Quality Program Manager - Supply Chain Operations

Lumen is the trusted network for the AI‑powered world, connecting people, data, and applications through our expansive fiber network and connected ecosystem. We enable secure, high‑performance connectivity across cloud, edge, and AI workloads for enterprises, governments, and communities.

At Lumen, you'll work on infrastructure customers rely on today and build for what's next, where performance, security, and resilience matter.

This is a high accountability environment where bold ideas drive real innovation for our customers, partners, and industry. The work is challenging, expectations are clear, and trust is built into how we operate. If you're ready to take ownership, deliver meaningful impact, and help shape the future of AI‑ready connectivity, join us today.

** The Role*
* The Quality Program Manager is responsible for establishing, leading, and scaling an end-to-end hardware quality management program. This role focuses on improving quality outcomes for new, used, and repaired hardware, reducing operational failures, and driving accountability across suppliers and internal partners.

This is a program leadership role requiring strong cross-functional collaboration with NETS, Service Assurance, Engineering/Planning, Service Delivery, Field Operations, Strategic Sourcing, and key suppliers. The role will define quality standards, implement measurable KPIs, pilot initiatives with strategic vendors, and translate quality data into actionable improvements that reduce cost, improve reliability, and enhance customer outcomes.

** Work Location*
* This position has been designated as fully remote in the U.S.

** Quality Program Overview*
* The Supply Chain Operations Manager establishes an end-to-end hardware quality management system across the full lifecycle (new, used, and repaired equipment). The program focuses on improving reliability and customer outcomes by reducing Dead on Arrival (DOA), operational failures, and repair No Trouble Found (NTF), while increasing visibility, traceability, and supplier accountability. The core deliverables are clear quality standards, measurable KPIs at the part level, a governance cadence that drives decisions, and a closed-loop corrective action process that turns quality signals into sustained improvements.

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** Measure:
** Define and track part-level lifecycle metrics (install DOA, spares DOA, operational failure rate, MTBF, repair NTF) segmented by new/used/repaired and by supplier/repair vendor.

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** Review:
** Run a recurring governance cadence (weekly ops triage + monthly deep dive + quarterly executive review) to prioritize issues, approve corrective actions, and remove blockers.

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** Resolve:
** Use a standard closed-loop workflow for issue escalation, root cause analysis (RCA), corrective and preventive actions (CAPA), and validation that fixes are effective.

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** Improve:
** Influence upstream changes (engineering standards, sourcing/contract terms, repair strategies, inventory disposition) based on measured outcomes.

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** Communicate:
** Publish clear leadership-ready reporting that highlights risks, trends, top offenders, actions in flight, and realized operational/financial impact.

** Success in this roll:*
* + Clear visibility into hardware quality performance by part and supplier.

+ Reduced DOA, failure, and NTF rates through targeted actions.

+ Improved supplier accountability and traceability at the serial number level.

+ Strong alignment between Supply Chain, Service Assurance, Engineering, Service Delivery, and Field Operations on quality priorities.

+ A scalable quality program model adopted across all suppliers

** The Main Responsibilities*
* ** Quality Program Management*
* + Design, implement, and manage an end-to-end hardware quality program covering new, used, and repaired equipment.

+ Establish program objectives, success metrics, governance cadence, and continuous improvement roadmap.

+ Own program outcomes, including quality performance trends, root cause identification, corrective actions, and measurable results.

+ Establish regular, effective communication with stakeholders and senior leadership to drive program forward.

** Quality Metrics & Analytics*
* Define, track and report quality metrics at the part level across the lifecycle, including but not limited to:

+ Install DOA (Dead on Arrival) rates - new, used, and repaired

+ Operational failure rates

+ MTBF (Mean Time Between Failure)

+ Spares DOA rates - new, used, and repaired

+ Repair NTF (No Trouble Found) rates

+ Analyze trends to identify high risk parts, systemic issues, and supplier or process gaps.

+ Translate data into clear insights and recommendations for leadership and stakeholders.

** Cross-Functional Collaboration*
* Act as the central quality program liaison across:

+ NETS - network performance and reliability insights

+ Service Assurance - operational failure trends and field impact

+ Engineering / Planning - design, standards, and part performance

+ Service Delivery - installation readiness, on‑time…