Director of Quality

Job Details: Job Location: HEADQUARTERS

• WEST CHESTER, OH, Salary Range: Undisclosed, Key Responsibilities Preventive Action and Shared Ownership
• Build and lead a formal preventive action program that identifies and addresses risks before they become defects, quality escapes, or customer complaints.
• Facilitate preventive and corrective actions jointly with the functional leader who owns the process, so that the people doing the work agree on the solution, its owner, and its due date.
• Analyze trends in nonconformances, quality escapes, scrap, rework, warranty, and customer complaints to target the highest-impact improvement opportunities. In-Process Quality
• Work with Operations to establish operator self-checks, first article inspection, defined inspection points, control plans, and mistake-proofing (poka-yoke) in fabrication, welding, and assembly.
• Shift inspector time from end-of-line inspection toward process verification, audits, and coaching on the shop floor.
• Partner with Operations to put verification controls in picking and shipping, such as pick verification, packing checklists, and pre-shipment checks, to reduce shipping and picking errors.
• Partner with Engineering to reduce bill of material (BOM) errors through review and release checks, design review participation, and feedback loops from errors found downstream.
• Participate in design reviews and pre-production reviews, and work with Engineering and Sales to flag manufacturability and quality risks on custom and non-standard projects before they reach the shop. Corrective Action and Problem Solving
• Own the corrective and preventive action (CAPA) process from issue capture through root cause, agreed countermeasure, verification of effectiveness, and closure.
• Lead and coach cross-functional teams in structured problem solving.
• Manage customer complaints and returns, including containment, customer communication, and follow-through, with occasional visits to installation sites as needed. Quality Management System
• Define, manage, and continually improve the Quality Management System across the organization, structured around the ISO 9001 framework. Formal certification is not a current goal, but the system should be built so it could support certification in the future.
• Maintain controlled procedures, work instructions, inspection standards, and quality records.
• Ensure products meet applicable code, and regulatory requirements.
• Support customer and parent company audits and align with Six. Axis quality practices where appropriate. Welding Quality
• Own the welder qualification program, ensuring all welders are qualified to Upside's Welding Procedure Specifications (WPS) and that qualification records are current.
• Lead and support the CWI on staff in welding inspection, welder testing, and weld quality improvement. Cost of Quality, Metrics, and Systems
• Establish a cost of quality model that captures scrap, rework, remakes, shipping errors, warranty, and field repair costs, working with Finance and Business Analytics.
• Define and report core quality KPIs such as quality escapes by source, first-pass yield, internal defect rate, cost of quality, CAPA on-time closure and effectiveness, and supplier performance.
• Own quality workflows in Monday.com, including task ownership, due dates, and escalation, so actions are visible to the full leadership team.
• Lead regular quality review meetings with the leadership team to review metrics, trends, and the status of agreed actions. Supplier Quality
• Set inspection and quality requirements for raw materials, extrusions, and purchased components, and monitor supplier compliance.
• Partner with Purchasing on supplier qualification, scorecards, supplier corrective actions, and incoming inspection. Team Leadership and Culture
• Directly lead, develop, and work alongside a team of three Quality Inspectors, including setting priorities, inspection coverage, training, and performance reviews.
• Train employees across the company on quality expectations, inspection standards, and problem- solving methods.
• Build a culture where front-line employees and leaders raise issues early and own quality in their own areas.

Qualifications

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree; engineering, quality, manufacturing, or other technical field a plus.
• 8+ years of quality experience in a manufacturing environment, including 3+ years leading a quality team or function.
• Proven ability to influence peers and gain buy-in from functional leaders on actions they own, without relying on direct authority.
• Experience in metal fabrication or custom and engineer-to-order manufacturing preferred.
• Working knowledge of ISO 9001 or similar quality management system frameworks.
• Welding knowledge, including AWS D1.2 and WPS/welder qualification, is a plus but not required.
• Excellent communication, leadership, and coaching skills; team oriented with a professional and positive attitude. Preferred Certifications
• ASQ Certified Quality Engineer (CQE) or Certified Manager of Quality/Organizational Excellence (CMQ/OE)
• Lean or Six Sigma Green Belt or Black Belt