Quality Manager

Plastic Executive Recruiters; Indiana (PA); On-site; USD 100,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Plastic Executive Recruiters is seeking a Quality Manager for an automotive manufacturing operation in the Northeastern Indiana area. You will connect the quality system to production, leading supplier and customer quality initiatives.

The role requires 5+ years in manufacturing quality with leadership, hands-on IATF16949/ISO9001 experience, APQP/PPAP involvement, and a strong ability to drive corrective actions while working across Operations, Engineering, and suppliers.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of manufacturing quality experience with leadership responsibilities.
• Automotive manufacturing experience strongly preferred.
• Hands-on knowledge of IATF 16949 and ISO 9001.
• Direct APQP and PPAP experience supporting automotive programs.

Responsibilities

• Lead and continuously improve the plant Quality Management System.
• Maintain compliance with IATF 16949, ISO 9001, and customer-specific requirements.
• Lead customer complaints, containment, 8D actions, and defect elimination.
• Own quality execution for APQP, PPAP, Safe Launch, new programs, and engineering changes.
• Lead and develop Quality Engineers, Auditors, Technicians, and inspectors.
• Strengthen SPC, MSA, control plans, process capability, and variation reduction.

Skills

Quality leadership

Automotive quality

IATF 16949 knowledge

APQP/PPAP

MSA/SPC

8D problem-solving

Customer interaction

Team development

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering

Job description

Quality Manager – Automotive Manufacturing

Northeastern Indiana Area

$100,000-$120,000 Base

Some Quality Manager roles are heavily focused on maintaining the system. This one needs someone who can connect the quality system to what is actually happening in production.

We are supporting an established automotive manufacturer looking for a plant-level quality leader who understands demanding customer requirements, complex manufacturing processes, and the pace that comes with automotive production.

WHY THIS ROLE EXISTS

The operation needs a Quality Manager who can bring together customer quality, manufacturing discipline, corrective action, launch execution, and a strong IATF-based Quality Management System.

This person will report directly to plant leadership and have meaningful authority to address quality risk, drive corrective action, and improve performance across the operation.

WHAT YOU'LL OWN

• Lead and continuously improve the plant Quality Management System.
• Maintain compliance with IATF 16949, ISO 9001, and customer-specific requirements.
• Lead customer complaints, containment, 8D corrective actions, and recurring-defect elimination.
• Own quality execution for APQP, PPAP, Safe Launch, new programs, and engineering changes.
• Lead and develop Quality Engineers, Auditors, Technicians, laboratory personnel, and Inspectors.
• Strengthen SPC, MSA, control plans, process capability, and variation-reduction efforts.
• Track and improve customer scorecards, PPM, COPQ, warranty trends, and other plant quality KPIs.
• Partner closely with Operations, Engineering, suppliers, and customers on significant quality issues.

WHAT STRONG CANDIDATES LOOKS LIKE

• 5+ years of manufacturing quality experience with meaningful leadership responsibility.
• Automotive manufacturing experience strongly preferred.
• Hands-on working knowledge of IATF 16949 and ISO 9001.
• Direct APQP and PPAP experience supporting automotive programs.
• Strong understanding of MSA, SPC, control plans, process capability, and customer-specific requirements.
• Proven experience leading 8D investigations, containment, and corrective actions.
• Comfortable interacting directly with automotive customers on quality issues and performance expectations.
• Experience leading and developing a multi-level quality team.
• Able to move comfortably between the QMS, customer issues, data analysis, and production-floor problem solving.
• Bachelor's degree in Engineering or a related technical field preferred, with equivalent experience considered.

WHAT'S IN IT FOR YOU

• Direct reporting relationship to plant leadership.
• Broad ownership across customer quality, manufacturing quality, launches, systems, and team development.
• Complex, automated manufacturing environment with meaningful technical depth.
• Authority to drive corrective actions and influence how the operation performs.

WHAT THIS ROLE IS NOT

• Not a document-control-only quality position.
• Not an inspection supervisor role.
• Not a corporate quality assignment removed from daily production.
• Not a fit for someone whose automotive quality experience stops at maintaining procedures and preparing for audits.

If you have worked in automotive quality and enjoy being close to the manufacturing process, this is worth a confidential conversation.