Quality Manager

QUALITY MANAGER

POSITION SUMMARY

The Quality Manager owns the Quality Department and the company's quality-management processes. This position is accountable for the ISO 9001:2015 quality management system, inspection and testing, product release, nonconformance and corrective action, calibration, controlled documentation, change control, supplier quality, customer quality, and the accuracy and retention of quality records.

The Quality Manager leads and develops quality personnel, establishes department priorities and capacity, manages performance and accountability, and has authority to stop production, place product on hold, and prevent shipment when requirements are not satisfied. The role partners with Manufacturing, Engineering, Supply Chain, Warehouse, Sales, and leadership to reduce risk, improve processes, and ensure data center products are tested and released in accordance with approved customer and technical requirements.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES

Department Leadership

Manage quality personnel, staffing, priorities, training, performance, accountability, and department resources.

Quality-System and Process Ownership

Own the ISO 9001:2015 quality system and the procedures, controls, records, and audits required to maintain effectiveness and certification.

Inspection, Testing, and Product Release

Own inspection and test requirements, including data center product qualification and production testing, and authorize release only after acceptance criteria are met.

Nonconformance and Corrective Action

Direct containment, material review, root cause analysis, corrective action, customer complaints, and supplier-quality escalation through verified closure.

Quality Performance and Improvement

Establish metrics, communicate risk, drive cross-functional improvement, and ensure lessons learned are incorporated into future work.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Department Management and People Leadership

• Manage the Quality Department, including staffing plans, recruitment participation, onboarding, work schedules, daily assignments, coverage, workload balancing, and escalation support.
• Set individual and department goals; provide ongoing direction, coaching, feedback, recognition, and performance evaluations; address performance or conduct concerns in partnership with Human Resources and leadership.
• Establish qualification and cross-training requirements for inspectors and test personnel, verify competency, and maintain training records for assigned quality activities.
• Plan and manage department capacity, inspection and test equipment needs, calibration resources, outside laboratory services, and quality-related operating priorities within approved budgets.

Quality Management System and Process Ownership

• Serve as the process owner for the ISO 9001:2015 quality management system and ensure quality procedures are implemented, maintained, measured, and continually improved.
• Own and approve processes for incoming, in-process, final, and first-article inspection; product testing and release; nonconformance and material review; corrective action; calibration; document and record control; change control; supplier quality; and customer-quality response.
• Maintain audit readiness, coordinate internal audits and external certification activities, ensure findings are addressed, and provide quality-system inputs and metrics for management review.
• Approve inspection plans, sampling methods, test plans, acceptance criteria, quality records, and release requirements based on drawings, specifications, customer requirements, risk, and approved procedures.
• Review and approve quality-related process or document changes; ensure affected personnel are trained and verify that implemented changes are effective.
• Exercise authority to stop production, place material or product on hold, block release or shipment, and escalate product or process risk when requirements are not satisfied.

Inspection, Product Release, and Data Center Product Testing

• Own inspection and testing requirements for industry standards Form, Fit, and Function parts and data center cooling products, including manifolds, fittings, valves, hose assemblies, and related fluid-handling components, as applicable.
• Develop, review, and approve test plans and protocols with traceable acceptance criteria derived from approved drawings, customer specifications, purchase or contract requirements, engineering requirements, and applicable standards.
• Determine and document required verification activities for each product and customer. As applicable, testing may include dimensional verification; material, finish, marking, and traceability checks; pressure or proof testing; leak-integrity testing; hydrostatic or pneumatic testing; flow and pressure-drop testing; valve or connection function; cleanliness; and packaging verification.
• Ensure tests are performed by trained and authorized personnel using calibrated, suitable equipment and controlled setups. Test methods must define operating limits, fixtures and restraints, barriers, venting or pressure relief, required PPE, and other safety controls.
• Review and approve inspection and test results, test reports, equipment identification, calibration status, acceptance evidence, and product traceability before authorizing release.
• Direct containment, investigation, disposition, and controlled retesting when a data center product fails testing. Test methods, acceptance criteria, or required tests may not be omitted or substituted without documented approval from authorized stakeholders.
• Coordinate customer-witnessed testing, first-article inspection, qualification or validation testing, and customer-required test documentation when contractually required.

Nonconformance, Corrective Action, Supplier, and Customer Quality

• Own the nonconformance, material-review, corrective-action, customer-complaint, and supplier-quality processes from initial containment through documented closure.
• Lead structured root cause analysis and corrective action using appropriate tools; assign owners and due dates, remove barriers, verify effectiveness, and prevent recurrence.
• Coordinate material dispositions with Engineering, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, customers, or other authorized stakeholders and ensure deviations or concessions are documented before use or release.
• Provide timely, factual communication to customers and suppliers regarding quality concerns, inspection or testing results, containment, corrective action, and closure status.

Metrics, Audits, and Continuous Improvement

• Establish and report quality metrics, including inspection and test timeliness, first-pass yield, escapes, nonconformance trends, corrective-action closure, audit findings, calibration compliance, and supplier performance.
• Analyze quality data and risk, identify systemic issues, prioritize improvement projects, and verify that actions improve product conformity and process performance.
• Promote quality at the source and partner cross-functionally to strengthen controls, mistake-proof processes, reduce rework and scrap, and improve customer satisfaction.
• Perform other duties and assignments as requested by leadership to support business and operational needs.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor's degree in Quality Management, engineering, manufacturing, or a related field; an equivalent combination of education and directly relevant experience may be considered.
• Five or more years of progressive quality assurance, inspection, or quality-engineering experience in a manufacturing environment, including at least two years of direct people-leadership or supervisory responsibility.
• Demonstrated experience owning ISO 9001:2015 quality-system processes, internal audits, controlled documentation, corrective action, and management-review inputs.
• Demonstrated ability to manage personnel, set priorities, evaluate performance, hold team members accountable, and coordinate work across departments.
• Strong knowledge of quality and problem-solving methods, including root cause analysis, 8D or equivalent corrective action, FMEA, SPC, control plans, measurement-system analysis, and risk-based thinking.
• Ability to read and interpret drawings, GD&T, specifications, inspection plans, test requirements, and dimensional or functional acceptance criteria.
• Experience developing or approving inspection and test plans and reviewing objective evidence for pressure-bearing, fluid-handling, mechanical, or similarly controlled products.
• Working knowledge of metrology, calibration controls, inspection equipment, test equipment, data collection, and traceable quality records.
• Excellent leadership, decision-making, analytical, organizational, verbal, and written communication skills, including the ability to communicate quality risk to leadership, customers, and suppliers.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• ISO 9001 Lead Auditor or Internal Auditor certification, ASQ certification, or comparable quality-management training.
• Experience with data center liquid-cooling products, HVAC or thermal-management products, pressure-bearing assemblies, or fluid-handling components.
• Experience with pressure, leak, flow, pressure-drop, cleanliness, functional, qualification, or customer-witnessed testing.
• Experience with CMMs, CAD/CAM systems, data-acquisition tools, statistical software, or advanced inspection and test equipment.
• Experience using Acumatica or a comparable enterprise resource planning system and an electronic quality-management system.

CORE COMPETENCIES

People Leadership: Sets clear expectations, develops employees, manages performance, and maintains accountability.

Process Ownership: Defines, maintains, measures, and improves quality-system and product-release processes.

Technical and Test Governance: Translates requirements into controlled inspection and test plans and approves objective evidence.

Decision-Making: Assesses risk, makes timely hold or release decisions, and escalates significant concerns.

Customer Focus: Protects customer requirements and communicates quality issues and corrective actions clearly.

Continuous Improvement: Uses data and structured problem solving to improve conformity, capability, and efficiency.

WORK ENVIRONMENT AND PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

• Work is performed in office, inspection, warehouse, laboratory or test, and manufacturing environments where temperatures and noise levels may vary.
• The employee may work near moving mechanical equipment, machining, welding, assembly, material-handling, and controlled pressure or flow-testing operations and must use required personal protective equipment and follow established safety controls.
• The position requires regular sitting, standing, walking, bending, reaching, grasping, and repetitive use of the hands and fingers to operate computers, inspection equipment, and test systems.
• The employee may be required to move inspection equipment, fixtures, or product samples; appropriate equipment or team assistance should be used when needed.
• Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the position.

PERFORMANCE EXPECTATIONS

• Maintain an effective, audit-ready ISO 9001:2015 quality management system and close audit findings and corrective actions within established timelines.
• Ensure inspection and data center product testing are completed accurately and timely, with complete traceability and approved evidence before product release.
• Prevent unauthorized release of nonconforming product and reduce customer escapes, repeat issues, rework, and scrap through effective controls and corrective action.
• Maintain calibration compliance and ensure inspection and test equipment is suitable, available, and controlled.
• Build a capable, accountable, cross-trained quality team with clear priorities, documented competency, and effective performance management.
• Provide accurate quality metrics and timely risk communication to leadership, customers, suppliers, and cross-functional stakeholders.