Head of Quality, APAC (Industrial Automation)

Job Description Summary

The Head of Quality – APAC will provide strategic direction and leadership for the region's quality agenda, with responsibility for strengthening quality standards, customer experience, and operational excellence across the APAC business.

The role will lead regional quality systems and initiatives spanning manufacturing, operations, suppliers, products, and customer experience. The successful candidate will ensure that quality performance consistently meets business expectations, customer requirements, regulatory obligations, and relevant industry standards.

Working closely with regional executives, commercial functions, operations, and global stakeholders, the Head of Quality will drive a strong quality culture, improve customer satisfaction, manage key risks, and support the organisation's long-term growth.

Key Responsibilities

1. Regional Quality Strategy & Leadership

• Develop and execute the APAC quality strategy in alignment with global quality priorities and regional business goals.
• Provide leadership and direction to the regional quality organisation, building a strong, capable, and high-performing team.
• Serve as a strategic quality advisor to senior management, providing insights on performance, customer expectations, operational risks, and improvement opportunities.
• Establish a culture of accountability, continuous improvement, and customer focus across the organisation.

2. Customer Experience & Quality Excellence

• Champion initiatives that enhance the customer experience across the full customer lifecycle, from pre-sales engagement through post-sales support.
• Establish appropriate customer experience metrics, reporting structures, and governance, including NPS and Voice of Customer (VOC) programmes.
• Analyse customer feedback and identify recurring issues, trends, and opportunities for improvement.
• Lead cross-functional programmes to address customer pain points and improve overall satisfaction.

3. Quality Systems, Standards & Compliance

• Ensure regional operations comply with applicable quality regulations, standards, certifications, and customer requirements.
• Oversee quality assurance frameworks, internal and external audits, and compliance activities across APAC.
• Drive improvements in product quality, reliability, and performance to ensure alignment with technical requirements and customer expectations.
• Strengthen quality governance and ensure effective monitoring of regional quality performance.

4. Operational Excellence & Continuous Improvement

• Lead structured problem-solving, root cause investigations, and corrective and preventive action (CAPA) programmes.
• Promote Lean, Six Sigma, and other continuous improvement methodologies across regional operations.
• Identify opportunities to enhance quality processes, systems, and workflows through technology and digitalisation.
• Improve operational efficiency, data visibility, and transparency through robust quality management systems.

5. Cross-Functional & Global Collaboration

• Work closely with Engineering, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Commercial, and other business functions to embed quality throughout the organisation.
• Partner with global quality teams to adapt and implement best practices suited to APAC markets.
• Provide quality leadership and support for strategic initiatives, including new product introductions (NPI), business transformation, and expansion into new markets.
• Ensure quality considerations are integrated into key commercial and operational decisions.

6. Quality Risk & Escalation Management

• Take ownership of significant quality and customer-related issues across the APAC region.
• Establish clear escalation processes and governance to ensure critical issues are addressed quickly and effectively.
• Monitor emerging quality, operational, customer, and reputational risks, implementing appropriate mitigation plans.
• Provide senior leadership with timely updates and recommendations on major quality risks and incidents.

Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor's degree or higher in Engineering, Quality Management, Business, or a related discipline.
• 15+ years of relevant professional experience in quality, customer experience, manufacturing, operations, or related functions, with demonstrated regional leadership exposure.
• Proven experience managing sizeable, cross-functional teams within a complex matrix organisation.
• Strong knowledge of quality management systems, manufacturing quality, supplier quality, regulatory compliance, and customer experience methodologies.
• Experience within industrial, HVAC, manufacturing, engineering, or a related sector would be highly advantageous.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving capabilities, with the ability to make sound decisions in complex and high-pressure situations.
• Excellent communication, influencing, and stakeholder management skills, with confidence engaging senior executives and global teams.

Core Competencies

• Strategic leadership and execution
• Customer-focused mindset
• Quality and operational excellence
• People leadership and talent development
• Data-driven analysis and decision-making
• Change leadership and transformation
• Stakeholder engagement and influencing
• Strong commercial and business awareness