Manager, Quality Assurance (Level 6)

Summary

Under the direct supervision of the Director, Planning & Research, the Manager Quality Assurance is responsible to: Deliver an effective, efficient, and proactive Quality Management System to enable business success. Align QMS and operating elements to achieve the Agency’s strategy in practice. Coordinate and manage ongoing system maintenance, implementation, and effectiveness of the operation of the Quality Management System within the Jamaica Customs Agency (JCA). Sustain and maintain Quality Management System in line with the required ISO 9001:2015, accreditation requirements and business requirements across the Agency through existing and new procedures. Regulate, control, and improve the quality of all processes throughout the Agency. Manage the audit program to ensure that all nonconformities raised against certification bodies during audits are effectively corrected and independently verified. Embed a culture of continuous improvement throughout the JCA. Lead the team to achieve quality management system targets for customers and business goals. Raise overall organisational awareness of customer and regulatory requirements and their impact throughout the Agency. 💰Salary: $6,333,301 JMD per annum.

Responsibilities

• Technical/Professional:

  • • Contribute to creating and implementing best practice capacity planning vision, strategy, policies, processes, and procedures to aid and improve operational performance.
  • • Contribute to new business initiatives and projects and review and communicate the impact on the Quality Management Systems (QMS).
  • • Ensure that the Agencies Quality Management System conforms to the customer, internal, ISO 9001

• Management:

  • • Manage contractors on-site to ensure they meet legal and Agency requirements.
  • • Responsible for preparing and achieving budget and forecast for QMS.
  • • Develop and maintain strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders to ensure optimal performance.
  • • Work collaboratively, negotiate and engage with key stakeholders to facilitate delivery and compliance with the quality strategy.
  • • Investigates complaints and delays, identifying conflicts in the implementation schedules or activities and recommends corrective action.
  • • Liaise and communicate with other Divisions, Government Departments, entities and service providers.
  • • Work as part of the Management team to share ideas and improve operations, recommending, supporting, and implementing continuous improvement activities and process and procedure improvements to optimise results and improve quality of delivery, in line with quality standards requirements delivery and line with Agency and customer requirements.
  • • Communicate with personnel at all levels, internally and externally, to the Agency concerning Quality matters.
  • • Monitors the implementation of QMS policies.
  • • Working with other divisions and Branches within the organisation to identify process improvements and improve standards, efficiency, and profitability.
  • • Report to top management on the performance of the QMS, including achievement of targets, operational progress, risks, issues, major setbacks, resource constraints and significant deviations from agreed objectives/targets/actions and identify any actions required.
  • • Ensure that the section operates under any health, safety and environmental policies and procedures to ensure the safety and well-being of staff and visitors.
  • • Determines appropriate follow-up action necessary to achieve compliance and ensures documentation preparation.
  • • Plan and implement the activities of the QMS to agreed timescales.
  • • Attend various meetings and action/communicate instructions.
  • • Prepare weekly, monthly, quarterly, and annual reports.

• Human Resources:

  • • Provides day-to-day guidance and manages the section activities and operations.
  • • Monitor and evaluate the performance of direct reports, prepare performance appraisals, and recommend and indicate corrective actions where necessary to improve performance and attain established personal and organisational goals.
  • • Undertaking human resource management-related functions, including staff selection, training, and discipline by the Agency’s policies and procedures,
  • • Participates in the recruitment of staff for the section and recommends transfer, promotions, terminations, and leave according to established human resource policies and procedures.
  • • Provide leadership and guidance to direct reports through effective planning, delegation, communication, training, monitoring, and coaching.
  • • Ensure the welfare and development needs of skills in the unit are identified and addressed.
  • • Recommend disciplinary action where necessary in respect of direct reports.
  • • Convenes regular staff meetings to discuss issues and matters/challenges that impact the Section’s performance to determine appropriate solutions, discuss the work of the unit and try to solve any problem that may surface and reviews the progress towards achieving the objectives.
  • • Guides the staff of the Unit, in the interpretation of the policies and procedures to determine proper courses of action.
  • • Ensures that the staff is provided with the necessary tools and equipment to carry out their functions effectively and efficiently.
  • • Building and maintaining strong relationships with all internal divisions.
  • • Communicate KPIs from the strategic annual plan so that each employee is aware.

• Administrative:

  • • Ensures that all required processes, systems, and controls are in place within the Section to enable the achievement of its objectives effectively and efficiently and ensure the effective and efficient use of resources.
  • • Ensures that appropriate communication and knowledge management systems are in place within the Section and with other internal or external Units and Divisions/Branches to facilitate the sharing of relevant information in an accurate and timely manner.
  • • Ensures that the work of the Section is adequately documented to facilitate the development of operational manuals, outlining applicable policies and procedures for the operational activities, with the view to amalgamating them into a single Operations Handbook for Jamaica Customs.
  • • Establish and maintain a culture that fosters teamwork, employee empowerment and commitment to the Sections and organisations’ goals.
  • • Prepares reports and project documents as
  • • Develops, monitors, and coordinates budget preparation and monitoring and signs off on related requisitions for the Section/Branch.

• Customer Service:

  • • Maintains customer service principles, standards, and measurements.
  • • Identifies and incorporates the interests and needs of customers in business process design.
  • • Ensures critical success factors are identified and meet expectations.

• Other:

  • • Performs all other duties and functions as may be required from time to time.
  • • May be required to provide witness statements, attend court proceedings, and give evidence.
  • • Enforces Health & Safety Policies & Procedures and mitigates and minimises workplace hazards.

Required Skills

• Core:

  • • Excellent leadership and people management skills.
  • • Ability to lead direct and indirect teams, influence others, and work independently.
  • • Excellent interpersonal skills and customer service skills.
  • • Excellent written and verbal communication and presentation skills.
  • • Excellent time management, organisational and follow-up skills.
  • • Strong detail orientation.
  • • High level of integrity, professionalism, confidentiality, and ethics
  • • Strong judgment, problem-solving, analytical and decision-making skills
  • • Ability to manage multiple, high-priority assignments and meet firm deadlines.
  • • Good team-building skills and the ability to interact effectively and professionally at all levels of the organisation (e.g. executives, managers, subject matter experts, peers, and support staff)
  • • Good networking skills

• Technical:

  • • Solid understanding of the product development and management lifecycle.
  • • Thorough Quality Management System Auditing experience and managing audit programmes.
  • • Detailed understanding of ISO 9001;2015.
  • • Working knowledge of Customs Act and Regulations, Executive Agency Act and related legislation.
  • • Sound knowledge of practices, procedures, and techniques involved in organisational assessment, planning, research, and decision-making.
  • • Proficiency in computer applications (word processing, PowerPoint, Visio spreadsheet, intranet, and Internet)

Qualifications

• • Bachelor’s Degree in Quality Management, Public Administration, Business Administration, or a related technical field.
• • Five (5) years of working experience in Quality Assurance/Quality Control with at least two (2) years in a supervisory/managerial role.
• • Supervisory Management Training/Experience
• • Auditing certification or demonstrated experience.
• • Project Management certification or demonstrated experience.
• • Quality Assurance & Control related Certification (CQA) or demonstrated experience.
• • Specialized training in ISO QMS, strategic planning and/or management.

Additional Information and Instructions

• Special Conditions Associated with The Job:

  • • Work will be conducted in various offices equipped with standard office equipment and specialized software.
  • • Involves working in a fast-paced environment with ongoing interactions with critical stakeholders.
  • • Fair degree of travelling is required (>30%) periodically to represent JCA on matters locally and internationally.
  • • Maybe required to visit vendor sites for audits, inspections etc.
  • • Extended periods of sitting around a computer

Applications, including résumés, should be submitted no later than Friday, May 29, 2025. 🔗 Register link available: 📧 Need Help? Email us at helpdesk@jca.gov.jm if you experience any technical difficulties.

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