order to mitigate business risks, including analysis of data, to inform targeted corrective actions across Route Services.
- Collate and distribute findings that can be used by the Route Services teams to inform decision making and to initiate programmes that will deliver sustained continual improvement.
- Provide specialist advice and support to stakeholders, investigation and learning processes, including root cause analysis, shared learning, outputs preparation, distribution and review for effectiveness, to inform continual improvement and improved organisational knowledge and memory.
- Collate and distribute management information gained from assurance and other quality improvement activities including audit, lessons learned, discipline groups, wider industry and other relevant sources, to inform fact-based decision making relating to quality assurance and associated Safety, Health and Environment improvements.
- Provide advice and guidance to the customer, implementing processes relating to assurance activities to achieve acceptable levels of risk control including, checking and collating of data, to inform targeted corrective action.
- Provide input to and support the development and implementation of standards in Network Rail by maintaining regular liaison with stakeholders to monitor and review compliance to support good quality management and assurance in Network Rail.
- Routinely required to travel nationally and infrequently internationally, which may result in pre-arranged overnight accommodation.

**What essential skills and experiences are required?**

**Essential**
- Knowledge and successful experience of working with quality management systems BS EN ISO 9001 (2015)
- Proven strong influencing, customer focus and communication skills
- Demonstrable experience in quality assurance including investigation, audit and report writing
- Internal audit trained
- Able to demonstrate excellent analytical skills
- Knowledge and understanding of continuous improvement processes

**Desirable**
- Passed IRCA approved Lead auditor training in BS EN ISO 9001 (2015)
- Knowledge of the supplier industries and processes that are of strategic importance to Network Rail
- A broad understanding of railway infrastructure

About The Company
- We are committed to a diverse workplace enriched with representation from diverse cultures, backgrounds and skills. We pride ourselves on creating an environment where difference is embraced, and individuals can thrive. We recognise that the success of the team is dependent on a multi-cultural, multi-disciplined group of individuals, aligned to deliver successful solutions._
- At Network Rail, we have several employee networks to reflect our diverse population and help to raise issues to the wider workforce and support their membership and support our Everybody Matters strategy, led by our central Diversity & Inclusion team. We have Diversity & Inclusion Champions who take part and lead on many activities, to drive through more initiatives to support an inclusive environment for all its people and promote a professional and positive working environment. For more information on Diversity & Inclusion at Network Rail, please follow this link_

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