Quality Assurance/Quality Control Manager (Baton Rouge)

Quality Assurance/Quality Control Manager

Full-Time | On-site | Baton Rouge, LA

Our client isn't your typical HVAC installer — they engineer and validate highly specialized environmental control equipment built for the most demanding facilities in the country, including data centers, industrial sites, and other high-consequence environments where failure is not an option.

The QA/QC Manager will lead the quality team while working closely with Production, Engineering, Testing, Supply Chain, and Operations to improve product quality, reduce rework, strengthen accountability, and build sustainable quality processes as the company continues to grow.

This is a hands-on leadership role for someone who is comfortable being on the manufacturing floor, identifying problems, and developing practical solutions.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and manage the QA/QC team, including Quality Inspectors and Quality Detail Technicians.
• Learn and evaluate current manufacturing processes to identify quality gaps, recurring defects, rework, and areas of risk.
• Develop, implement, and maintain quality assurance and quality control procedures throughout the manufacturing process.
• Establish quality checkpoints throughout production so defects are identified at the source rather than during final inspection or testing.
• Establish and manage the Non-Conformance Report (NCR) process, ensuring quality issues are documented, investigated, assigned, corrected, tracked, and properly closed.
• Track NCRs and quality trends to identify recurring problems by department, process, product, or type of defect.
• Lead root cause analysis for significant or recurring quality issues and work with appropriate departments to determine why failures occurred.
• Develop and implement Corrective and Preventive Actions (CAPA ) to eliminate repeat quality failures.
• Create and improve quality procedures, SOPs, work instructions, inspection processes, checklists, and documentation based on actual manufacturing issues and lessons learned.
• Conduct and oversee in-process and final inspections of manufactured equipment.
• Ensure completed units meet engineering drawings, specifications, customer requirements, and established quality standards.
• Review drawings, bills of materials, work instructions, and specifications to ensure quality requirements are clearly understood and followed.
• Partner with Production leadership to reduce defects and rework and improve first-pass quality.
• Work closely with Engineering to resolve drawing, design, specification, and manufacturing discrepancies.
• Coordinate with Supply Chain and Purchasing regarding supplier quality issues and non-conforming materials.
• Support Testing and Commissioning by ensuring units are properly inspected and documented before and during testing.
• Review rework and failure data to determine where additional training, process changes, engineering clarification, or accountability may be needed.
• Develop and monitor quality KPIs, including NCRs, repeat defects, rework, first-pass yield, corrective action closure, and other appropriate quality metrics.
• Train employees and supervisors on quality expectations, workmanship standards, inspection requirements, and quality procedures.
• Conduct or support internal quality audits and ensure corrective actions are completed.
• Promote a culture where quality is built into the manufacturing process rather than inspected only at the end.
• Perform other duties as assigned to support company operations and continued growth.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of quality assurance, quality control, or manufacturing quality experience preferred.
• Previous supervisory or management experience in a manufacturing environment strongly preferred.
• Experience developing or improving a Quality Management System (QMS) strongly preferred.
• Experience managing NCRs, corrective actions, CAPA, and root cause analysis.
• Working knowledge of quality improvement tools such as 5 Whys, Root Cause Analysis, Corrective Action, and Continuous Improvement.
• Experience with industrial equipment, HVAC systems, electrical systems, fabrication, or similar manufacturing environments preferred.
• Ability to read and interpret engineering drawings, specifications, schematics, and manufacturing documentation.
• Experience developing SOPs, work instructions, inspection procedures, checklists, and quality documentation.
• Strong problem-solving and analytical skills with the ability to identify trends and translate findings into process improvements.
• Strong leadership skills with the ability to establish accountability while working collaboratively across departments.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and experience with ERP or quality management systems preferred.

Physical Requirements

• Ability to work in both office and manufacturing environments.
• Ability to stand and walk throughout the manufacturing facility for extended periods.
• Ability to inspect equipment and components in various stages of production.
• Ability to bend, reach, climb, and access equipment as necessary to perform inspections.
• Ability to work in hot and cold manufacturing conditions as required.

What Success Looks Like

Success in this role means developing a quality system that does more than identify defects. The QA/QC Manager will help our client understand where quality problems are occurring, why they are occurring, and what processes need to change to prevent them from happening again.

The goal is to reduce NCRs, repeat defects and rework, improve first-pass quality, strengthen manufacturing processes, and ensure quality expectations are consistently followed from the beginning of production through final testing and shipment.

The QA/QC Manager will play a critical role in supporting our client's continued growth while ensuring our Mission Critical and Explosion Proof HVAC systems are manufactured with the quality, precision, and reliability our customers expect.