Product & System Quality Assurance ManagerLocation:Flexible / Hybrid (travel across the supply chain as required) (Dublin, France)The OpportunityWe are looking for a Product & System Quality Assurance Manager to play a pivotal leadership role in an R&D-driven, reverse-engineering crop protection business operating with a predominantly virtual, third-party manufacturing supply chain.This is not a traditional QA policing role.Instead, this role exists to enable the business — partnering with functional leaders and subject-matter experts across R&D, Supply Chain, Regulatory and Commercial teams to ensure quality and compliance are owned where they matter most, supported by clear, proportionate, risk-based frameworks.You will be accountable for building agile, scalable quality assurance systems that support product development, external manufacture and commercial delivery — without unnecessary bureaucracy. Success requires strong cross-functional leadership, influence without authority, and systems thinking, particularly in an environment where manufacturing execution largely sits outside the organisation.What You'll DoQuality Frameworks & Virtual Supply ChainDesign and implement risk-based quality assurance frameworks suited to a virtual manufacturing modelDefine proportionate quality expectations for external manufacturers, formulators, packers and logistics partnersEstablish effective oversight and assurance models without replicating in-house manufacturing controlsDevelop and maintain practical, outcome-focused quality agreements aligned to product and process riskR&D and Product Development EnablementPartner with R&D teams engaged in reverse engineering to embed quality and compliance from early developmentEnable R&D SMEs to understand and fulfil their critical-to-business quality and compliance responsibilitiesEnsure specifications, analytical methods and control strategies support reliable third-party manufacture and regulatory submissionsSupport technology transfer and scale-up activities, acting as a bridge between R&D intent and supply chain executionRisk-Based Assurance & Issue ManagementIdentify and prioritise quality risks across products and outsourced processes using structured, science-based approachesFocus assurance on critical quality attributes (CQAs), critical process parameters (CPPs), and high-risk suppliersLead investigations into deviations, complaints and quality incidents involving third partiesDrive effective CAPA that strengthens systems and prevents recurrenceCross-Functional IntegrationWork across R&D, Supply Chain, Regulatory and Commercial teams to ensure end-to-end alignment of quality and compliance requirementsProactively identify and close gaps at organisational interfacesEnable risk-based decision-making where trade-offs between speed, cost and quality are requiredSupport Regulatory Affairs by ensuring quality systems and data meet global registration and lifecycle expectationsContinuous Improvement & Quality MaturityProvide the overarching QA framework that enables each function to meet its critical-to-business compliance obligationsBuild quality capability and maturity as the organisation scalesSimplify or remove processes and controls that do not materially improve quality or complianceUse data and supplier performance trends to drive continuous improvementKey StakeholdersR&D and Product DevelopmentSupply Chain, Procurement and OperationsRegulatory AffairsCommercial and Portfolio ManagementExternal manufacturers, laboratories and logistics partnersWhat We're Looking ForEssentialDegree in Chemistry, Life Sciences, Process Engineering or a related technical disciplineSignificant QA experience in regulated environments such as crop protection, agrochemicals, pharmaceuticals or fine chemicalsExperience working with outsourced or virtual manufacturing models, including product development and technology transferStrong supplier quality assurance capability with a pragmatic, risk-based mindsetExperience using quality data and performance indicators to drive improvementProven ability to influence senior stakeholders and external partners without direct authorityDesirableExperience in reverse engineering or generic product developmentPractical application of Quality by Design (QbD) principlesFamiliarity with global crop protection regulatory frameworksExperience building quality systems in growing or transforming organisationsHands-on use of risk-based tools (e.g. FMEA, CQA, CPP)Supplier audit and qualification experienceLeadership ProfileYou are someone who brings:A quality-as-an-enabler mindset — focused on outcomes, not bureaucracyThe ability to influence without authority, earning credibility with technical and commercial teamsSystems thinking, seeing end-to-end risk across functions and partnersPragmatic judgement, applying regulatory expectations proportionatelyA builder's mindset, comfortable creating and evolving systems as the business growsCalm, credible leadership under pressureIntegrity and trust, creating confidence and psychological safety across the organisation and supply chainWhy This Role Is DifferentThis is not a traditional compliance or certification-driven QA role.It is an opportunity to design and embed modern, agile quality systems that enable a growing, innovation-led business to deliver high-quality, compliant products through a global, outsourced supply chain — at pace.