Director of Quality - Heavy Industrial Manufacturing Job Joplin area,Missouri USA,Quality Assurance

Position Overview

We are seeking an experienced Director of Quality to provide strategic and operational leadership for quality assurance and quality control within a heavy industrial manufacturing environment.

This position will oversee the Quality Management System, inspection, supplier quality, welding quality, NDE/NDT, material traceability, nonconformance management, audits, and continuous improvement.

The ideal candidate has significant quality leadership experience within pressure vessels, heat exchangers, boilers, power generation equipment, heavy fabrication, or similar engineered-to-order manufacturing.

Key Responsibilities

Lead the overall Quality Assurance and Quality Control organization.
Maintain and continuously improve the Quality Management System.
Ensure compliance with applicable ISO, ASME, customer, and regulatory requirements.
Develop and maintain quality procedures, inspection plans, standards, and documentation.
Oversee inspection and testing throughout fabrication, assembly, and final product acceptance.
Ensure complete material traceability and proper retention of quality records.
Oversee welding quality, weld procedures, welder qualifications, and associated documentation.
Provide leadership for NDE/NDT activities including UT, PT, MT, PAUT, and other applicable methods.
Oversee hydrostatic, pneumatic, dimensional, and final inspection activities.
Lead internal, customer, supplier, and third-party quality audits.
Manage nonconformances, root cause investigations, corrective actions, and preventive actions.
Monitor quality KPIs including defects, rework, scrap, customer complaints, supplier performance, and corrective actions.
Work closely with Engineering, Manufacturing, Project Management, Supply Chain, and Operations to resolve quality issues.
Develop and maintain supplier quality standards and evaluate supplier performance.
Support customer quality requirements, inspections, documentation, and technical reviews.
Drive continuous improvement initiatives to reduce defects, rework, and manufacturing quality costs.
Develop, mentor, and lead Quality Engineers, Inspectors, NDE personnel, and other quality team members.
Promote a strong culture of accountability where quality is integrated throughout the manufacturing process.

Qualifications

10+ years of progressive Quality Assurance/Quality Control experience within heavy industrial manufacturing.
5+ years of quality leadership or management experience.
Strong experience with ASME Code manufacturing and ISO 9001 quality systems.
Experience with pressure vessels, heat exchangers, boilers, piping, or other large fabricated equipment strongly preferred.
Strong knowledge of welding, fabrication, inspection, NDE/NDT, and material traceability.
Experience managing nonconformances, CAPA, root cause analysis, and continuous improvement.
Experience leading internal, customer, supplier, and third-party audits.
Strong understanding of manufacturing drawings, specifications, codes, and customer quality requirements.
Proven ability to lead and develop Quality Engineering and Inspection teams.
Strong leadership, communication, analytical, and problem-solving skills.

Preferred Qualifications

Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Quality, Manufacturing, or a related technical field.
Experience with in power generation, nuclear, energy, petrochemical, process equipment, or similar industries.
Experience with ASME Section I, Section III, and/or Section VIII requirements.
Familiarity with National Board requirements and code stamps.
Experience with nuclear quality requirements such as NQA-1 and 10 CFR 50 Appendix B is a plus.
ASQ certifications such as CQE or CQM/OE are a plus.
Lean Manufacturing or Six Sigma certification preferred.
Experience managing supplier quality across domestic and international manufacturing partners.