Quality Manager

Position Summary

The Quality Manager is responsible for owning and driving the Quality Management System (QMS) at the facility to ensure products and processes meet internal standards, customer requirements, and applicable regulations. This role provides hands‑on leadership for inspection, corrective action, internal audits, customer issue response, supplier quality, and continuous improvement.

The Quality Manager is both strategic and on the ground: they develop process, train people, and verify that the process is being followed.

• Maintain and improve the site’s Quality Management System in alignment with current ISO 9001 standards.
• Ensure procedures, forms, work instructions, and records are controlled, current, and followed.
• Plan, schedule, and lead internal audits; ensure findings are closed with effective corrective actions.
• Prepare for and support external (customer / certification) audits.

• Oversee incoming, in-process, and final inspection activities to ensure conformance to drawings/specs, labeling, packaging, and customer requirements.
• Make accept / reject decisions for nonconforming product and drive containment on suspect material.
• Ensure inspection tools (gauges, measuring devices, etc.) are available, calibrated, and used correctly.
• Implement and enforce visual standards, critical-to-quality (CTQ) checkpoints, and first-article / first-piece approval requirements.

• Lead root cause analysis and corrective action for internal defects, customer complaints, field issues, and audit findings.
• Ensure teams are solving the problem, not just sorting/reworking/inspecting around it.
• Track effectiveness of corrective actions and escalated repeat failures.
• Communicate status and risk to leadership and (when required) directly to customers.

• Participate in supplier qualification, performance reviews, and ongoing scorecards.
• Coordinate incoming inspection criteria and hold suppliers accountable for nonconforming material.
• Issue supplier corrective actions and verify closure.

• Partner with Production, Engineering, and Operations to prevent defects at the source through mistake‑proofing, standard work, visual controls, and training.
• Monitor scrap, rework, returns, and delivery defects; create and present trend reports and cost-of-poor-quality data.
• Drive improvement projects tied to safety, quality, delivery, and cost (6S, standardization, etc.).
• Champion "build it right the first time" culture on the floor.

• Directly supervise Quality Technicians / Inspectors.
• Coach supervisors and leads on quality expectations, documentation discipline, and escalation paths.
• Serve as the quality voice in daily production meetings.

• 3+ years experience in quality, manufacturing, fabrication, assembly, engineering, or related environment.
• 2+ years in a leadership/supervisory role (lead, supervisor, manager, etc.).
• Working knowledge of current ISO 9001 standard and internal auditing.
• Demonstrated experience with nonconformance control, corrective action, and root cause analysis.
• Ability to read and interpret engineering drawings, specifications, tolerances, bills of material, and work instructions.
• Strong communication skills: can push back professionally, document clearly, and communicate issues to operators, engineers, customers, and executives.
• Proficiency in basic data tools (Excel, SharePoint, ERP/MRP/Inventory systems).

• Prior responsibility for leading an ISO 9001 audit or customer audit.
• Familiarity with gauge calibration systems, first article inspection (FAI), PPAP-type documentation, or customer approval processes.
• Experience with supplier management and incoming inspection of purchased components (domestic and offshore).
• Knowledge of lean / 6S / visual factory concepts.
• Ability to quantify and present cost of poor quality (scrap, rework, returns, chargebacks).