Quality Director

Job Description

Job Description

Position Summary:

The Quality Director reports to the Vice President of Operations & Quality and provides strategic direction and leadership for Quality Assurance (QA) and Quality Control (QC) across LaMotte's Newark, Delaware and Chestertown, Maryland facilities. This role owns the Quality Management System (QMS), maintains ISO 9001 compliance, and ensures products meet customer expectations, applicable regulatory requirements, and company quality standards. The Director translates business priorities into quality objectives and resource plans, develops quality talent, and establishes consistent practices across both sites. Working with Operations, Engineering, Supply Chain, R&D, and EHS, this leader drives effective problem solving, continuous improvement, and a culture of quality and customer satisfaction.

Job Responsibilities:

1. Strategic Direction

• Develop and maintain a three- to five-year quality strategy aligned with LaMotte's business objectives, manufacturing requirements, and customer expectations.
• Translate the strategy into annual quality objectives, resource plans, and improvement priorities; identify quality risks and recommend investments in people, processes, and testing capabilities.
• Advise executive leadership on quality performance, significant customer and supplier issues, and compliance risks; communicate progress and recommend changes.

2. Quality Leadership Across Both Facilities

• Direct QA and QC activities across Newark and Chestertown, balancing staffing, technical resources, and priorities with plant leadership while maintaining a regular presence at both sites.
• Lead, coach, and develop the QA/QC Compliance Manager, QC Managers, QC Supervisors, and QC Technicians; establish responsibilities, performance expectations, training, and succession plans.
• Standardize quality practices across both facilities and partner with Operations, Engineering, Supply Chain, R&D, and EHS to resolve significant product and process quality issues.

3. Ownership of the Quality Management System

• Own LaMotte's QMS across both facilities; maintain and continually improve ISO 9001 compliance through defined responsibilities, management reviews, and corrective actions.
• Oversee document control for procedures, work instructions, specifications, forms, and quality records; ensure current, approved documents are available where work is performed.
• Lead quality review and approval of engineering, manufacturing, and process changes through change management; ensure quality requirements are addressed before implementation.
• Direct internal, customer, and third-party audits; ensure readiness, timely closure of findings, and verification that corrective actions are effective.

4. Product Quality, Customer Satisfaction, and Supplier Quality

• Oversee QA and QC activities that verify manufactured products meet approved specifications; ensure consistent testing practices and effective, documented pass/fail decisions.
• Lead investigations of customer complaints, nonconformances, and quality escapes; coordinate containment and resolution, escalate significant concerns, and communicate findings and actions to customers and leadership as appropriate.
• Own the Corrective and Preventive Action (CAPA) process, including investigations, root cause analysis, action planning, implementation, and effectiveness verification.
• Oversee Supplier Corrective Action Requests (SCARs), monitor supplier quality performance, and partner with Supply Chain and Engineering to resolve recurring supplier issues.

5. Continuous Improvement and Quality Performance

• Lead the Quality Steering Committee, establish quality performance measures, and present trends in NCM, RMA, customer complaints, and corrective action effectiveness to leadership.
• Champion Lean Manufacturing, statistical process control (SPC), root cause analysis, and quality-focused improvement projects; attend Lean Gemba walks and verify sustained results.
• Partner with the Director of Engineering and value-stream leaders within LaMotte's Operational Excellence (OpEx) process to prioritize quality improvements, reduce scrap and rework, and strengthen employee problem-solving capability.

Qualifications / Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree in engineering, chemistry, quality, manufacturing, industrial technology, or a related technical discipline; equivalent experience considered.
• 10 or more years of progressively responsible manufacturing quality experience, including at least 5 years leading quality teams and QMS processes. Multi-site leadership experience preferred.
• Demonstrated success developing quality strategies, maintaining ISO 9001 compliance, and delivering measurable improvements in product quality and customer satisfaction.
• Hands-on experience with CAPA, SCARs, document control, change management, internal and external audits, root cause analysis, SPC, and continuous improvement.
• ASQ CMQ/OE, CQE, ISO 9001 Auditor, and/or Lean Six Sigma Belt certifications are a plus.
• Strong technical, analytical, and organizational skills; ability to interpret quality data, evaluate product and process performance, and manage competing priorities.
• Ability to lead cross-functional teams, develop people, and communicate quality risks, technical recommendations, and business results effectively to employees, customers, suppliers, and executive leadership.

Miscellaneous

Lead by example, maintain company confidentiality, and comply with all company policies. Escalate significant production, equipment, safety, personnel, and quality issues and coordinate timely resolution. Identify training needs and support knowledge sharing across both facilities. Assist other departments as needed and perform other duties consistent with the role as assigned.

Environmental Factors & Mental / Physical Demands

Work is performed in office, manufacturing, and temperature-controlled laboratory areas, with potential exposure to operating equipment, chemicals, powders, and testing solutions; training and required protective equipment are provided. The role requires regular travel between Newark and Chestertown and other travel as needed. Laboratory work may include tasks in a fume hood or near ventilation equipment.

Requires standing, walking, sitting, bending, reaching, and lifting up to 50 lbs. during laboratory and material-handling activities; ability to distinguish colors for tests involving color changes or comparisons; and use of required personal protective equipment, including task-specific respiratory protection when required. Maintain accuracy when reviewing detailed records, follow written procedures, manage competing priorities, and make timely quality and business decisions.

Work-life and Culture:

LaMotte Company, a 100+ year-old global industry leader in developing and manufacturing premier water analysis solutions, operating in Newark, DE, Chestertown, MD and Warwick, UK. Our products are used around the world to accurately, quickly, and conveniently test water in a multitude of applications.

LaMotte relies on the success of our employees and are committed to supporting their growth. We offer competitive pay, along with performance-based increases. LaMotte offers a range of different shifts such as mornings, afternoons, evenings, and 12-hour shifts between both facilities to fit employee’s needs. LaMotte offers paid time off including vacation, sick leave, and paid holidays. We have several employee events including holiday events, employee appreciation events, community events, employee engagement, etc.

Full-time employees, who regularly work at least 30 hours per week, are eligible for employer-provided insurance including health, dental, vision, disability, life insurance, and supplemental insurance. Full-time employees are eligible to contribute to our 401(k) plan with an employer match available.

LaMotte is committed to a policy of Equal Employment Opportunity and will not discriminate against an applicant or employee on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, national origin or ancestry, sex, age, disability, military status, genetic information, sexual orientation, or any other legally recognized protected basis under federal, state, or local laws.