Quality Manager

H.T. Prof Executive Search; Dubuque (IA); On-site; USD 80,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

H.T. Prof Executive Search is seeking a Quality Manager responsible for the effectiveness of the QMS and overall product quality, with emphasis on AS9100 compliance.

The role focuses on ownership of the QMS, proactive quality leadership, and ensuring quality standards are executed in production and administrative processes. Key duties include leading audits, driving corrective actions, PPAPs, and ensuring timely disposition of nonconforming material.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, quality or management.
• 3+ years of quality experience in AS9100 or aerospace environments.
• Hands-on inspection experience is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Own and maintain the AS9100 Quality Management System (QMS).
• Lead internal audits and coordinate external audits (customer & registrar).
• Drive corrective actions (8D, CARs, SCARs) across departments.
• Monitor quality performance and address issues in real time.
• Coordinate with Production, Engineering and others to mitigate quality risks.
• Ensure nonconforming material is identified, controlled and dispositioned.

Skills

QMS ownership

Audits (internal & external)

Corrective actions (8D/CARs/SCARs)

PPAP & first article inspections

Dimensional inspection

Laser scanning

Education

Bachelor's degree in engineering/quality/management

Job description

The Quality Manager is responsible for the effectiveness of the Quality Management System (QMS) and overall product quality performance. This role focuses on ensuring compliance with AS9100 requirements, driving corrective actions and maintaining consistent quality standards across all operations.

The primary focus of this role is ownership of the QMS, proactive quality leadership and ensuring quality standards are effectively executed in both production and administrative processes.

• Ensure the Quality Management System is maintained, compliant and effectively implemented across the organization.
• Prioritize and drive corrective actions related to customer complaints, internal defects and supplier issues.
• Ensure timely completion of PPAPs, first article inspections and other customer-required quality deliverables.
• Balance time between production floor engagement and administrative quality responsibilities based on business needs.
• Proactively identify quality risks in production and implement containment and corrective actions.
• Prioritize improvement activities based on quality performance metrics, including customer returns, scrap and supplier performance.
• Coordinate with Production, Engineering and other departments to address quality-related risks and issues.
• Ensure nonconforming material is properly controlled, documented and dispositioned in a timely manner.

Key Responsibilities

• Own and maintain the AS9100 Quality Management System, ensuring compliance and effectiveness.
• Lead internal audits and coordinate external audits, including customer and registrar audits.
• Monitor quality performance and address issues impacting product quality in real time.
• Communicate quality performance, risks and significant issues to leadership in a timely manner.
• Perform hands-on inspection of parts as needed to verify quality standards and reinforce expectations.
• Engage with production employees through brief training and coaching conversations to improve quality awareness and execution.
• Lead and drive corrective actions (8D, CARs, SCARs) across departments, ensuring timely completion and effectiveness.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for customer quality issues and responses.
• Oversee supplier performance, including quality, corrective actions and on-time delivery.
• Own, monitor and drive improvement of key quality performance metrics including customer returns, internal scrap and supplier performance.
• Support or perform technical validation activities such as dimensional inspection and laser scanning as required.
• Ensure inspection processes (incoming, in-process, final) are effective and consistently executed.

Implementation & Sustainment

• Ensure quality processes and standards are consistently followed and sustained across all departments.
• Monitor effectiveness of corrective actions and escalate when issues are not resolved.
• Verify that process changes, corrective actions and improvements are properly implemented and maintained.
• Ensure documentation and records within the QMS remain current, accurate and controlled.

Quality System & Process Execution Focus

• Oversee adherence to quality standards across all manufacturing processes.
• Monitor process compliance and identify deviations from established quality requirements.
• Ensure nonconforming material is clearly identified, segregated and controlled.
• Prevent shipment of nonconforming product through effective inspection and process controls.

Training & Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Provide training, coaching and guidance to employees regarding quality standards and expectations.
• Conduct brief, on-the-floor interactions to reinforce quality awareness and correct behaviors.
• Collaborate with Production, Engineering, Maintenance and other departments to resolve quality issues.
• Work with Purchasing and suppliers to address supplier-related quality concerns.
• Drive accountability for quality performance across all departments.
• Conduct regular team communication meetings and employee development discussions to support accountability, alignment and performance.

Role Scope & Responsibilities

• This role owns the Quality Management System and is accountable for its effectiveness and compliance with AS9100 requirements.
• This role is responsible for proactively identifying, initiating and driving corrective actions across all departments.
• This role owns quality outcomes and is responsible for ensuring completion of quality-related activities, regardless of which function performs the work.
• This role is responsible for maintaining a consistent presence on the production floor to verify quality and reinforce standards.
• This role is expected to proactively identify, elevate and drive resolution of quality risks without requiring direction from others.
• This role supports production through quality oversight but does not own production output or scheduling.
• This role is responsible for driving accountability to quality standards across all departments and providing leadership, direction and oversight to quality personnel as organizational needs evolve.
• This role supports product validation activities such as PPAP and inspection but does not own process design, which is the responsibility of the Process Engineer.
• This role is accountable for ensuring nonconforming material processes are followed but relies on cross-functional support for execution of material movement and disposition actions.

Education – Bachelors in related field, i.e., engineering, quality, management.Three years or more of quality checks of parts and participated in AS9100 Audits. A real plus is hands-on inspection of parts produced during manufacturing.