Quality Manager

Job Description

Position Overview

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We are seeking a resilient, operationally grounded Quality Manager to lead our site quality department through a period of extensive operational transformation. Operating in a high-mix metal fabrication and machining environment, this facility is modernizing workflows, scaling output, and overhauling core systems.

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This role is not a hands-off, desk-bound audit position. We need a hands-on leader who thrives in high-velocity, shifting environments, stays composed under pressure, and knows how to build consensus between quality standards and throughput goals. You will lead, mentor, and professionalize a team of 10 engineers, inspectors, and technicians while establishing structured, sustainable Quality Management Systems (QMS) from the ground up.

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Key Responsibilities

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Leadership & Team Development

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• Directly lead, schedule, and develop a 10-person quality team across inspection, testing, and compliance.
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• Shift the organizational culture from reactive defect-catching to proactive process capability, operator accountability, and root-cause prevention.
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• Coach technicians and inspectors on modern inspection techniques, blueprint interpretation, GD&T, and structured problem-solving.
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• Champion change management across the facility, maintaining team morale, operational cadence, and accountability during plant reorganizations and process shifts.
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Fabrication Quality & Floor Operations

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• Serve as the technical authority on weld standards (AWS/CWB), sheet metal forming, heavy fabrication tolerances, structural assemblies, and CNC machining quality.
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• Oversee non-destructive examination (NDE/NDT), dimensional verification, first-article inspections (FAI), and receiving/in-process/final audit protocols.
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• Partner closely with Production, Tooling, and Manufacturing Engineering to triage real-time floor discrepancies without causing unnecessary downtime.
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Quality Management Systems (QMS) & Compliance

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• Evaluate, overhaul, and maintain the plant’s Quality Management System (ISO 9001, AS9100, or IATF 16949 as applicable).
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• Standardize internal audit schedules, document control, calibration systems, and management review procedures.
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• Manage customer and third-party registrar audits, acting as the primary point of contact for quality escalations.
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• Own the internal and external CAPA/CAR process, driving rigorous 8D/5-Why methodologies to prevent recurrence.
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Continuous Improvement & Metrics

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• Establish, track, and report actionable site KPIs: Cost of Poor Quality (COPQ), scrap rate, first-pass yield (FPY), rework hours, and customer return rates (PPM).
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• Collaborate with Engineering to optimize weld procedures (WPS/PQR), tooling fixtures, and incoming raw material inspections (plate, sheet, bar, forgings).
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Required Qualifications & Experience

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• 5+ years of quality engineering or management experience in custom, structural, or precision metal manufacturing (e.g., cutting, forming, stamping, heavy weldments, tube/pipe, or precision machining).
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• Minimum 3–5 years of direct supervisory experience managing a team of at least 6–10 inspectors, technicians, or engineers in an active manufacturing plant.
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• Comprehensive experience building, auditing, or managing ISO 9001, AS9100, or IATF 16949 certified systems. Lead Auditor certification is a strong plus.
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• Demonstrated mastery of structured problem-solving frameworks (8D, Ishikawa/Fishbone, 5-Why, DMAIC) and core quality tools (PPAP, FMEA, Control Plans, MSA/Gage R&R).
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• Proficient with GD&T (ASME Y14.5), reading complex engineering schematics, CMM reports, and standard welding codes (AWS D1.1/D1.2 or equivalent).
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• Proven track record of managing turnarounds, plant expansions, system migrations, or rapid organizational change with high composure and sound judgment.
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Preferred Qualifications

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• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Materials Science, Industrial Engineering, or related technical discipline (equivalent extensive shop-floor experience considered).
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• Certifications: ASQ-CQM/OE, ASQ-CQE, or Lean/Six Sigma Green/Black Belt.
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• Hands-on familiarity with weld inspection certifications (e.g., AWS CWI or familiarity with visual/dye-penetrant/magnetic particle testing standards).
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