Quality Architect: QMS & Continuous Improvement

Richards Industrials; Fletcher (NC); Hybrid; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Richards Industrials in Fletcher, NC is seeking a Quality Manager to lead our quality system, drive corrective actions, and mentor a cross-functional team. You will manage audits, CAPA, risk management, and continuous improvement across engineering, production, and support functions.

A hands-on leader with GMP awareness will help ensure regulatory compliance and customer satisfaction. The role focuses on implementing robust quality processes, vendor quality, and performance measurement while

Qualifications

• Experience leading or developing quality personnel.
• Experience managing ISO-based QMS in an engineering or manufacturing environment.
• Experience with root-cause analysis, corrective actions, nonconformances, and continuous improvement.
• Experience conducting internal and external quality audits.
• Strong technical problem-solving and analytical skills.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to work effectively with cross-functional teams.
• Experience maintaining quality documentation and records.
• Ability to organize and follow through on multiple quality activities and corrective actions simultaneously.
• Experience with pharmaceutical, biopharmaceutical, life sciences, or other regulated-industry customers.
• Familiarity with GMP and customer-specific quality requirements.

Responsibilities

• Maintain and support QMS and ensure established quality processes are being consistently followed and remain effective.
• Coordinate required quality activities, meetings, reviews, and documentation and support programs related to internal audits, verification, corrective and preventive actions, risk management, continuous improvement, training, safety, management review and environmental requirements.
• Work with process owners to identify gaps, follow up on required actions, and ensure quality issues are appropriately addressed.
• Facilitate the investigation of quality issues and customer concerns using structured root-cause analysis and problem-solving methods.
• Work with Engineering, Manufacturing, Customer Support, and other teams to develop and implement corrective actions, verify their effectiveness, and identify opportunities to prevent recurrence.
• Review customer support cases and recurring issues to identify trends, determine when additional investigation or escalation is needed, and ensure important learnings are captured and communicated.
• Coordinate internal and external quality audits and serve as primary contact with certification and registration bodies.
• Maintain awareness of applicable quality standards, regulations, and industry practices and ensure required audits, documentation, training, and follow-up activities are completed.
• Support process owners in addressing audit observations and implementing corrective actions.
• Support customer quality reviews, questionnaires, audits, and requests for quality documentation, with particular attention to regulated industries.
• Work with customers and internal teams to understand applicable quality expectations and demonstrate conformance to required industry standards and customer-specific requirements.
• Coordinate responses to customer audit findings and quality concerns and ensure appropriate corrective actions and supporting documentation are completed.
• Work with Purchasing, Engineering, Manufacturing, and suppliers to improve the quality and consistency of purchased components and services.
• Monitor supplier quality performance, investigate recurring or significant supplier issues, and coordinate corrective actions when needed.
• Communicate quality expectations to suppliers, follow up on nonconformances, and help ensure supplier improvements are effective and sustained.
• Lead and develop direct reports while working closely with Engineering, Manufacturing, Customer Support, Operations, and other teams to resolve quality issues and improve processes.
• Provide coaching and quality expertise in areas such as root-cause analysis, corrective actions, auditing, risk assessment, Lean manufacturing, and continuous improvement.
• Encourage ownership, collaboration, problem-solving, and ongoing professional development across the quality team and organization.

Skills

Quality leadership

Root-cause analysis

Audits

QMS management

Cross-functional collaboration

Lean manufacturing

Documentation & records

Problem solving

Communication skills

Organizational skills

Education

Bachelor’s degree in engineering, business, or related field

Advanced degree preferred

Job description

Richards Industrials in Fletcher, NC is seeking a Quality Manager to lead our quality system, drive corrective actions, and mentor a cross-functional team. You will manage audits, CAPA, risk management, and continuous improvement across engineering, production, and support functions.

A hands-on leader with GMP awareness will help ensure regulatory compliance and customer satisfaction. The role focuses on implementing robust quality processes, vendor quality, and performance measurement while