Director of Quality

Job Description

Job Description

DIRECTOR OF QUALITY – AUTOMOTIVE MANUFACTURING  

About our client: Our client is a manufacturer and supplier of engineered parts & components to Fortune 500 & 1000 companies including OEMs and Tier 1 companies globally. Our client is a highly regarded machining and assembly supplier to automotive, marine, heavy truck, telecommunications, agriculture, electronics, hydraulics, lighting, medical, furniture, oil and gas, mining, power generations, material handling and many other industries. It supplies engineering components including battery trays and frames for hydrogen as well as the electric vehicle industry. 

Higher Talent Group values its reputation for finding high-quality people, which is why we will conduct a screening to determine if this is a good fit for you. We will share further details such as the culture, how progression works within the company, etc. 

SUMMARY OF POSITION  

The Director of Quality is responsible for leading the company’s overall quality strategy, quality management systems, and quality performance across manufacturing operations. This position provides strategic and operational leadership to ensure products and processes consistently meet or exceed customer, regulatory, and internal quality requirements. 

The Director of Quality will drive a culture of prevention, continuous improvement, and accountability while partnering closely with Operations, Engineering, Supply Chain, Sales, and key automotive customers. 

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES  

The essential duties and responsibilities of this position are listed below. This list is not all-inclusive and may be amended from time to time 

Quality Leadership & Strategy 

• Develop and execute the company’s quality strategy and objectives in alignment with overall business goals. 
• Establish quality performance targets, KPIs, and improvement plans across manufacturing operations. 
• Lead, develop, and mentor the quality organization, including managers, engineers, technicians, and inspectors. 
• Promote a proactive, prevention-based quality culture throughout the organization. 
• Report quality performance, risks, and improvement initiatives to executive leadership. 

Customer Quality  

• Serve as the senior quality contact for major automotive customers. 
• Maintain strong customer relationships and ensure customer specific requirements are understood and consistently met. 
• Lead customer complaints, quality escalations, containment activities, and corrective actions. 
• Ensure timely and effective resolution of customer concerns using structured problem-solving methodologies. 
• Monitor customer scorecards and develop action plans to improve customer quality performance. 

Quality Management Systems 

• Maintain and continuously improve the company’s Quality Management System. 
• Ensure compliance with IATF 16949, ISO 9001, customer-specific requirements, and applicable regulatory standards. 
• Lead internal, customer, and third-party quality audits. 
• Ensure effective management of quality documentation, procedures, records, and controls. 
• Maintain organizational readiness for certification and surveillance audits. 

Manufacturing & Process Quality 

• Establish robust process controls to prevent defects and reduce process variation. 
• Oversee APQP, PPAP, PFMEA, Control Plans, MSA, SPC, and related quality planning activities. 
• Partner with Manufacturing and Engineering to improve process capability and reduce scrap, rework, and warranty costs. 
• Ensure effective incoming, in-process, and final inspection systems. 
• Use data and statistical analysis to identify trends and prioritize improvement opportunities. 

Supplier Quality 

• Provide leadership and direction for supplier quality performance. 
• Establish supplier quality expectations, standards, and performance metrics. 
• Oversee supplier corrective actions, audits, development, and escalation activities. 
• Partner with Purchasing and Engineering to resolve chronic supplier quality issues. 
• Support new supplier qualification and new product launch activities. 

Continuous Improvement 

• Lead companywide quality improvement initiatives using Lean, Six Sigma, Kaizen, and structured problem solving methodologies. 
• Establish root cause analysis and corrective action standards using tools such as 8D, DMAIC, 5 Whys, Ishikawa, and mistake-proofing. 
• Drive measurable reductions in defects, scrap, rework, customer complaints, and warranty exposure. 
• Establish a culture of data-driven decision making and continuous improvement. 

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS 

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Quality, Manufacturing, or a related technical field. 
• 10+ years of progressive experience in automotive manufacturing quality. 
• 5+ years of leadership experience managing quality teams and functions. 
• Strong knowledge of IATF 16949 and automotive customer-specific requirements. 
• Extensive experience with APQP, PPAP, PFMEA, Control Plans, SPC, MSA, and 8D problem solving. 
• Demonstrated experience managing customer and third party audits. 
• Strong understanding of manufacturing processes, process capability, and statistical quality methods. 
• Proven experience leading cross-functional teams and major quality improvement initiatives. 
• Excellent communication, analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills. 

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS  

• Master’s degree in Engineering, Quality, Business, or a related field. 
• ASQ Certified Quality Engineer, Certified Manager of Quality/Operational Excellence, or Six Sigma certification. 
• Experience working with multiple automotive OEMs and Tier 1 customers. 
• Experience implementing or transforming an IATF 16949 Quality Management System. 
• Experience with Lean Manufacturing and operational excellence programs. 
• Strong knowledge of automotive warranty and customer quality systems. 

KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS  

• Success in this position will be measured through improvements in: 
• Customer PPM and customer scorecard performance 
• Internal defect rates and first pass yield 
• Scrap and rework costs 
• Warranty and customer-return costs 
• Supplier quality performance 
• Customer complaints and corrective-action closure 
• Audit performance and compliance 
• Process capability and stability 
• Cost of poor quality 
• Employee quality engagement and continuous-improvement results 

LEADERSHIP EXPECTATIONS 

The Director of Quality is expected to be a visible and influential leader who builds accountability at every level of the organization. The successful candidate will balance customer expectations, manufacturing realities, business objectives, and long-term quality strategy while developing a high-performing quality organization. 

REPORTS TO 

SR Vice President of Operations  

DIRECT REPORTS  

Quality Managers, Quality Engineers, Supplier Quality Engineers, Quality Technicians, and Inspection Personnel 

BENEFITS

• 401(k) 
• 401(k) matching 
• Health insurance 
• Life insurance 
• Paid time off 
• Referral program 
• Vision insurance 

ABOUT HIGHER TALENT GROUP  

Higher Talent Group offers candidates full-time opportunities at companies hiring nationwide. We also provide resume and career coaching services for individuals who require assistance in getting back into the workforce or for candidates who want to start looking for a new opportunity discreetly. Want to learn more? Check out our website for additional information.