Department Manager, Performance

Intertek USA; Kentwood (MI); On-site; USD 90,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical benefits

Dental benefits

Vision benefits

Life insurance

401(k) with company match

PTO

Job summary

Intertek in Kentwood, MI, is seeking a Department Manager, Performance to lead the Performance department in our Transportation Technologies team. This role drives daily operations, technical execution, customer delivery, safety, quality and financial performance while mentoring technicians, engineers, and supervisors.

You will ensure compliant testing, coordinate capacity and scheduling, collaborate with sales, engineering and operations, monitor backlog and throughput, and drive continuous

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Business, Operations Management, or related technical field preferred; equivalent combination of education, technical knowledge, and relevant experience may be considered.
• Minimum 5 years of experience in a laboratory, testing, engineering, manufacturing, quality, or technical operations environment.
• Minimum 2 years of people leadership, supervisory, project leadership, or departmental coordination experience preferred.
• Strong understanding of laboratory operations, test planning, customer requirements, quality systems, safety expectations, and technical documentation.

Responsibilities

• Lead the Performance department, including day-to-day scheduling, workload planning, resource allocation, prioritization, and execution of customer testing projects.
• Provide direct leadership, coaching, performance management, and development for department personnel, including technicians, engineers, supervisors, and other assigned team members.
• Ensure testing activities are performed in compliance with applicable standards, customer specifications, quality system requirements, safety procedures, and accreditation expectations.
• Review department capacity, backlog, utilization, throughput, and turnaround time performance; implement corrective actions and continuous improvement plans as needed.
• Partner with sales, customer service, engineering, and operations teams to support quoting, project planning, technical feasibility reviews, customer communications, and issue resolution.
• Monitor departmental financial performance, including revenue, labor efficiency, overtime, cost control, margin performance, capital needs, and productivity improvement opportunities.
• Maintain a safe, organized, and professional laboratory environment by reinforcing safety expectations, 5S practices, equipment readiness, housekeeping standards, and corrective action follow-up.
• Support development, maintenance, and improvement of department procedures, work instructions, training plans, competency records, and technical documentation.
• Ensure test equipment, fixtures, tools, chambers, and supporting assets are properly maintained, calibrated, scheduled, and available to meet customer and operational requirements.
• Investigate customer concerns, nonconformances, delays, safety events, and quality issues; drive root cause analysis, corrective actions, and preventive measures.
• Promote a customer-focused culture by ensuring clear communication, professional service, accurate reporting, timely project updates, and effective escalation of risks or barriers.
• Assist with business planning, staffing plans, training needs, capital investment recommendations, service capability improvements, and department growth initiatives.

Skills

Leadership

Project mgmt

Team development

Quality systems

Safety

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering/related field

Tools

MS Office

Job description

Department Manager, Performance – Kentwood, MI

Intertek, a leading provider of quality and safety solutions to many of the world’s top-recognized brands and companies, is actively seeking a Department Manager in our Performance group to join our Transportation Technologies team in Kentwood MI. This is a fantastic opportunity to grow a versatile career in the Testing and Certification industry.

Intertek's Transportation Technologies team offers Total Quality Assurance expertise, delivered consistently with precision, pace and passion, enables our customers to power ahead safely. Our automotive, battery and energy storage, and related transportation industry testing and certification expertise is recognized by leading manufacturers worldwide for evaluating how their products and services meet and exceed quality, safety, sustainability and performance standards. Intertek is continually innovating and evolving to reduce risk for consumers, brands and organizations in every sector and industry around the world. We go beyond Testing, Inspection and Certification of products: we are a Total Quality Assurance Provider to industries worldwide. Our Purpose: Bringing quality, safety, and sustainability to life.

What are we looking for?

The Department Manager, Performance is responsible for leading the Performance department’s daily operations, technical execution, customer delivery, safety, quality, financial performance, and team development. This role ensures testing services are completed accurately, efficiently, safely, and in accordance with applicable standards, customer requirements, accreditation requirements, and Intertek policies. The Department Manager partners with operations leadership, sales, engineering, quality, and laboratory personnel to drive operational excellence, improve turnaround time, support profitable growth, and maintain a high level of customer satisfaction.

Shift/Schedule

Monday - Friday, 8 - 5pm

Salary & Benefits Information

The base wage or salary range for this position is $90,000 - $110,000. Individual compensation packages are based on a variety of factors unique to each candidate including skill set, experience, qualifications, and other job-related reasons.

In addition to competitive compensation packages, when working with Intertek you can expect benefits including medical, dental, vision, life, disability, 401(k) with company match, generous vacation / sick time (PTO), tuition reimbursement and more.

What you’ll do:

• Lead the Performance department, including day-to-day scheduling, workload planning, resource allocation, prioritization, and execution of customer testing projects.
• Provide direct leadership, coaching, performance management, and development for department personnel, including technicians, engineers, supervisors, and other assigned team members.
• Ensure testing activities are performed in compliance with applicable standards, customer specifications, quality system requirements, safety procedures, and accreditation expectations.
• Review department capacity, backlog, utilization, throughput, and turnaround time performance; implement corrective actions and continuous improvement plans as needed.
• Partner with sales, customer service, engineering, and operations teams to support quoting, project planning, technical feasibility reviews, customer communications, and issue resolution.
• Monitor departmental financial performance, including revenue, labor efficiency, overtime, cost control, margin performance, capital needs, and productivity improvement opportunities.
• Maintain a safe, organized, and professional laboratory environment by reinforcing safety expectations, 5S practices, equipment readiness, housekeeping standards, and corrective action follow-up.
• Support development, maintenance, and improvement of department procedures, work instructions, training plans, competency records, and technical documentation.
• Ensure test equipment, fixtures, tools, chambers, and supporting assets are properly maintained, calibrated, scheduled, and available to meet customer and operational requirements.
• Investigate customer concerns, nonconformances, delays, safety events, and quality issues; drive root cause analysis, corrective actions, and preventive measures.
• Promote a customer-focused culture by ensuring clear communication, professional service, accurate reporting, timely project updates, and effective escalation of risks or barriers.
• Assist with business planning, staffing plans, training needs, capital investment recommendations, service capability improvements, and department growth initiatives.

Minimum Requirements & Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Business, Operations Management, or related technical field preferred; equivalent combination of education, technical knowledge, and relevant experience may be considered.
• Minimum 5 years of experience in a laboratory, testing, engineering, manufacturing, quality, or technical operations environment.
• Minimum 2 years of people leadership, supervisory, project leadership, or departmental coordination experience preferred.
• Strong understanding of laboratory operations, test planning, customer requirements, quality systems, safety expectations, and technical documentation.
• Demonstrated ability to manage competing priorities, drive accountability, communicate effectively, and lead a team in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment.
• Strong organizational, analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making skills with the ability to use operational data to improve performance.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications and common business systems used for scheduling, reporting, project tracking, and communication.
• Demonstrated ability to interpret unique customer needs, develop or support custom test approaches, troubleshoot complex technical challenges, and contribute to R&D or non-standard testing projects.
• Model Intertek’s 10X Energies at all times within the work place, practicing business the right way
• Be aware of, and adhere to, safety practices and policies to ensure your own safety, as well as the safety of others who may be affected by your actions at work
• Ability to work in fast-paced, multi-tasking environment with shifting priorities and demanding deadlines
• Must be detailed-oriented and able to effectively prioritize and organize workload, with efficient time management
• Ability to communicate and interact effectively in verbal written and presentation formats
• Must possess the fundamental technical and administrative skills required to perform the job duties
• Must be customer focused and quality driven
• Ability to travel as business needs dictate

Intertek: Total Quality. Assured.

Intertek is a world leader in the Quality Assurance market, with a proven, high-quality business model and a global network of customer-focused operations and highly engaged subject matter experts. With passion, pace, and precision we work to exceed our customers’ expectations, while engaging with our employees to be 10X in their performance and professional growth.

Intertek is a drug-free workplace. As a condition of employment, certain positions may be required to pass a pre-employment drug test based on the type of work that will be performed.

We Value Diversity

Intertek’s network of phenomenal people are our greatest assets, and the diversity they bring fuels our success. Intertek is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer that values inclusion and diversity. We take affirmative action to ensure all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status, or other legally protected characteristics.

For individuals with disabilities who would like to request accommodation, or who need assistance applying, please email [e-mail] or call 1-877-694-8543 (option #5) to speak with a member of the HR Department.

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