Sr. Quality Manager

Senior Quality Manager (Direct Hire)

Location: Beloit, WI 

Job Requisition: 7701 

Description for Senior Quality Manager:

The Senior Quality Manager is responsible for leading the organization's Quality Management System and driving enterprise-wide quality performance across manufacturing, suppliers, and product lifecycle processes. This role ensures compliance with ISO standards, customer requirements, and internal specifications while advancing a culture of quality excellence, defect prevention, and continuous improvement. The Senior Quality Manager will lead and develop the quality team, providing coaching, mentorship, and direction to ensure alignment with business objectives and quality performance goals. The position partners cross-functionally with Engineering, Operations, Supply Chain, and Leadership to ensure quality is embedded from design through production and delivery.

Responsibilities for Senior Quality Manager:

• Lead, coach, and develop the quality organization, ensuring alignment with company objectives and performance expectations.
• Establish a culture of accountability, continuous improvement, and proactive quality ownership across all functions.
• Drive prioritization of initiatives using 80/20 principles to maximize impact on cost of quality and customer satisfaction.
• Define, standardize, and deploy Critical to Quality specifications across products, processes, and suppliers.
• Act as the primary liaison to align internal standards with customer and vendor quality requirements.
• Ensure quality requirements are clearly documented and maintained within Standard Work Instructions and QMS documentation.
• Maintain and improve the ISO 9000/ISO 9001-compliant Quality Management System, including document control, process adherence, and audit readiness.
• Ensure all processes consistently meet regulatory, customer, and internal quality standards.
• Safeguard the integrity of the QMS during process changes and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Lead supplier quality strategy, including vendor qualification, performance monitoring, supplier scorecards, and corrective action processes.
• Implement and manage incoming inspection processes and AQL methodologies.
• Standardize supplier quality expectations and drive continuous improvement across the supply base.
• Partner with Engineering and Operations to drive defect prevention, process capability, and manufacturing simplification.
• Implement poka-yoke and error-proofing methods to eliminate non-conformances.
• Lead capability studies, validation activities, including new equipment validation, and SPC deployment across production processes.
• Lead structured problem-solving efforts using RCCM methodologies and support Engineering Change Notice processes.
• Drive root cause identification and systemic corrective actions to prevent recurrence.
• Champion Lean, Six Sigma, and statistical methods to improve quality performance and reduce waste.
• Oversee execution of incoming, progressive, in-process, and final inspection processes to ensure product conformance.
• Implement robust testing and validation processes for products, equipment, and manufacturing systems.
• Ensure compliance with PSO, SAT/FAT, PPAP, and customer quality requirements for suppliers, products, and new equipment introductions.
• Define, monitor, and report key quality metrics, including cost of quality, first pass yield, scrap, warranty, and non-conformance trends.
• Analyze data to identify risks, drive corrective actions, and achieve KPI targets.
• Maintain accurate records of non-conformances, scrap, returns, warranty claims, and corrective actions.
• Lead response and resolution efforts for customer quality issues and warranty claims.
• Track and reduce field failures through structured feedback loops into design and manufacturing processes.
• Partner closely with Design, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, and ERP teams to ensure quality integration across all processes.
• Align quality execution with production schedules, delivery requirements, and engineering objectives.
• Support integration of quality data within ERP and MES environments.
• Train and develop personnel in quality tools, SPC, statistical methods, problem-solving techniques, and QMS requirements.
• Promote knowledge sharing, best practices, and continuous improvement initiatives throughout the organization.
• Maintain audit readiness and support internal, customer, and external audits.
• Ensure adherence to all safety, quality, regulatory, and operational excellence requirements.

Requirements for Senior Quality Manager:

• Bachelor's degree in Manufacturing Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Systems Engineering, Quality Engineering, or a related technical field.
• 5-10+ years of progressive quality leadership experience within manufacturing environments.
• Demonstrated experience managing and improving ISO 9000 / ISO 9001 Quality Management Systems.
• Strong working knowledge of AIAG standards, PPAP, APQP, SPC, and MSA.
• Experience implementing and driving Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, 6S, and statistical analysis methodologies.
• Experience with supplier quality management, supplier development, and vendor performance improvement.
• Experience working within highly regulated manufacturing environments.
• Experience supporting automated or highly engineered manufacturing operations.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret and utilize data to drive decision-making.
• Proven leadership experience developing, coaching, and mentoring teams.
• Excellent communication, organizational, and interpersonal skills.
• Strong problem-solving, critical thinking, and conflict resolution capabilities.
• Ability to influence cross-functional teams and drive organizational change.
• Strong sense of urgency with the ability to manage multiple priorities.

Preferred

• Quality certifications such as ASQ Certified Quality Engineer (CQE), Certified Quality Manager (CQM), or related certifications.
• Experience with ERP and MES systems integration related to quality data management.
• Advanced Six Sigma certification or formal statistical process control training.
• Experience leading enterprise-wide quality transformation initiatives.