Corporate QA/QC Manager (Corporate Quality Function)

Key Responsibilities

Leadership and People Management

• Leads the corporate QA/QC function and establishes clear objectives, responsibilities and performance expectations.
• Provides technical leadership, coaching and functional direction to Project QA/QC Officers, inspectors, laboratory teams and quality document controllers.
• Evaluates project QA/QC staffing requirements and supports the recruitment and mobilisation of competent quality personnel.
• Develops competency matrices and structured training programmes for quality personnel, project engineers, supervisors and subcontractors.
• Promotes a company-wide culture of prevention, accountability, continual improvement and "right first time" delivery.
• Conducts periodic performance reviews of project quality teams in coordination with Project and Operations Management.

Corporate Quality Strategy and Governance

• Develops and implements the company's corporate quality strategy, objectives, policies and annual improvement plan.
• Maintains the corporate Quality Management System in accordance with ISO 9001, contractual requirements and applicable legislation.
• Ensures consistent application of quality procedures across road, building, civil engineering and infrastructure projects, as well as quarry and production operations.
• Establishes minimum corporate standards for Project Quality Plans, Inspection and Test Plans, Method Statements, material approvals, inspection requests, test records, NCRs, handover documentation and quality dossiers.
• Advises the General Manager on major quality risks, recurring deficiencies and strategic improvement priorities for final direction.
• Ensures that quality responsibilities and hold points are clearly incorporated into project execution plans and operational processes.

Project Quality Planning and Mobilisation

• Reviews contractual specifications, employer's requirements and applicable standards during project mobilisation.
• Defines the project-specific quality organisation, laboratory requirements, inspection resources and external testing needs.
• Reviews and approves Project Quality Plans before submission to the client or consultant.
• Reviews project ITPs, quality procedures, testing schedules, document control systems and handover plans.
• Conducts project quality mobilisation reviews to ensure that approved systems, competent personnel and required testing facilities are in place before construction begins.
• Provides additional support to projects with complex technical requirements or elevated quality risks.

Tendering and Pre-Contract Support

• Reviews tender documents to identify quality obligations, testing requirements, technical standards, approval processes and handover deliverables.
• Assesses quality-related risks and associated costs for inclusion in tender pricing and project budgets.
• Prepares or reviews preliminary Quality Plans and other quality submissions required during tendering.
• Supports technical clarifications, pre-award meetings and assessments of potential partners, suppliers and subcontractors.
• Ensures that contractual quality commitments are realistic, properly resourced and incorporated into the project execution strategy.

Quality Assurance and Auditing

• Establishes and implements the annual corporate quality audit programme.
• Conducts scheduled and risk-based audits of projects, quarries, laboratories, crushing plants, asphalt plants, concrete batching plants, workshops, suppliers and subcontractors.
• Evaluates compliance with the corporate QMS, Project Quality Plans, ITPs, approved Method Statements, drawings and specifications.
• Issues audit findings and ensures that corrective and preventive actions are assigned, implemented and closed within agreed deadlines.
• Coordinates external ISO certification, surveillance and recertification audits.
• Ensures that recurring findings are analysed and addressed at organisational level rather than treated as isolated project issues.

Quality Control and Technical Oversight

• Provides oversight of inspection and testing activities across all projects.
• Reviews major technical submissions, concrete and asphalt mix designs, quarry and aggregate controls, laboratory procedures, material testing regimes and specialist inspection requirements.
• Ensures that materials are approved, traceable and supported by valid certificates and test results before incorporation into the works.
• Verifies the effectiveness of quality controls for earthworks, aggregates, asphalt, concrete, reinforcement, structural steel, roadworks, drainage, finishes and MEP installations.
• Supports investigations into major defects, test failures and workmanship issues.
• Ensures that testing equipment is properly calibrated, certified, maintained and controlled.

Non-Conformance and Corrective Action Management

• Establishes the corporate process for identifying, recording, evaluating and closing non-conformities.
• Reviews significant, repeated or overdue NCRs and ensures appropriate technical disposition and management attention.
• Leads or supports root-cause investigations for major quality failures and recurring defects.
• Ensures that corrective and preventive actions address underlying causes and are shared across relevant projects.
• Maintains oversight of NCR ageing, closure performance, rework costs and recurring defect trends.
• Escalates unresolved quality issues that could affect structural integrity, contractual compliance, programme or company reputation.

Laboratories, Quarries and Production Plants

• Establishes minimum requirements for project laboratories, quarries, crushing plants, asphalt plants, concrete batching plants and field-testing facilities.
• Reviews facility layouts, equipment schedules, calibration requirements, competent staffing and production-quality controls.
• Audits quarry production, aggregate processing and stockpiling, asphalt production, concrete production, cement storage, mix designs, sampling, testing and material traceability.
• Ensures facilities operate in accordance with approved procedures, applicable standards and coordinated HSE and environmental controls.
• Coordinates independent verification and third-party testing where required.

Suppliers and Subcontractors

• Defines quality criteria for supplier and subcontractor prequalification and performance evaluation.
• Supports Procurement and Project Management in assessing the technical and quality capability of critical suppliers and subcontractors.
• Reviews supplier quality plans, certificates, manufacturing procedures and inspection arrangements for critical materials and equipment.
• Conducts or coordinates source inspections and factory acceptance tests where required.
• Ensures that quality obligations, documentation requirements and acceptance criteria are clearly incorporated into purchase orders and subcontract agreements.
• Recommends suspension or removal of suppliers and subcontractors with persistent quality failures.

Quality Performance and Reporting

• Establishes corporate quality KPIs, dashboards and reporting requirements. 
• Monitors NCR frequency and ageing, rework costs, inspection performance, test failures, audit findings, client observations, material rejection rates and handover status.
• Consolidates project quality reports and presents company-wide performance to the General Manager for executive reporting and direction.
• Identifies negative trends, priority risks and projects requiring management intervention
• Maintains a corporate register of major quality risks, corrective actions and improvement initiatives.

Cost, Programme and Operational Integration

• Works with Operations and Project Management to integrate inspection, testing and approval requirements into project programmes and look-ahead schedules.
• Promotes preventive quality planning to minimise delays, rework, material wastage and commercial disputes.
• Quantifies and reports the cost of poor quality, including rejected materials, remedial works, retesting, delays and client back-charges.
• Ensures that quality controls support efficient delivery without compromising contractual or technical standards.

Client and Stakeholder Management

• Represents the company on corporate and high-level project quality matters.
• Supports Project Coordinators and Project Managers during major client meetings, audits, technical reviews and dispute-resolution processes.
• Coordinates responses to serious client complaints, quality notices and consultant observations.
• Maintains professional relationships with certification bodies, accredited laboratories, regulators and specialist inspection agencies.
• Ensures that commitments made to clients regarding corrective actions are properly implemented and closed.

Handover and Project Close-Out

• Establishes corporate standards for snagging, commissioning, as-built documentation, test packs, warranties, operation and maintenance manuals and final quality dossiers.
• Reviews project close-out and handover strategies at an early stage of execution.
• Monitors the progressive compilation of handover records to prevent delays at project completion.
• Supports final client inspections and ensures that outstanding quality issues are systematically closed.
• Conducts post-project quality reviews and captures lessons learned for future projects.

Continuous Improvement and Knowledge Management

• Develops and maintains a corporate database of lessons learned, recurring defects, approved corrective solutions and best practices.
• Standardises successful procedures, ITPs, checklists and technical controls across the company.
• Promotes digital quality management, electronic inspections, traceability and performance dashboards.
• Benchmarks company quality performance against industry standards and recommends improvement initiatives.
• Ensures that lessons from audits, defects and completed projects are incorporated into training, tendering and project planning.

Qualification

Formal Education

• Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering, Structural Engineering, Construction Management or a related engineering discipline.
• A master's degree in Engineering, Construction Management or Quality Management is advantageous.
• Recognised ISO 9001 Lead Auditor or Internal Auditor certification is highly desirable.
• Professional engineering or quality-management membership is an advantage.

Work Experience

• Minimum 10–15 years of relevant construction experience, including at least 5 years in a senior QA/QC management position.
• Demonstrated experience managing quality systems across multiple road, building, civilengineering or heavy infrastructure projects, including exposure to quarries, aggregates, asphalt and concrete production.
• Experience with large concrete structures, earthworks, quarry materials, aggregates, asphalt, structural steel, roadworks, drainage, finishes and MEP installations.
• Proven experience with ISO 9001 implementation, internal audits, external certification audits, NCR management and project handover.
• Experience working with international consultants, clients and contract conditions is highly advantageous.

Skills

• Strong leadership and multi-project management capability.
• Excellent technical writing, audit, investigation and analytical skills.
• Advanced business English, both written and spoken.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office and digital quality-management or document-control systems.
• Ability to prepare clear management dashboards and present quality performance to Executive Management.
• Strong negotiation, problem-solving and conflict-resolution skills.

Knowledge

• Thorough knowledge of ISO 9001 and construction quality-management principles.
• Strong understanding of relevant international and local construction standards, codes and specifications.
• Comprehensive knowledge of concrete and asphalt technology, aggregates and quarry controls, materials testing, earthworks, structural steel, road construction, finishes and MEP quality controls.
• Understanding of contract administration, technical submittals, inspection processes, commissioning and project handover.
• Knowledge of risk-based auditing, root-cause analysis, corrective action management and the cost of poor quality.

Abilities

• Ability to exercise independent professional judgement and challenge non-compliant practices constructively.
• Ability to manage several projects and competing priorities simultaneously.
• Ability to translate contractual and technical requirements into practical site controls.
• Ability to identify systemic quality risks and implement sustainable corrective measures.
• Ability to influence senior management, project teams, clients, consultants, suppliers and subcontractors.

Behavioural Competencies

• High professional integrity and independence.
• Firm commitment to quality despite programme or commercial pressure.
• Proactive, preventive and solution-oriented approach.
• Strong communication and stakeholder-management skills.
• Attention to detail combined with a clear strategic and commercial perspective.
• Willingness to travel regularly and maintain a visible presence across project sites.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

• QMS Compliance Audit completion rate, number and severity of audit findings, corrective-action closure rate
• Non-Conformance Management NCR frequency, ageing, recurrence and average closure time
• Cost of Poor Quality Value of rework, rejected materials, retesting and quality-related back-charges
• Inspection and Testing ITP compliance, inspection acceptance rate and material test pass rate
• Project Mobilisation Timely approval of Project Quality Plans, ITPs, laboratories and quality staffing
• Client Satisfaction Number of quality complaints, consultant observations and repeat comments
• Handover Performance Timely completion of snagging, quality dossiers and handover documentation
• Supplier Performance Supplier rejection rates, audit findings and corrective-action closure
• People Development Training completion, competency assessments and development of project quality teams
• Continuous Improvement Implementation of lessons learned and reduction in recurring defects

Location: Accra (with regular travel to all project sites, quarries, laboratories, asphalt plants, concrete batching plants, workshops and supplier facilities)

Salary: Attractive