Quality Manager

What You Will Do

The Plant Quality Manager is responsible for leading the site Quality organization and ensuring the effectiveness of the plant's Quality Management System (QMS). This role drives product and process conformity, customer satisfaction, regulatory and certification compliance, and continuous reduction of quality-related risks and costs. The Plant Quality Manager partners closely with Operations, Engineering, Supply Chain, Supplier Quality, Warranty, Service, and Regional Quality leadership to drive a culture of quality excellence and continuous improvement throughout the manufacturing site.

How You Will Do It

Plant Quality Leadership

• Serve as the senior Quality leader for the site and a key member of the plant leadership team.
• Develop and execute the plant quality strategy aligned with business goals and customer requirements.
• Establish annual quality objectives, resource plans, and performance expectations to drive operational excellence.

Quality Management System & Compliance

• Maintain and continuously improve the site's Quality Management System (QMS).
• Ensure compliance with customer, regulatory, certification, and internal quality requirements.
• Lead internal, customer, and certification audits, ensuring audit readiness and timely closure of findings.
• Oversee document control, corrective and preventive actions, calibration systems, traceability, nonconforming material processes, and record retention.

Manufacturing Quality & Process Control

• Establish and sustain quality controls across receiving, fabrication, assembly, testing, final inspection, packaging, and shipping processes.
• Ensure critical-to-quality characteristics, inspection standards, control plans, reaction plans, and error-proofing methods are effectively implemented and maintained.
• Drive process capability improvements and adherence to quality standards throughout production.

Customer Quality & Escalation Management

• Lead containment activities, risk assessments, root cause investigations, corrective actions, and customer communications related to quality issues.
• Manage customer complaints, field failures, warranty concerns, and quality escapes to ensure timely and effective resolution.
• Provide clear and fact-based communication to customers and leadership during escalations.

Continuous Improvement & Problem Solving

• Drive structured problem-solving initiatives utilizing methodologies such as 8D, DMAIC, A3, 5 Whys, Fishbone Analysis, and Statistical Process Control.
• Utilize quality and operational data to identify recurring issues and implement sustainable corrective actions.
• Promote a culture of continuous improvement across the organization.

Quality Performance Management

• Own plant quality performance metrics and reporting processes.
• Analyze and improve key performance indicators including FPY, RTY, DPU, Scrap, Rework, Cost of Poor Quality (CoPQ), Warranty Performance, Customer Defects, Audit Findings, and Corrective Action Closure Rates.
• Develop recovery plans and improvement strategies when performance falls below targets.

Supplier Quality & Incoming Quality

• Partner with Supplier Quality and Supply Chain teams to proactively manage supplier-related risks.
• Support supplier corrective actions and containment activities.
• Improve incoming inspection processes and supplier quality performance.

New Product Introduction & Change Management

• Represent Quality in APQP and New Product Introduction (NPI) activities.
• Lead quality planning activities including PFMEA reviews, Control Plans, Measurement System Analysis (MSA), and Process Capability Studies.
• Ensure manufacturing readiness and robust quality controls for new product launches and process changes.

People Leadership & Capability Development

• Lead, coach, and develop the plant Quality team.
• Establish clear roles, responsibilities, performance expectations, and development plans.
• Build quality capabilities across the organization and foster accountability for quality at all levels.

Governance & Business Partnership

• Provide transparent quality reporting to plant and regional leadership.
• Participate in operational, staffing, launch, and capital investment decisions where product quality or customer risk may be impacted.
• Exercise authority to stop production or shipments when quality requirements are not met.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in Engineering, Manufacturing, Quality, Industrial Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
• 7 years of experience in Manufacturing Quality, Quality Systems, Quality Engineering, or Quality Leadership roles within a manufacturing environment.
• Previous experience leading Quality teams and driving site-level quality performance.
• Strong knowledge of Quality Management Systems, audits, corrective actions, process controls, root cause analysis, and customer quality management.
• Working knowledge of APQP, PFMEA, Control Plans, Measurement Systems Analysis (MSA), Statistical Process Control (SPC), and Process Capability methodologies.
• Proven ability to lead cross-functional teams and influence decision-making across all organizational levels.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making skills.
• Advanced English communication skills, both written and verbal.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's Degree in Engineering, Operations, Business Administration, Quality, or a related field.
• ASQ Certifications such as Certified Manager of Quality/Organizational Excellence (CMQ/OE) or Certified Quality Engineer (CQE).
• Lean Six Sigma Black Belt certification or equivalent.
• Experience in HVAC, Chillers, Industrial Equipment, Engineered-to-Order (ETO), Configure-to-Order (CTO), or other complex manufacturing environments.
• Experience supporting ISO 9001 compliance and regulatory/certification requirements.
• Demonstrated success leading customer escalations, quality turnaround initiatives, product launches, and audit remediation efforts.