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Description
General Summary and Purpose:
The Quality Manager is a hands-on leader responsible for developing the Quality team, driving measurable quality improvements, and maintaining an effective quality management system. This position requires daily onsite presence and active involvement throughout manufacturing operations, working directly with employees to understand problems, strengthen processes, and improve results.
Working closely with Production, Engineering, Supply Chain, and Service, the Quality Manager leads efforts to prevent defects, improve first-pass yield, reduce scrap and rework, and resolve customer and supplier quality issues. Supplier quality is a significant responsibility, including establishing measurable supplier performance systems and leading improvement initiatives.
This role owns follow-through from problem identification and containment through corrective action and verification of sustained results. Success requires clear expectations, employee development, disciplined follow-up, and accountability for improvements that prevent recurring problems.
Duties and Responsibilities:
Lead, coach, and develop assigned Quality personnel, establishing clear responsibilities, performance expectations, and daily priorities.
Maintain a visible presence on the production floor and provide hands-on guidance in inspection, troubleshooting, problem-solving, and quality decisions.
Assess team capabilities and establish individual development plans, training priorities, and cross-training to strengthen department skills and coverage.
Develop employee capabilities in technical inspection, data analysis, root cause investigation, auditing, and corrective action.
Foster a team that takes ownership, communicates concerns early, and follows commitments through completion.
Evaluate staffing, equipment, and resource needs and recommend improvements that support department effectiveness.
Lead quality improvement initiatives that reduce defects, scrap, rework, and customer complaints while improving first-pass yield and product consistency.
Work directly with Production and Engineering to observe processes, inspect parts, review failed products, and identify sources of variation and failure.
Establish and maintain incoming, in-process, and final inspection requirements with appropriate acceptance criteria and documented results.
Lead containment of quality issues and ensure nonconforming materials and products are identified, controlled, and dispositioned through approved processes.
Lead structured root cause investigations using data, direct observation, testing, and employee input.
Establish corrective action plans with assigned owners, completion dates, measurable outcomes, and effectiveness checks.
Support new product introductions and engineering changes by reviewing quality risks, inspection readiness, and acceptance requirements.
Maintain detailed customer complaints records
Lead supplier quality initiatives in partnership with Supply Chain and Engineering to improve the quality and consistency of purchased materials and components.
Establish and maintain measurable supplier quality systems, including scorecards, defect tracking, corrective action status, and performance reviews.
Verify supplier corrective action effectiveness through inspection results, subsequent deliveries, and follow-up reviews.
Work with suppliers and internal teams to clarify specifications, acceptance criteria, inspection methods, and change requirements.
Maintain and improve the quality management system to support applicable ISO 9001, customer, and company requirements.
Oversee quality procedures, document control, quality records, and consistent implementation of established processes.
Partner with Service and Engineering to investigate customer complaints, returned products, and warranty trends.
Translate customer and field failure findings into corrective actions and measurable product and process improvements.
Other Duties
Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice.
Requirements
Job Requirements:
Ability to provide daily onsite leadership and actively support manufacturing operations.
Strong coaching and team development skills, with the ability to establish expectations and hold employees accountable.
Demonstrated ability to lead practical improvements and follow actions through to verified, sustained results.
Excellent communication and presentation skills with the ability to influence suppliers and internal teams.
Ability to interpret engineering drawings, specifications, inspection requirements, and technical documentation.
Working knowledge of manufacturing quality controls, inspection methods, measurement systems, and calibration practices.
Effective communication skills and the ability to work constructively with employees, leadership, suppliers, and customers.
Sound judgment and the ability to make objective quality decisions based on evidence and established requirements.
Ability to balance immediate production needs with longer-term quality improvements and team development.
Ability to work throughout manufacturing facilities, including periods of standing and walking, with or without reasonable accommodation.
Ability to travel to supplier or customer locations as needed.
Flexible schedule to support operational coverage, audits, and urgent quality concerns.
Job Specifications:
Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Industrial Tech, Business Management, or a related field.
Five or more years of progressive quality experience in a manufacturing environment.
Demonstrated experience leading measurable improvements in manufacturing quality and preventing recurring defects.
Experience maintaining and improving an ISO 9001 quality management system and supporting internal and external audits.
Working knowledge of statistical process control, process capability, and measurement system analysis preferred.