Quality Manager- West Tennessee

Quality Manager

Location:

West Tennessee (onsite)

The Quality Manager will provide full leadership and management of the site's Quality Assurance and Control system. This role is accountable for ensuring the plant meets all customer, internal/external, and regulatory quality requirements during the transition, ramp-up, and mass production phases, and for building a culture of efficiency, compliance, and continuous improvement. Serving as the strategic link between customers and the global quality team, this position holds ultimate management responsibility for product/process/system quality to achieve performance excellence and customer satisfaction.

• Establish, implement, and maintain the plant's comprehensive Quality Management System, ensuring compliance with standards such as ISO 9001 and IATF 16949.
• Lead the quality team (including engineers, inspectors, etc.), responsible for team building, goal setting, performance management, and professional development.
• Develop and manage the quality department's budget, resource planning, and annual business objectives.

• Oversee end-to-end quality control activities (incoming, in-process, final), ensuring product quality stability and consistency.
• Lead investigations and resolutions for major non-conformances, customer complaints, and systemic quality issues, driving root cause analysis and implementation of preventive actions.
• Drive the implementation of VDA 6.3 process audit requirements, and supervise the execution of process documentation (Process Flow Diagram, PFMEA, Control Plan) and work instructions on the production floor.
• Establish a Key Quality Indicator monitoring system, using data analytics to drive continuous improvement in production processes.

• Act as the primary point of contact for customer quality, managing audits, quality agreements, and performance reporting.
• Lead responses to quality requirements and audits from existing and potential customers (such as battery manufacturers, automotive OEMs, and energy storage industry customers).
• Manage supplier quality, including assessment, auditing, problem tracking and resolution, and performance improvement to ensure supply chain quality levels.

• Map out the quality control touchpoints across the entire process for packaging (including ISO tanks and IBC totes), establish cleaning standards and oversee their implementation, and lead the investigation and improvement of packaging anomalies.

• Oversee the daily management of the quality control laboratory, including safety, equipment, materials, and document archiving, ensuring the accuracy and reliability of test data.
• Review inspection standards and testing methods, and organize training and competency comparison for inspection personnel.

• Lead the plant's internal audit program and prepare for/host customer and third-party audits.
• Ensure plant operations comply with all relevant quality regulations.
• Identify and manage quality-related business risks, developing contingency plans.

• During the acquisition integration phase, lead the migration, integration, and optimization of the quality system for a smooth transition.
• Collaborate closely with global quality, R&D, technical process, and supply chain teams to drive cross-functional quality projects and initiatives.
• Foster a culture of quality and enhance organization-wide quality awareness.

• Bachelor's degree or higher in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Materials Science, or a related engineering field (Master's or MBA preferred).
• 8+ years of experience in manufacturing quality management, with at least 3 years in a quality department head or manager role.
• Preferably with quality management experience in the chemical industry, specifically with liquid chemicals or battery materials.
• Proficient in ISO 9001 and IATF 16949, familiar with VDA 6.3; skilled in applying core tools such as APQP, PPAP, FMEA, MSA, SPC, and 8D; extensive experience with internal and external audits.

• Leadership:
  Excellent skills in team management, motivation, and development, with the ability to lead teams to achieve goals under change and pressure.
• Strategic Thinking:
  Ability to develop quality strategies and translate them into actionable plans that support business objectives.
• Problem-Solving:
  Proficient in using quality tools (8D, A3, 5
  
  Why) to address complex quality issues, with decisive decision-making ability.
• Communication & Influence:
  Exceptional cross-functional communication and coordination skills, effective in engaging with all levels, including senior management and customers.

• Adaptable to working in a multinational, cross-cultural environment