Director of Quality Assurance (QA)
The Director of Quality Assurance (QA) leads the enterprise quality strategy across multiple divisions in a general industrial metal manufacturing environment serving agricultural, forestry, and lawn & garden OEMs, with key product areas including cast components and fixed hydraulic assemblies. This role ensures products, processes (machining, fabrication, and welding), and suppliers consistently meet customer specifications and internal requirements, while driving a culture of prevention, continuous improvement, and data-driven decision-making in partnership with Operations, Engineering, Supply Chain, and Commercial teams.
Position Details
Reports to: VP Quality / VP Operations (as assigned)
Leads: Corporate QA team and division/site Quality Managers; oversight of Quality Engineering, Quality Systems, Supplier Quality, and Metrology/Lab (as applicable)
Divisions/Sites: Supports multiple plants/business units with differing product lines and customer requirements
Travel: Regular travel to division sites and key suppliers (typical range 2550%)
Key Responsibilities
- Set and execute the enterprise quality strategy for general industrial metal manufacturing operations, including annual objectives, quality roadmap, and alignment across divisions and sites.
- Standardize and govern the Quality Management System (QMS) across divisions (policies, procedures, work instructions, and records), while allowing controlled local flexibility where needed.
- Ensure compliance with applicable standards and customer requirements (e.g., ISO 9001 and customer-specific flowdowns); lead certification, customer, and supplier audits and maintain strong audit readiness.
- Establish enterprise governance for product and process conformity across machining, fabrication, and welding operations, including inspection planning, control plans, first article/first-piece processes, and in-process/final inspection methods.
- Own enterprise CAPA governance; ensure robust root cause analysis (8D/5 Why) and verification of effectiveness, with strong linkage to process controls and operator standard work.
- Drive continuous improvement using Lean/Six Sigma and risk-based thinking to reduce scrap, rework, escapes, and overall cost of poor quality (COPQ).
- Oversee customer quality: complaint handling, returns/RMA processes, OEM scorecards, and customer-facing corrective actions; serve as senior quality contact for key accounts.
- Oversee supplier quality management for key supply categories (castings, weldments, bar/plate, purchased components, and external processors), including qualification, performance monitoring, SCARs, and supplier development.
- Ensure robust control of material and traceability requirements common in metals and castings: heat/lot traceability, material test reports (MTRs/mill certs), chemistry/mechanical property verification as required, and record retention.
- Lead quality planning and control for casting-related risks (as applicable), such as dimensional capability, porosity/shrink, inclusions, surface defects, and foundry process change management; ensure incoming inspection strategies and supplier controls are effective.
- Govern welding quality management (as applicable), including WPS/PQR oversight, welder qualification maintenance, weld inspection requirements, and controls for weld repair/rework and documentation.
- Partner with Engineering and Operations on new product introductions, process validations, and disciplined change control (drawings/specifications, routings, CNC program revisions, tooling/fixturing, and weld process changes).
- Establish and maintain measurement systems governance (gage R&R, calibration, metrology/lab controls), including CMM programs, fixture verification, and dimensional/layout capability for tight-tolerance components.
- Oversee quality controls relevant to fixed hydraulics (as applicable), including cleanliness/contamination controls, leak/pressure testing requirements, containment and traceability for nonconforming parts, and verification of critical characteristics.
- Lead internal audit programs (systems and process audits; layered audits where applicable) and ensure timely closure of findings; maintain a strong culture of accountability and documentation integrity.
- Oversee nonconforming material control, MRB governance, and disposition decisions (use-as-is, rework/repair, scrap), ensuring customer authorization when required.
- Develop, coach, and retain a high-performing quality organization; set expectations, build succession plans, and promote cross-division collaboration.
- Prepare and manage the quality budget, including staffing, training, metrology investments, and external services.
- Support ERP/MES/QMS digitalization initiatives (e.g., nonconformance, CAPA, document control, training) to improve traceability, audit readiness, and visibility across sites.
- Champion product safety, ethical conduct, and "stop-the-line" authority where quality risks are identified.
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in Engineering (Mechanical, Industrial, Manufacturing, or Metallurgical) or a related field (or equivalent combination of education and experience).
- 10+ years of progressive quality leadership experience in manufacturing, including multi-site and/or multi-division oversight.
- Hands-on experience in metal manufacturing operations with emphasis in machining, fabrication, and welding; strong understanding of process variation and common defect modes (dimensional, weld, and surface/finish).
- Demonstrated experience implementing and governing a QMS in a complex manufacturing environment; strong working knowledge of ISO 9001 and customer-specific requirements.
- Strong working knowledge of quality tools and methodologies (8D, 5 Why, Ishikawa, SPC, MSA/gage R&R, PFMEA, control plans, and structured launch/validation methods as applicable).
- Audit leadership experience (internal, supplier, and customer audits), including preparation, execution, and corrective action closure.
- Demonstrated ability to manage material controls and traceability practices (MTRs/mill certs, heat/lot traceability, calibration, and record retention) in a metals supply chain.
- Proven track record of reducing COPQ and improving customer metrics through sustainable process improvements.
- Ability to influence at all levels (shop floor to executive leadership) and lead through change across geographically dispersed teams.
- Excellent communication skills, including the ability to present data, drive alignment, and lead difficult customer/supplier conversations.
Preferred Qualifications
- Master's degree in Engineering, Operations, Metallurgy, or Business.
- ASQ certifications (e.g., CQE, CMQ/OE, CQA) and/or Six Sigma Black Belt.
- Experience supporting general industrial OEM customers (agriculture, forestry, lawn & garden) and managing customer scorecards, PPAP-like submissions (where required), and customer-specific requirements.
- Strong knowledge of casting supply chains and foundry quality controls (e.g., metallurgy/chemistry and mechanical property verification concepts, defect modes, and supplier process oversight).
- Working knowledge of welding quality systems (WPS/PQR/welder qualifications concepts) and inspection methods.
- Experience with hydraulic components/assemblies, including cleanliness expectations and leak/pressure testing controls (as applicable).
- Hands-on experience with QMS software platforms and enterprise reporting/BI tools.
Measures of Success (Typical KPIs)
- Reduction in scrap, rework, and overall cost of poor quality (COPQ) (e.g., machining/fabrication scrap, dimensional rejects, surface/finish defects).
- Improved customer performance: complaints/PPM, on-time corrective actions, customer audit results, and scorecards.
- Improved first-pass yield and reduced internal/external escapes through stronger process controls and layered/process audits.
- Supplier performance improvements (mills and external processors) and reduction in incoming defects/certification issues.
- On-time closure and effectiveness of CAPAs and audit findings.
- Successful external surveillance/recertification audits with minimal/zero major nonconformities.
- Improved process capability and stability for critical characteristics (SPC and capability indices where used).
Work Environment
Work is performed in a combination of office and manufacturing environments. Occasional exposure to shop-floor conditions (noise, moving equipment, varied temperatures) is expected. The role requires travel to division sites and suppliers, and the ability to spend time on the production floor to observe processes and verify controls.
Equal Employment Opportunity
We are an Equal Opportunity Employer and consider applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation
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