Quality Lead

About the role

The Quality Lead, based in Cairns and reporting to the Senior Quality Manager – Australasia, is responsible for driving the strategic quality agenda across Austal’s Business Unit. Working closely with Business Unit leaders and operational managers, the role embeds a culture of quality excellence and ensures robust quality governance throughout the organisation.

Key responsibilities

• Lead the development, implementation and continuous improvement of the Quality Management System (QMS) to meet ISO 9001, customer, regulatory and contractual requirements.
• Maintain quality documentation, conduct internal and external audits, and oversee compliance with organisational standards.
• Promote a culture of quality and continuous improvement through coaching, mentoring and training initiatives.
• Act as the primary quality subject‑matter expert, managing customer quality requirements and supporting audit activities.
• Manage non‑conformance, corrective and preventive action (CAPA) processes, investigate issues and verify effectiveness of corrective actions.
• Develop, monitor and report on quality KPIs and performance metrics, providing insights on risks and improvement opportunities.

Required profile

• Lead Auditor qualification in ISO 9001 (or equivalent).
• Minimum 5 years’ experience in quality assurance or quality management.
• Proven experience developing and maintaining QMS.
• Strong knowledge of ISO 9001, audit programmes and compliance requirements.
• Demonstrated ability to manage non‑conformances and CAPA processes.
• Analytical, problem‑solving and continuous‑improvement mindset.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder‑engagement skills.

Required skills

• ISO 9001 Lead Auditor
• Quality Management System (QMS) implementation
• CAPA process management
• Audit management (internal and external)
• KPI development and reporting