Quality Manager (Hands-On) – Manufacturing
Location: Belvidere, IL (On-site)
Industry: Manufacturing
A Japanese manufacturing company is seeking a hands-on Quality Manager to take ownership of all quality assurance and quality control activities at its manufacturing facility.
This is an individual contributor position responsible for quality inspections, ISO compliance, customer quality issues, and continuous improvement. The ideal candidate is someone who enjoys working directly on the manufacturing floor and taking responsibility for the entire quality function.
Key Responsibilities:
- Perform quality inspections of incoming materials, in-process parts, and finished products.
- Identify nonconforming products, investigate root causes, and implement corrective actions.
- Manage ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 procedures, including internal audits, documentation, training, and external audit coordination.
- Prepare and coordinate Pre-Shipment Inspections (PSI), including documentation and communication with external inspectors.
- Prepare First Article Inspection (FAI) documentation for new projects.
- Review engineering drawings, blueprints, and technical specifications to ensure product quality.
- Communicate with customers regarding quality concerns, nonconformance reports, and corrective actions.
- Monitor scrap, rejected products, and quality trends to identify improvement opportunities.
- Work closely with Production, Engineering, and Operations teams to improve product quality and manufacturing processes.
Qualifications:
- Experience in Quality Assurance or Quality Control in a manufacturing environment.
- Familiarity with ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 standards.
- Ability to read and interpret engineering drawings and blueprints.
- Experience with manufacturing inspections, quality documentation, and root cause analysis.
- Strong problem-solving and communication skills.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office and quality reporting.
- Experience in metal fabrication, automotive components, industrial equipment, or related manufacturing industries is a plus.
- College degree preferred but not required.
- Japanese language skills are desired but not required.