Quality Manager

Role Summary

This is an ONSITE position based at our location in Gastonia, NC. 

• No Visa sponsorships are available for this position. 

The Quality Manager leads the Plant Quality organization and is accountable for product and process quality performance for liquid and air filtration products serving OES and IAM customers in the heavy-duty and automotive markets. This role owns the plant Quality Management System (QMS) and ensures compliance with IATF 16949 and ISO 9001:2015. The Quality Manager drives a prevention-focused quality culture, leads customer quality performance (including Ford requirements), ensures robust launch readiness, and reduces scrap/re-work while maintaining audit readiness and effective corrective action systems. 

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES

• Responsible for the establishment, implementation and maintenance of a Quality Management System according to Customer and MMS standards
• Responsible for the management and control of quality documents and coordinate the plant record retention system
• Responsible for customer scorecard review and response to initiate actions regarding quality and/or logistics if the results are not meeting expected requirements
• Responsible for Customer Relationship – ensuring that the customer is satisfied with the quality performance of the applicable M+H location(s)
• Responsible for decisions regarding quality for suspected or non-conforming products and containment actions
• Responsible for the corrective action and change management processes
• Responsible for the customer and supplier complaint management systems ensuring that complaints are managed in due time and utilize robust problem solving tools
• Ensures the capitalization of lessons learned in order to transfer and share best practices
• Manage internal audit system in accordance with required standards, including maintenance of audit plans, records, and corrective actions
• Manage customer audits including scheduling, records and corrective actions
• Manage subcontractors of production parts and services to ensure quality parts are used in manufacturing system, including verifying acceptable components or material, tracking supplier performance and working with suppliers to establish corrective actions when needed
• Responsible for definition of laboratory scope, annual internal Quality laboratory certifications, and calibration
• Responsible for Project Quality and APQP activities within the plant including performing “Functional Reviews” with the project quality engineers
• Actively participates in continuous improvement and corrective action activities
• Responsible for Quality training and awareness in the organization by ensuring the right application of Quality Tools and Quality Expertise
• Responsible to define the plant quality objectives, monitor internal quality performance such as internal defects, scrap, sorting activities, suspect material review and disposition, first piece approval, floor audits, etc. and drive and support corrective actions in case of deviation
• Manages the Quality department (budget, recruitment, allocation of resources, personnel development)
• Have the authority and the responsibility to stop any process or product delivery in case of a serious non-conformity to customer expectations, safety or environmental risks, etc.

REQUIREMENTS

Education:

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or related applied science field

Experience:

• 5 years' minimum progressive experience in Quality within automotive/heavy-duty manufacturing (or similarly regulated manufacturing)
• Previous quality team management /supervisory experience

Required Skills:

• Expertise in maintaining and managing an applicable Quality Management System
• Possess the ability to interpret drawings and requirements for ensuring the adherence to Quality parameters
• Demonstrated working knowledge of:

     - IATF 16949 and ISO 9001:2015

     - APQP/PPAP, FMEA, Control Plans, SPC, MSA

     - Structured problem solving: 8D, 5-Why, Ishikawa

    - CQI audits

• Strong written and verbal communication skills; able to interface with customers and auditors
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office

Preferred Certification(s) & Experience:

• Lean / Six Sigma (Green Belt or Black Belt) 
• Lead Auditor certification (IATF/ISO) 
• Experience in filtration manufacturing and processes such as pleating/media converting, potting/adhesive bonding, ultrasonic welding/heat staking, automated assembly, leak/flow/burst testing, painting/coating

• Ability to work effectively in SAP and ETQ environments
• Experience building KPI dashboards and driving actions using Power BI