Quality and Continuous Improvement Manager

Swagelok North Carolina | East Tennessee; Matthews (NC); On-site; USD 95,000 - 135,000; Full time

Job summary

Swagelok North Carolina | East Tennessee seeks a Quality & Continuous Improvement (QCI) Manager to strengthen the Quality Management System and lead corrective actions. This role partners with leaders across departments to identify quality risks, resolve issues, and implement sustainable improvements.

You will balance daily quality work with longer-term improvement opportunities through data and audits. The ideal candidate will have ISO 9001 experience, strong root-cause analysis, and a track

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Operations, Supply Chain, Business, Quality Management, or related field.
• 7–15 years of progressive experience in Quality, Quality Engineering, Quality Systems, Continuous Improvement, or related disciplines.
• Experience managing and improving a Quality Management System (QMS) in an ISO 9001 or similar environment.
• Strong root cause analysis, problem-solving investigations, and CAPA processes.
• Data-driven decision making with advanced data analysis skills.
• Facilitation and cross-functional leadership to drive improvements.

Responsibilities

• Maintain and continuously improve the Quality Management System (SQS-D).
• Lead root cause investigations and corrective action efforts for quality issues.
• Monitor quality performance metrics and identify improvement opportunities.
• Coordinate internal and external audits and ensure timely CAPA closure.
• Drive process simplification, standardization, and quality ownership across the organization.
• Provide hands-on support to departments addressing quality challenges.

Skills

Root cause analysis

Problem solving

Data analysis

Cross-functional facilitation

Influence without authority

Quality improvement

Quality metrics

Lean/Six Sigma knowledge

Auditing

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

SAP Business One

Quality reporting dashboards

Job description

Swagelok North Carolina | East Tennessee provides critical fluid system products, assemblies, training, and services to customers in power, chemical, biopharmaceutical, R&D, transportation, and semiconductor industries. We are an independently owned and authorized sales and service center for Swagelok® solutions, combining the strength of a $2B global organization with the agilityof a locally owned business supported by over 70 years of Swagelok manufacturing and distribution expertise.

Our unique position allows us to operate with both the resources of a global enterprise and the responsiveness of a growing regional company. We are seeking a quality professional who can strengthen our quality systems, drive continuous improvement through effective corrective actions and problem-solving, and help us maintain our customer-first culture.

What will you do in this role?

The Quality & Continuous Improvement (QCI) Manager is an individual contributor responsible for strengthening quality performance, maintaining the Quality Management System (QMS), and driving continuous improvement through effective quality processes and corrective action management.

This role serves as the organization's primary quality subject matter expert, partnering closely with leaders and associates across departments to identify quality risks, resolve issues, and implement sustainable improvements. Rather than leading through direct authority, the QCI Manager influences outcomes through collaboration, analytical problem-solving, and a deep understanding of quality principles.

The QCI Manager will be responsible for maintaining and continuously improving the Quality Management System (SQS-D), managing customer and supplier quality concerns, facilitating root cause investigations, and driving corrective and preventive actions that improve quality, consistency, and customer satisfaction.

Success in this role requires a hands-on, detail-oriented professional who can balance daily quality activities with longer-term improvement opportunities. Continuous improvement will be driven through quality metrics, corrective action processes, audit findings, customer feedback, and data-driven problem solving to improve operational performance across the organization.

What you will be doing:

Quality Leadership & Quality System Ownership

• Maintain and continuously improve the Quality Management System (SQS-D) to ensure effectiveness, compliance, and scalability.
• Serve as the organization's primary resource for quality-related processes, requirements, and best practices.
• Manage and execute core quality system activities including customer quality inquiries, procedure reviews and approvals, corrective actions, nonconformance management, and quality-related training.
• Lead root cause investigations and corrective action efforts to address internal, supplier, and customer quality issues.
• Monitor quality performance metrics and identify improvement opportunities based on trends, risks, and recurring issues.
• Facilitate internal and external audits and ensure timely completion of corrective actions resulting from audit findings.
• Drive process simplification and standardization while maintaining compliance with quality requirements.
• Partner with leaders and associates to strengthen quality ownership throughout the organization.
• Act as the primary liaison with customers and Swagelok corporate on quality-related matters.
• Drive timely resolution of customer quality concerns with an emphasis on sustainable corrective and preventive actions.
• Collaborate with suppliers and internal stakeholders to improve quality performance and reduce recurring quality issues.
• Promote awareness and understanding of customer requirements across the organization.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives through quality data, audit findings, corrective actions, customer feedback, and operational performance metrics.
• Identify recurring issues and lead structured problem-solving efforts to eliminate root causes.
• Facilitate cross-functional teams in developing and implementing corrective and preventive actions.
• Utilize Lean, Six Sigma, and other problem-solving methodologies to improve quality, reduce waste, and increase process effectiveness.
• Monitor key quality and operational metrics and communicate performance trends, risks, and improvement opportunities to leadership.
• Develop and maintain visibility to quality performance through dashboards, reporting, and analysis.
• Build organizational capability in root cause analysis, corrective action management, and quality ownership.
• Coach associates and leaders on quality tools, problem-solving techniques, and continuous improvement principles.
• Support implementation and sustainment of process improvements to ensure measurable and lasting results.
• Provide hands-on support to departments in addressing quality challenges and improvement opportunities.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Operations, Supply Chain, Business, Quality Management, or related field.
• 7-15 years of progressive experience in Quality, Quality Engineering, Quality Systems, Continuous Improvement, Operational Excellence, or related disciplines.
• Demonstrated experience managing and improving a Quality Management System (QMS) in an ISO 9001 or similar quality-focused environment.
• Strong expertise leading root cause analysis, problem-solving investigations, and Corrective and Preventive Action (CAPA) processes.
• Proven success driving process improvement initiatives through data-driven decision making.
• Advanced data analysis skills with the ability to identify trends, risks, and opportunities and translate findings into action.
• Exceptional facilitation skills with experience leading cross-functional teams through structured problem solving and improvement initiatives.
• Proven ability to influence without direct authority, build alignment, and drive organizational change across functions.
• Experience leading continuous improvement efforts that deliver measurable operational, customer, or quality improvements.

Preferred Qualifications

• Lean certification, Six Sigma Green Belt, Black Belt, or equivalent continuous improvement training.
• Experience leading cross-functional projects or formal project management initiatives.
• Experience coaching leaders and managers on quality systems, problem-solving tools, and continuous improvement methodologies.
• Experience in a distribution, manufacturing, industrial products, or technical service environment.
• Experience with ERP systems (SAP Business One preferred) and quality reporting dashboards.

Company Overview

Swagelok Company is a privately owned, $2.5 billion company that develops and manufactures specialized fluid handling products used in a variety of industries. Swagelok Company is an American success story that has been the global leader in its field for over 75 years.

Swagelok North Carolina | East Tennessee is the independently owned, authorized sales and service center for Swagelok products and services. We service throughout North Carolina, the eastern half of Tennessee, northwest Virginia and northwest South Carolina.