Senior IMS Specialist

About LAHAB:

LAHAB DEFENCE SYSTEMS (LDS) focuses on design, development and production of medium and large calibre munitions and weapons systems.

At LAHAB Defence Systems, we are a munitions pioneer. As the UAE’s only medium and large munitions manufacturer, we put over 25 years of expertise and experience to work for leading defence and security organisations across the MENA region and beyond.
 

Key Responsibilities:

• The Senior IMS Specialist role is a strategic role with in Governance and Standard that works collaboratively with certification bodies, regulators, internal stakeholders and across the business to ensure our integrated management systems (IMS) are suitable, adequate and effective. The role shall: facilitate independent and major investigations affecting one or more parts of the business, plan, manage and execute management system audits both internally and externally, act as the focal point for professional communications on behalf of the Quality department, provide business continuity governance and assurance, manage calibration, provide IMS training, provide administrative and consultancy services for the IMS, coordinate and execute management reviews and drive a risk reduction, root cause and nonconformance prevention culture.
• Leading the development and implementation of best-practice Governance & Standards Quality vision, strategy, policies, processes and procedures, ensuring that our management systems, processes and practices are compliant with customer, regulatory and safety requirements. Provide clear direction and leadership for Governance and Standards activities across the business and ensure your team continues to work collaboratively with key stakeholders, both within and between entities.
• Leading, inspiring and managing the Governance and standards teams, including calibration, by demonstrating exemplary values, principles and behaviors that align with the business, to the effect of achieving business and mission goals and objectives. Raise the quality profile and maintain a reputation of integrity across the business
• Driving a safety-first mindset across the business empowering Governance and Standards team members to responsibly address concerns.
• Driving a culture of Quality excellence, innovation and achieving efficiency through effective management of ‘our ways’ of working and embedding a desire for systematic management system improvement. Leading process improvement, design, development and standardization initiatives through cross-entity collaboration
• Adopt a proactive risk-based approach that is backed by intelligence and sound data; ensuring management certification and approvals remain valid and fit for purpose.
• Training, developing, monitoring and evaluating team performance; improving engagement activities and process efficiency. Identify current and future skills gaps in respect to the needs of the business, ensuring the team are best positioned for growth and close gaps through forward planning, effective budgeting and performance management
• Managing the integrated audit program ensuring all processes receive due consideration, are in alignment with existing certifications, and are proactively developed to meet the needs of the business
• Develop, maintain, and enhance the Integrated Management System (IMS) in compliance with ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 45001, and other applicable standards. Lead internal audits, gap analyses, and management reviews to ensure the effectiveness of the IMS. Coordinate with different departments to ensure policies, procedures, and practices are aligned with IMS requirements. Manage certification and surveillance audits by external certification bodies
• Working closely with respective stakeholders to measure and report leading and lagging process indicators across the businesses and driving improvement plans with those accountable. Ensuring effective deployment of resources to support the programme lifecycle from bid through to disposal.
• Acting as senior management representative for all escalated Governance and Standards concerns, and conducting and directing appropriate tasks as directed by line management

Experience and Education:

• Minimum: 7 + years of experience in quality management / assurance, or similar roles in manufacturing environment with at least 5 years leading quality teams on complex systems engineering programmes

• Preferred: 6+ years Defence industry-specific experience with substantial GCC exposure and at least 5 years Quality Management/Assurance experience within complex engineering programme environments

• Minimum: Chartered Quality Institute (CQI) ‘Practitioner’ grade or above. Bachelor’s Degree in an engineering discipline,  Certified ISO 9001 Internal/leadauditor.

• Preferred: Masters degree in Quality; multiple lead auditor certifications in Quality, auditing qualifications (e.g. AS9100 / ISO9001 lead auditor, etc.), Chartered Quality Institute (CQI) ‘Practitioner’ grade or above.

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