Quality Manager

Quality Manager

Apparent Technologies has been a leading engineering and manufacturing company supporting the semiconductor industry for over 20 years. We are currently seeking a Full-Time Quality Manager to join our team at our Austin, TX facility.

This is a hands-on leadership position for someone who can balance quality management, team leadership, process improvement, and technical inspection knowledge. The Quality Manager will be responsible for maintaining high quality standards across our manufacturing operations while developing the people, processes, and systems necessary to support our continued growth.

The ideal candidate has experience in semiconductor, precision, or high-specification manufacturing and is comfortable working directly with Production, Operations, Engineering, R&D, suppliers, and customers.

Benefits of the Quality Manager Position:

• Paid Time Off
• Health Insurance
• Vision Insurance
• Dental Insurance
• 401(k)
• Various benefits through the ADP Marketplace, including discounts on shopping, travel, and even pet insurance

Responsibilities

• Lead, develop, and oversee the Quality department and Quality Inspection team, establishing clear expectations, priorities, and accountability.
• Manage daily Quality activities and coordinate inspection priorities with Operations and Production to support manufacturing schedules and customer requirements.
• Train, mentor, and develop Quality personnel while identifying opportunities to strengthen the department as the company continues to grow.
• Establish and monitor quality goals, KPIs, inspection metrics, nonconformance trends, and departmental performance.
• Identify staffing, training, equipment, and process needs necessary to support increasing production volume.
• Promote a company-wide culture of quality, accountability, continuous improvement, and defect prevention.
• Serve as a primary point of contact for quality-related issues requiring coordination between Quality, Operations, Engineering, Production, R&D, suppliers, and customers.

Quality Management System & Compliance

• Manage, maintain, and continuously improve the company's Quality Management System (QMS).
• Lead the implementation and ongoing compliance of applicable ISO standards, including ISO 9001 requirements.
• Maintain quality procedures, work instructions, inspection standards, records, and controlled documentation.
• Plan, coordinate, and participate in internal and external audits, including customer and certification audits.
• Ensure corrective actions resulting from audits, nonconformances, or customer concerns are properly documented, assigned, implemented, and verified for effectiveness.
• Oversee calibration programs for inspection equipment, gauges, tools, and other controlled equipment.
• Ensure quality records and documentation meet company, customer, regulatory, and industry requirements.

Inspection & Manufacturing Quality

• Oversee Receiving/Incoming, First Piece/First Article, In-Process, and Final Inspection activities.
• Ensure purchased materials, machined and fabricated components, assemblies, weldments, and finished products meet engineering and customer specifications.
• Review and interpret engineering drawings, specifications, travelers, work instructions, and GD&T requirements.
• Establish appropriate inspection methods, sampling requirements, acceptance criteria, and documentation.
• Ensure proper use of precision measuring tools, gauges, and inspection equipment.
• Support the Quality team with complex inspections and technical quality issues when necessary.
• Ensure inspection processes remain efficient and scalable as manufacturing volume increases.

Nonconformance & Continuous Improvement

• Manage the nonconforming material and product process, including documentation, disposition, containment, and corrective action.
• Lead root cause investigations and corrective/preventive actions for internal defects, supplier issues, and customer concerns.
• Analyze recurring defects, inspection results, rework, scrap, and other quality data to identify trends and improvement opportunities.
• Partner with Operations and Engineering to implement solutions that address root causes rather than relying solely on inspection to identify defects.
• Support new product introductions and work with Engineering and R&D to ensure quality and manufacturability are considered early in the process.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives focused on reducing defects, rework, scrap, customer complaints, and manufacturing variability.

Supplier & Customer Quality

• Work with suppliers to address incoming material quality issues and establish corrective actions when required.
• Support supplier quality evaluations and performance monitoring.
• Communicate professionally with customers regarding quality concerns, documentation, corrective actions, and technical requirements.
• Lead or support responses to customer complaints and quality-related requests, ensuring issues are investigated and resolved in a timely manner.
• Help ensure customer-specific quality requirements are understood and incorporated into manufacturing and inspection processes.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Previous Quality Management or Quality Leadership experience in a manufacturing environment.
• Experience in semiconductor, UHP, precision manufacturing, machining, welding, or other high-specification manufacturing environments strongly preferred.
• Working knowledge of ISO 9001 and Quality Management Systems.
• Experience leading audits, corrective actions, root cause investigations, and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Strong understanding of GD&T, engineering drawings, specifications, and inspection requirements.
• Experience with precision measuring equipment, inspection tools, gauges, and calibration programs.
• Ability to lead, train, develop, and hold a Quality team accountable.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to use quality data to drive decisions.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to communicate effectively across Production, Operations, Engineering, management, suppliers, and customers.
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced, rapidly growing manufacturing environment.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and quality documentation systems.
• Experience with ERP or manufacturing management systems is a plus.
• Comfortable working in both cleanroom and manufacturing environments.

Schedule

• Full-time
• Monday through Friday
• Overtime as needed based on production requirements

Founded in 2004, Apparent Technologies, Inc. provides precision machining, engineering, design, orbital welding, and high-purity manufacturing services for the semiconductor industry. We specialize in Hastelloy HC22, stainless steel fabrication, and complex UHP gas delivery systems. As an ISO 9001-certified manufacturer with a Class 100 Cleanroom, we utilize patented, state-of-the-art welding and monitoring technologies that distinguish us from other manufacturers. Our experienced team proudly serves local, regional, and international customers from our Austin, Texas facility while maintaining an unwavering commitment to quality, innovation, and continuous improvement.