Associate Director of Quality

We’re looking for people who put their innovation to work to advance our success - and their own. Join an organization that ensures a more secure world through connecting and protecting our customers with inventive electrical solutions. This is a critical quality leadership role supporting nVent’s Minnesota operations, with ownership of quality for the Anoka and Dayton sites and coordination with our Blaine facility through a key customer partnership.

You’ll lead and influence a 70+-person quality organization, serving as the primary quality liaison to manage complex compliance requirements, maintain senior-level customer engagement, and ensure quality systems scale alongside the business. This role serves as a gatekeeper for growth, leading the build-out of a robust quality and supplier quality organization across MN locations to support our expanding Data Solutions and Hoffman Enclosures footprint.

• Serve as the primary leader for supplier quality strategy.
• Audit supplier processes and resolve quality issues (NCRs/CAPAs).
• Collaborate with engineering teams during New Product Introduction (NPI) to ensure suppliers meet build specifications.
• Direct the receiving inspection and incoming quality control (IQC) operations for all critically important components, implementing a risk-based verification strategy to reduce non-conforming material escapes while optimizing dock-to-stock cycle times.
• Executive Liaison:
  Represent the QA function as the principal customer and executive liaison, bridging the gap between high-level customer expectations and supplier execution.
• Quality Management System (QMS) Evolution:
  Lead the development and alignment of a comprehensive QMS (e.g., ISO 9001).
• High-Impact Problem Solving:
  Act as the Quality Project Leader and a structured problem-solving SME, using advanced methods to resolve critical supplier bottlenecks and technical issues.
• Manage Advanced Product Quality Planning (APQP) and Production Part Approval Processes (PPAP) in global sourcing efforts.
• Operational Excellence:
  Drive large-scale continuous improvement initiatives (e.g., Lean Six Sigma) to optimize both internal plant efficiency and external supplier yield.
• Groundbreaking Leadership:
  Lead, mentor, and scale a high-performing team of quality professionals, encouraging a culture of accountability, technical mastery, and career growth.

• Education:
  
  Bachelor of Science degree required;
  Master’s degree or MBA or equivalent experience preferred to support strategic business alignment.
• Certifications:
  
  Professional certifications such as ASQ-CQM/OE (Quality Manager/Organizational Excellence), CQE, or CQA are highly valued.
• Experience:
  
  10+ years in manufacturing quality systems, with a proven track record of managing complex global supply bases.
• Leadership: 5+ years of progressive leadership experience, specifically managing multi-site quality functions or large-scale supplier quality organizations.
• Methodology:
  Deep expertise in Lean principles (5S, Kaizen, VSM) and a proficiency in Statistical Process Control (SPC) applied to supplier monitoring.
• Systems Mastery:
  Advanced knowledge of ISO Management systems and enterprise quality software (e.g., Intelex, Trackwise).
• Strategic Approach:
  The ability to translate complex quality data into actionable business intelligence for executive partners.

A dynamic global reach with diverse operations around the world that will stretch your abilities, provide plentiful career opportunities, and allow you to make an impact every day nVent is a leading global provider of electrical connection and protection solutions. We believe our inventive electrical solutions enable safer systems and ensure a more secure world. We design,…