UKAS is recruiting for the prestigious position of
Head of Agri-Food, Life Sciences and Asbestos, responsible for the delivery of accreditation and assessment services to customers spanning testing and inspection services.
The section manages a diverse portfolio of customers across the TIC (Testing, Inspection and Certification) sector. This high-profile leadership role would suit someone with a strong track record of quality management working within Chemistry and Environmental Sciences, Food Chemistry, Microbiology, Food/Farm Certification, Animal Welfare and Asbestos, allied with an awareness of general management systems certification.
The successful candidate will be responsible for the delivery of accreditation and assessment services to customers, including:
* Ensuring the delivery of a technically rigorous, high-quality assessment service to the section's customers
* Managing a team of assessment and senior assessment managers, as well as key stakeholders
* Managing the accreditation decision-making process for the section
* Budget management and the formulation of section-specific policies and procedures
* Ensuring the section has adequate levels of trained and competent internal and external assessment resources to manage and deliver assessments across UKAS's Agri-Food, Life Sciences and Asbestos sectors.
The successful candidate will have the following:
* Proven track record of working with conformity assessment standards, such as ISO/IEC Testing), as well as an understanding of how they provide confidence to stakeholders
* Knowledge of other areas of certification would be advantageous - such as ISO/IEC 17065 / ISO/IEC 17021 and ISO/IEC 17020
* Demonstrable ability to line and performance manage technical and/or scientific employees
* Experience in budget management
* Previous experience managing a remote-based workforce
* A passion for people management and developing technical skills within a team
* Proven experience in leading internal networks to ensure the best possible outcome for the overall business.
While the role is remote-based, regular attendance at the UKAS head office and other countrywide locations is necessary to meet with colleagues and external stakeholders. Consequently, a reasonable level of travel and nights away from home are to be expected.
Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion: Fostering a Culture of Belonging
UKAS is proud to be the United Kingdom's sole Accreditation Body. We wouldn't be able to do what we do without a diverse mix of minds, backgrounds and experiences. UKAS is committed to promoting a culture of belonging and values the differences and uniqueness that everyone brings to the organisation.
We welcome candidates across all types of backgrounds, circumstances, and identities to support our Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) commitments.