Quality Director

Job Description

Job Description

American Cord & Webbing Co., Inc. (ACW) is seeking a hands-on Director of Quality to lead its ISO 9001 certified Quality Management System, product quality programs, testing, customer quality requirements, and compliance documentation.

Reporting directly to the President, this role leads ACW’s Quality Inspectors and testing personnel and supports quality activities across ACW's manufacturing operations. The Director of Quality works closely with Production, Purchasing, Sales, Product Development, suppliers, and outside laboratories while maintaining independent authority to protect product quality and customer requirements.

ACW manufactures narrow textiles, webbing, cord, sewn strap assemblies, plastic buckles, plastic hardware, for military, automotive, aerospace, medical, parachute, industrial, and other demanding applications.

Core Responsibilities

Quality Systems & Leadership

• Lead, maintain, and improve ACW’s ISO 9001 Quality Management System across its manufacturing operation.
• Lead and develop Quality Inspectors and testing personnel, including training, responsibilities, and performance expectations.
• Maintain the Quality Manual and controlled procedures, specifications, work instructions, inspection records, and other QMS documentation.
• Maintain authority to stop production, hold material, or require corrective action when quality, safety, specifications, or customer requirements are at risk.
• Manage nonconforming material, MRB disposition, root-cause analysis, customer complaints, and corrective actions.
• Manage internal and external audits, management-review inputs, calibration oversight, corrective-action follow-up, and quality performance reporting.

Product & Process Quality

• Develop and maintain product specifications, Process Flow Diagrams, PFMEAs, Control Plans, inspection plans, test requirements, and other product and process quality documentation as applicable.
• Ensure product requirements, inspection methods, and test methods reflect customer specifications and applicable standards.
• Support process validation and qualification activities for new and existing manufacturing processes, including molding process controls and documented process parameters.
• Oversee measurement-system controls, including calibration, inspection methods, Gauge R&R/MSA, and suitability of measurement equipment.
• Coordinate internal and third-party testing, interpret results, and communicate conclusions and recommended actions as needed.
• Provide quality review of specifications, samples, validation results, and release documentation before new or revised products are submitted to customers for approval.
• Maintain technical knowledge of ACW's manufacturing processes and materials, including narrow textiles and injection-molded plastics.

Customer Requirements & Supplier Quality

• Lead and coordinate PPAP, APQP, first article, validation, and customer-specific submission packages when required.
• Serve as ACW’s primary quality contact for customer audits, questionnaires, technical inquiries, quality complaints, and corrective actions.
• Ensure customer requirements are documented, communicated internally, and incorporated into production, inspection, testing, and release processes.
• Work with Purchasing to maintain supplier requirements, incoming-inspection criteria, approved samples, certificates of conformance, traceability, supplier performance, and supplier corrective actions.
• Conduct supplier visits or audits on a risk-based, as-needed basis for significant quality concerns, major customer requirements, new supplier qualification, or strategic needs.

Compliance & Growth Support

• Manage customer-driven product-compliance documentation, including REACH, RoHS, Proposition 65, PFAS, restricted substances, conflict minerals, Berry Amendment, Buy American Act, country-of-origin, and similar requirements, as applicable.
• Support customer sustainability, ethical-sourcing, and market-entry requests by gathering accurate, supportable information from internal teams and suppliers.
• Support the introduction of new products, customers, and manufacturing requirements by ensuring appropriate quality controls, validation, traceability, documentation, and personnel qualification are established.

Required Skills & Abilities

• Five or more years of progressively responsible quality or related technical experience in a manufacturing environment. Strong hands-on manufacturing quality experience is highly valued.
• Experience leading or supporting an ISO 9001-certified quality system, including audits, document control, nonconforming material, and customer corrective actions.
• Working knowledge of manufacturing quality tools such as Process Flow Diagrams, PFMEA, Control Plans, Gauge R&R/MSA, process validation, inspection planning, and product traceability.
• Experience preparing or coordinating PPAP, APQP, first article, validation, or comparable customer quality submissions.
• Ability to interpret and develop technical specifications, inspection plans, test methods, and product documentation.
• Strong written and verbal communication, leadership, organization, judgment, and attention to detail.
• Experience leading Quality Inspectors, laboratory personnel, or a small quality team preferred.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office and ERP/MRP or quality-management systems.
• Bachelor’s degree in Textile Engineering, Textile Science, Engineering, Quality, Manufacturing, or a related technical field preferred. Substantial manufacturing quality experience may be considered in place of a specific degree.
• Experience with injection molding, textiles, webbing, or related manufacturing processes preferred.
• Experience supporting military, automotive, aerospace, medical, parachute, industrial, safety, or other demanding customer requirements is beneficial.
• Ability to travel occasionally to customer, supplier, laboratory, or other division locations.