Quality Manager

Quality Manager – Manufacturing

Location: Williamsburg, Michigan Area

Employment Type: Full-Time, Direct Hire

Pay: $90-110K plus relocation

Industry: Automotive Manufacturing

This role is not open to C2C or C2H candidates.

Position Summary

We are hiring a hands-on Quality Manager to lead quality operations and strengthen quality systems within a manufacturing environment. This is an opportunity for a quality professional who can improve day-to-day manufacturing quality while building the documentation, procedures, and controls needed to support long-term operational excellence.

A key priority will be developing and implementing a comprehensive quality manual and improving the organization's quality management system (QMS). The Quality Manager will lead a team of three quality professionals and work closely with production, engineering, operations, customers, and suppliers to improve product quality, ensure compliance, and drive continuous improvement.

Experience in automotive manufacturing is highly valued, particularly plastic injection molding. Candidates with strong automotive quality systems experience and knowledge of IATF 16949 are encouraged to apply.

Key Responsibilities

Quality Systems and Compliance

• Develop, document, implement, and maintain the company's quality manual and quality management system.
• Evaluate existing processes, identify gaps, and establish standardized quality procedures, work instructions, and controls.
• Support compliance with applicable automotive quality standards, including IATF 16949.
• Conduct internal audits, address nonconformances, and implement corrective and preventive actions.
• Establish risk assessment and mitigation processes to prevent recurring quality issues.

Manufacturing Quality and Continuous Improvement

• Oversee APQP, PPAP, product validation, and related quality activities.
• Lead root cause analysis, 8D problem-solving, and corrective actions for internal and customer quality concerns.
• Monitor quality metrics and implement improvements to reduce defects, scrap, rework, and customer complaints.
• Partner with production and engineering to strengthen process controls and product quality.
• Support dimensional inspection, CMM activities, and product testing as needed.
• Apply lean manufacturing and continuous improvement principles.

Team Leadership and Collaboration

• Lead, coach, and develop three quality team members.
• Establish departmental priorities, performance expectations, and accountability.
• Collaborate with production, engineering, and operations to integrate quality requirements into manufacturing processes.
• Provide quality training and promote a culture of quality throughout the organization.
• Coordinate with materials and production teams on packaging, handling, and product preservation.

Customer and Supplier Quality

• Serve as a key contact for customer quality concerns, investigations, corrective actions, and resolution.
• Support customer audits, quality reviews, and corrective action requests.
• Manage supplier quality issues, part submissions, and approval activities.
• Maintain IMDS submissions and related quality documentation.
• Ensure customer and supplier requirements are effectively implemented and maintained.

Required Qualifications

• 7+ years demonstrated experience in manufacturing quality assurance, quality control, or quality management.
• Experience developing, documenting, implementing, or significantly improving quality systems and procedures.
• Strong understanding of quality management principles, auditing, corrective action, and continuous improvement.
• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Quality, Manufacturing, or a related field is strongly preferred unless there is extensive directly related work experience.

Preferred Qualifications

• Automotive plastic injection molding quality experience.
• Automotive manufacturing quality leadership experience.
• Knowledge of IATF 16949 requirements, including implementation or maintenance of an aligned quality management system.
• Experience with APQP, PPAP, 8D, and other automotive quality tools.
• Experience creating a quality manual and preparing for internal, customer, or third-party audits.
• Supplier quality management and IMDS experience.
• Familiarity with CMM inspection, dimensional measurement, and product validation.

Ideal Candidate

The ideal candidate is a practical, proactive quality leader who can manage immediate manufacturing needs while building a more structured and sustainable quality system. They will be comfortable identifying process gaps, creating documentation from the ground up, coaching team members, and working collaboratively across the organization.

Candidates with automotive plastic injection molding experience are especially encouraged to apply. Strong quality professionals from other automotive manufacturing environments, including stamping, metal, or related plastics operations, will also be considered. Relevant experience and IATF 16949 expertise will be important factors in the selection process.

EOE (including Disability/Veterans)