Director of Quality and Reliability

Summary

In this role, the Director of Quality and Reliability will be reporting to the Vice President of Supply Chain and Quality. The incumbent will provide strategic leadership and operational oversight for the Quality organization within Fuel Cell Energy, driving quality excellence across design, development, manufacturing, suppliers and customers. This high‑impact role fosters a zero‑defect culture and ensures strict compliance with standards.

The Director of Quality and Reliability will architect and lead the Fuel Cell Energy Quality System, embedding world‑class quality practices across engineering, manufacturing, suppliers and field operations. This leader will ensure that Fuel Cell Energy products meet the highest standards of reliability, safety and performance as the company scales manufacturing and deploys next‑generation distributed power systems globally.

• Lead the Quality team (manufacturing, fleet and product), including talent acquisition, development, mentoring and performance management of quality engineers, inspectors and assurance professionals.
• Lead and maintain the Quality Management Systems (QMS), including policies, procedures and governance.
• Embed Design for Quality and Design for Manufacturing principles into product development processes, ensuring reliability, manufacturability and lifecycle performance of Fuel Cell Energy platforms.
• Lead deep technical root cause investigations across mechanical, electrical, thermal and chemical domains to eliminate systemic failure modes rather than implement temporary containment actions.
• Shift the organization from inspection‑based quality to process‑based quality, ensuring defects are prevented through process design, control plans and statistical process control.
• Establish a robust supplier quality system including supplier qualification, incoming quality control, process audits and supplier development programs.
• Integrate fleet performance and field reliability data into the product quality system, ensuring real‑world operating data informs design improvements and manufacturing process control.
• Develop and deploy quality strategies, policies and processes to deliver world‑class performance in full compliance with ISO 9001 and industry standards.
• Direct end‑to‑end quality activities: planning, supplier quality, product verification/validation, nonconformance management, root cause analysis (e.g., 8D, PFMEA, Six Sigma), and corrective/preventive actions using statistical and lean tools.
• Champion continuous improvement (Lean, Six Sigma) to enhance first‑time yield, reduce defects and lower cost of poor quality across business.
• Integrate quality requirements into all business phases—from proposal to sustenance—partnering closely with Engineering, Program Management, Supply Chain and Manufacturing.
• Lead internal/external audits, source inspections and interactions with quality assurance representatives (QARs).
• Drive root cause analysis, corrective and preventative actions (CAPA), and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Partner with Operations, Engineering, Supply Chain and Commercial teams to improve quality, cost and delivery.
• Define, track and report key quality metrics/KPIs to senior leadership and contribute to mission success and risk reviews.
• Drive improvements in first‑pass yield, defects per unit, cost of poor quality, reliability metrics, warranty costs and supplier PPM.
• Identify and mitigate quality risks.
• Promote a culture of accountability, innovation and mission focus while ensuring compliance with regulations.
• Establish a stop‑the‑line culture, empowering teams to halt production when quality standards are not met.

• Be self‑aware, lead by example and drive the organization’s performance with a continuous‑improvement attitude.
• Act transparently and consistently, always considering what is best for the organization.
• Build strong relationships, demonstrate emotional intelligence, and communicate clearly and persuasively to influence without authority.
• Inspire trust and followership through compelling influence, charisma and active drive.
• Up to 20% business…