Head of Quality, Tate Americas

Job Description

Job Description

Job Type : Full-Time, Exempt 

Duration of role : Permanent 

Number of Position : 1 

Reporting to : Global Head of Compliance, Health & Safety and Quality 

Location : Columbia, MD

About Us  

At Tate, we are passionate about everything we do. As an independent brand operating within Kingspan Group, a global plc group of companies, Tate has been recognized worldwide as an industry leader in the development and manufacture of data center infrastructure solutions and commercial office raised access floors, for over 60 years.  With revenues of over $600m and growing, Tate plays a pivotal role in offering expertise in cutting edge design engineering to craft solutions, by working collaboratively with clients as a trusted partner.   

Tate continues to grow and expand, operating multiple manufacturing and commercial sites across the US, Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and Australia. We are excited about our fresh, dynamic, and inclusive team of experts working on new innovations and forward-thinking designs, as we remain a market leading player within our industry. We continue to invest heavily in the best available manufacturing tools and equipment needed to adhere to Tate’s world class standards and in keeping with our Planet Passionate sustainability strategy, our focus is on having minimal climate impact.  

We are excited by potentially welcoming you as part of our team as we continue to grow on a worldwide scale. 

About the Role   

The US Head of Quality provides strategic leadership of the quality management function across all US manufacturing sites, ensuring products manufactured for data-centre applications consistently meet customer specifications, regulatory standards and internal quality benchmarks. This role is accountable for the deployment and governance of the Quality Management System (ISO 9001) across US operations, the development of Site Quality Managers, the integrity of supplier quality, and the effective close-out of quality non-conformances. Working closely with the US Head of Compliance, Site General Managers, Engineering and Supply Chain, the role holder will drive a culture of Zero Defects, First-Time-Right, and continuous improvement through Lean and Six Sigma methodologies. The role is a key member of the Global Quality, Compliance & Health & Safety leadership team and supports the delivery of the Quality & Compliance Pyramid across all US sites. 

What You’ll Do

Quality Management System Leadership

• Own and continually improve the US Quality Management System aligned to ISO 9001 and customer-specific requirements. 
• Ensure consistent deployment of quality procedures, work instructions, Inspection & Test Plans and control plans across all US sites. 
• Provide quarterly reporting on QMS maturity, system performance and external audit readiness. 
• Act as the principal quality signatory for US operations at Management Review. 
• Ensure calibration programs, nonconforming material controls and change-control processes operate effectively across all sites.   

Site Quality Leadership & People Development

• Lead, coach and develop Site Quality Managers, Quality Engineers and Quality Supervisors across US sites. 
• Establish clear objectives, capability frameworks and development plans for the US quality community. 
• Drive a culture of accountability, cross-site collaboration and high performance within the quality function. 
• Own succession planning and technical competence development including AWS CWI, AWS CWS, AMPP, Six Sigma and internal auditor certifications. 
• Champion a Zero Defects mindset and psychological safety for raising quality concerns. 

Supplier Quality & Incoming Material Control

• Govern the supplier quality program across US operations, including supplier qualification, PPAP / First Article Inspection, supplier audits and Supplier Corrective Action Requests. 
• Ensure robust incoming goods inspection, control of externally provided processes, and supplier performance reporting. 
• Drive measurable reduction in supplier-driven non-conformances, line stops and rework cost. 
• Partner with Supply Chain leadership to align supplier strategy, approved vendor lists and commercial terms with quality expectations. 

Welding, Fabrication & Coating Process Quality

• Own the welding qualification program (WPS, PQR, WPQ) to AWS D1.1 / D1.3 and applicable customer standards for structural steel and hot aisle containment products. 
• Own the coating qualification program to AMPP (NACE/SSPC) requirements, including surface preparation, DFT, adhesion and cure. 
• Establish in-process inspection regimes (VT, DFT, dimensional) and statistical process control across fabrication, welding and paint processes. 
• Ensure capable, calibrated inspection equipment, traceable measurement systems and robust Measurement System Analysis. 

Non-Conformance, CAPA & Continuous Improvement

• Govern the US non-conformance and CAPA program, ensuring root cause rigor, effectiveness verification and closure discipline. 
• Drive Lean, 5S and Six Sigma improvement activities focused on defect prevention and reduction of Cost of Poor Quality. 
• Establish and track regional quality KPIs and performance dashboards: DPPM, first-pass yield, customer complaints, scrap and rework cost, audit score. 
• Lead quality improvement initiatives linked to the Quality & Compliance Pyramid Action Plan.  

Customer Quality & External Audit Face-off

• Serve as senior quality representative for hyperscale customer audits, Factory Acceptance Tests and customer site visits. 
• Manage customer quality escalations, 8D responses and corrective-action delivery with rigor and pace. 
• Ensure customer-specific requirements are captured in quality plans, control plans and inspection regimes at site level. 
• Partner with Sales, Commercial and Estimating teams on quality-related tender qualification and customer onboarding. 

Governance & Reporting

• Provide monthly quality performance reports to the Global Head of Quality, Compliance & Health & Safety. 
• Support Management Reviews, internal audits and external ISO 9001 surveillance and recertification audits. 
• Ensure quality risks are identified, quantified and escalated appropriately within the US operation. 
• Maintain regional ownership of Management of Change impacting product quality, process qualification or inspection regimes. 

Additional Expectations 

• Remain compliant with the Code of Conduct and Policies which includes the Kingspan Group Compliance Policy. 
• Ensure that all duties related to product compliance are adhered to in accordance with the Product Compliance Policy, Laws, Regulations, and market demands. 
• Responsible for all tasks to achieve compliance goals and demands of the Compliance Management System. 
• Must raise concerns related to the Compliance Management System to their supervisor, manager, or any member of the Leadership Team, or through the confidential whistle blower service. 

What You’ll Bring  

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Quality Management or related technical discipline; advanced degree preferred. 

• Minimum 10 years of progressive quality experience in a manufacturing environment, including at least 5 years leading multi-site operations. 

• Proven leadership of Quality Managers or equivalent senior roles across multiple sites. 

• Lead auditor qualification in ISO 9001 required; additional qualification in ISO 37301 or ISO 14001 desirable.