Job Title: Quality ManagerJob DescriptionThe Quality Manager plans, coordinates, and directs all Quality Assurance and Quality Control activities to ensure manufactured products consistently meet customer, company, and industry requirements. This role provides strategic and hands-on leadership to the Quality Department, driving quality objectives, performance metrics, corrective and preventive actions, inspection processes, testing methodologies, compliance, and continuous improvement across a manufacturing environment. The position offers significant influence over the Quality organization, with visibility across manufacturing, engineering, operations, senior leadership, and customers, and plays a key role in supporting advanced manufacturing and modernization programs.
Responsibilities
- Establish and maintain quality objectives that align with corporate goals and overall business strategy.
- Lead, develop, and mentor Quality Department personnel, including Engineers, Inspectors, Technicians, and other quality staff.
- Utilize key performance indicators (KPIs) to monitor quality performance and implement corrective and improvement initiatives.
- Own and manage the Corrective and Preventive Action (CAPA) process, ensuring timely resolution of quality issues.
- Develop standards, procedures, and methodologies for inspection, testing, and evaluation of products and components.
- Oversee product and component inspection, testing, analysis, and all related quality activities within the manufacturing environment.
- Review engineering and design documentation to verify compliance with stated customer, company, and industry requirements.
- Review vendor quality documentation and internal company quality records to ensure adherence to quality standards.
- Represent the organization during customer visits, surveys, meetings, audits, and presentations related to quality.
- Analyze and review quality data to confirm compliance with company policies, procedures, and regulatory requirements.
- Escalate significant quality issues to senior leadership and drive effective corrective actions to closure.
- Prepare and present technical and program-level quality information to senior management and customers.
- Direct inspection and testing personnel to maintain control over materials, components, and finished products.
- Maintain current knowledge of applicable government and industry quality standards and requirements.
- Develop and deliver quality-related training programs to support employee development and compliance.
- Utilize PLEX ERP to manage and support quality activities, including documentation, tracking, and reporting.
- Lead employee development and training efforts within the Quality Department, including performance management and coaching.
- Manage work assignment, prioritization, and resource allocation for quality personnel to meet operational needs.
- Participate in interviewing and hiring of Quality Department employees to build a strong and capable team.
- Collaborate cross-functionally with manufacturing, engineering, program management, operations, supply chain, and customers to resolve quality issues and improve processes.
- Support continuous improvement initiatives, including Lean Manufacturing and other quality enhancement methodologies.
- Contribute to the establishment and tracking of Quality KPIs and support the development of Quality training programs.
Essential Skills
- 8+ years of experience in Quality Assurance, Quality Engineering, Quality Management, or a comparable discipline within a manufacturing environment.
- Minimum 2+ years of direct management experience leading employees in a manufacturing-focused Quality organization.
- Proven experience managing Quality Engineers, Inspectors, Technicians, or other quality personnel.
- Strong Quality Assurance and Quality Control background in a manufacturing setting, including inspection, testing, evaluation, and product quality processes.
- Hands-on proficiency with PLEX ERP, including the ability to navigate and utilize the system to support manufacturing and quality activities.
- Experience owning and driving CAPA (Corrective and Preventive Action) processes from issue identification through resolution and verification.
- Demonstrated ability to identify quality issues, determine root causes, implement corrective actions, and monitor effectiveness.
- Working knowledge of government and industry quality standards applicable to manufacturing operations.
- Experience representing Quality during customer meetings, audits, visits, presentations, and surveys.
- Comfort presenting technical and program-level quality information to senior management and customers.
- Strong skills in quality engineering, quality management systems (QMS), and overall quality management.
- Proficiency in root cause analysis and corrective action planning.
- Experience with quality documentation, inspection, testing and validation, and manufacturing quality processes.
- Demonstrated leadership skills, including employee development and training, performance management, work assignment and prioritization, interviewing and hiring, employee coaching and corrective action, cross-functional communication, and executive/customer presentations.
- Bachelors degree in Engineering, Management, Business, or a related discipline.
Additional Skills & Qualifications
- Experience in aerospace and defense manufacturing environments.
- background in military vehicle or ground vehicle manufacturing.
- Experience in automotive OEM or Tier 1 manufacturing.
- Familiarity with AS9100 quality management standards.
- Experience with IATF quality standards.
- Knowledge of ISO 9001 quality management systems.
- Understanding of government and Department of Defense (DoD) quality requirements.
- Internal or external audit experience, including planning and execution.
- Supplier quality experience, including supplier evaluation and performance monitoring.
- Experience with APQP (Advanced Product Quality Planning) and PPAP (Production Part Approval Process).
- Knowledge of PFMEA (Process Failure Mode and Effects Analysis) and Control Plans.
- Experience with Lean Manufacturing and continuous improvement methodologies.
- Six Sigma certification or equivalent process improvement credentials.
- ASQ certifications such as Certified Quality Engineer (CQE), Certified Quality Manager/Organizational Excellence (CQM/OE), or similar.
- Experience establishing and tracking Quality KPIs to drive performance and improvement.
- Experience developing and delivering Quality training programs for employees.
- Comfort working in a defense-oriented, advanced manufacturing environment supporting modernization programs.
Work EnvironmentThis role is based in Plymouth, Michigan in a manufacturing-focused Quality leadership position. The work environment is a combination of office, quality lab and inspection areas, and manufacturing floor activity. The Quality Manager interacts extensively with manufacturing, engineering, program management, operations, supply chain, customers, and senior leadership, and directly manages employees within the Quality Department. The position may occasionally require lifting up to 25 pounds and involves periodic standing, walking, sitting, reaching, and hands-on activities within the manufacturing environment. The setting is professional, collaborative, and focused on advanced manufacturing and continuous improvement, with regular cross-functional engagement and customer-facing responsibilities. Job Type & LocationThis is a Contract position based out of Sterling Heights, MI. Pay and BenefitsThe pay range for this position is $45.00 - $55.00/hr. Individual compensation offered for this position within this range will depend on many factors, including qualifications, skills, relevant experience, job knowledge, geographic location, internal equity, and other pertinent job-related factors.Eligibility requirements apply to some benefits and may depend on your job classification and length of employment. Benefits are subject to change and may be subject to specific elections, plan, or program terms. If eligible, the benefits
available for this temporary role may include the following:
Medical, dental & vision Critical Illness, Accident, and Hospital 401(k) Retirement Plan Pre-tax and Roth post-tax contributions available Life Insurance (Voluntary Life & AD&D for the employee and dependents) Short and long-term disability Health Spending Account (HSA) Transportation benefits Employee Assistance Program Time Off/Leave (PTO, Vacation or Sick Leave) Job Type & LocationThis is a Contract position based out of Sterling Heights, MI. Application DeadlineThis position is anticipated to close on Nov 11, 2026. Workplace TypeThis is a fully onsite position in Sterling Heights,MI.About Actalent
Actalent is a global leader in engineering and sciences services and talent solutions. We help visionary companies advance their engineering and science initiatives through access to specialized experts who drive scale, innovation and speed to market. With a network of almost 20,000 consultants and 5,000 clients across the U.S., Canada, Asia and Europe, Actalent serves many of the Fortune 500. We are proud to be an Engineering News-Record (ENR) Top 500 Design Firm for our engineering design services and a ClearlyRated Best of Staffing® winner for both client and talent service.
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Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, for all positions located in the city and county of San Francisco, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.
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