Quality Assurance Manager in Cleveland, Ohio

Quality Assurance Manager

Smart4

Sciences are currently recruiting for a Quality Assurance Manager on behalf of a leading manufacturing organisation within the automotive supply chain. As Quality Assurance Manager, you will be responsible for maintaining and developing the site's Quality Management System, driving continuous improvement initiatives, and leading all customer and supplier quality activities. This is a highly visible leadership role requiring an individual who can not only develop and lead a high-performing quality team but also act as the primary quality representative with OEM customers, building strong relationships and confidently managing customer communication on quality, performance, and continuous improvement initiatives.

• Maintain and continuously improve the site's Quality Management System (QMS) and associated certifications.
• Lead, coach and develop the site Quality team, creating a culture of accountability, continuous improvement and operational excellence.
• Serve as the primary quality contact for OEM customers, leading regular customer meetings, quality reviews, issue resolution and performance discussions.
• Build strong customer relationships through proactive communication, ensuring customer expectations are understood and consistently achieved.
• Ensure customer-specific requirements and supplier quality standards are effectively integrated into site processes.
• Monitor, measure and report quality performance across the site.
• Lead investigations into customer complaints, non-conformances, off-specification products and supplier corrective actions, providing timely updates and corrective action plans to customers.
• Drive data-led quality improvement programmes focused on yield, productivity and reducing the cost of non-conformance.
• Facilitate customer and supplier audits, visits and quality reviews.
• Manage and support quality-related systems including SAP, LIMS and ETQ Reliance.
• Own the site's internal audit programme and document control processes.
• Collaborate with Technical, R&D and Operations teams to improve right-first-time performance and product quality.
• Act as the Quality lead for Management of Change (MOC) activities and new product introductions.
• Make critical decisions relating to product release, product disposition and quality-related change approvals.

• Bachelor's degree or higher in Quality, Engineering or a related discipline.
• Minimum of 5 years' quality management experience within a manufacturing environment, ideally within the automotive industry.
• Demonstrable people management experience, with a proven track record of leading, developing and mentoring quality teams.
• Experience acting as the primary quality contact for OEM customers, with the confidence to lead customer meetings, present quality performance, manage escalations and build long-term customer relationships.
• Certified Lead Auditor qualification (IATF 16949 required, VDA preferred).
• Six Sigma Green Belt certification.
• Strong knowledge of automotive core quality tools, including FMEA, SPC, Control Plans and APQP.
• Experience managing customer complaints, corrective actions and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Excellent communication, presentation and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to influence both internal teams and external customers.
• Fluent in English, both written and verbal.

• Competitive salary of $140,000 - $160,000.
• Opportunity to lead quality strategy within a well-established manufacturing operation.
• Significant exposure to OEM customers and cross-functional leadership teams.
• Excellent career progression opportunities within a growing organisation.