Senior Manager, SEMA Quality

Avient Corporation; Avon Lake (OH); On-site; USD 140,000 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

Avient Corporation seeks a Sr. Manager, Corporate Quality to lead the North America Quality Management System, embedding Lean Six Sigma into quality systems to drive measurable business results.

You will partner with site Quality, Corporate Quality, Customers, and Operational Excellence to standardize processes, mitigate risk, and pursue continuous improvement across the enterprise. An established leader in quality, you will mentor teams and drive cross-functional initiatives.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Quality or related technical discipline.
• Master's degree preferred for leadership roles.
• Experience with ISO-based QMS and Lean Six Sigma.
• Experience leading enterprise-scale improvement initiatives.

Responsibilities

• Lead North America Quality Management System governance across sites.
• Oversee quality certifications and regulatory compliance (ISO 9001, ISO 13485, NSF, UL).
• Drive continuous improvement with KPI development and data-driven decisions.
• Lead cross-functional improvement initiatives with cost and risk impact.
• Provide executive reporting on QMS health and performance.

Skills

Quality leadership

Lean Six Sigma

Strategic thinking

Analytical & statistical skills

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering/Quality or related

Master's degree preferred

Tools

SAP (ERP)

Quality Management Systems tools

Microsoft Excel/Office

Job description

General Summary

The Sr. Manager, Corporate Quality is responsible for the strategic leadership, governance, and continuous improvement of the company's Quality Management Systems (QMS) across North America operations. This role ensures sustained compliance with applicable international quality standards while embedding Lean Six Sigma (LSS) and Operational Excellence principles into quality systems execution to deliver measurable business results.

This position serves as a senior liaison between site Quality organizations, Corporate Quality, Customers, Commercial and Operational Excellence leadership, driving standardization, capability development, risk mitigation, and continuous improvement across the enterprise.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities

Quality Management System Leadership

• Owns and governs the North America Quality Management System, including policies, procedures, documentation, and process architecture.
• Ensures quality system effectiveness, consistency, and alignment with corporate standards and business strategy.
• Acts as senior Quality Systems subject-matter expert and escalation point for system compliance and performance issues.

Quality Agreement, Specification, Certification & Regulatory Compliance

• Maintains as signature authority, Quality Agreements, Specifications, PPAP\PSW and Change Notification agreements for all EM North America locations.
• Maintains third-party quality certifications and accreditations, including but not limited to:
  • ISO 9001
  • ISO 13485
  • NSF
  • UL
• Develops and maintains the Plant level Internal Calibration, Audit Plan and Internal Audits.
• Serves as senior management representative for external audits, certification bodies, and customer assessments/surveys
• Ensures timely, sustainable corrective actions for audit findings and systemic nonconformances.

Continuous Improvement

• Provides leadership for enterprise-wide Quality Systems to ensure rigor, consistency, and measurable outcomes.
• Partners with Operational Excellence and Manufacturing leaders to:
  • Select and prioritize improvement opportunities
  • Translate business needs into improvement charters
• Drives KPI development, tracking, trending, and management review to support data-driven decision making.
• Leads and sponsors complex, cross-functional improvement initiatives with significant quality, cost, and risk impact.
• Manage statistical evaluations of incoming raw materials and outgoing products, in accordance with established procedures.

Corporate & Cross-Functional Leadership

• Serves as North America liaison to Corporate Quality, Quality Council, and Operational Excellence governance forums.
• Facilitates communication, translation, and incorporation of best practices across plants, business units, and regions.
• Collaborates with Engineering, Supply Chain/Manufacturing, Commercial, and EHS leaders to ensure quality systems enable business execution and customer satisfaction.
• Supports development, deployment, and sustainment of quality aligned with enterprise priorities. Maintains Toll Vendors. Including, as applicable, Toll Vendor Audits, Certification, Quality Agreements and Production COA management

Talent & Organizational Leadership

• Leads, develops, and mentors Quality Systems leaders and professionals.
• Drives engagement, accountability, and succession planning within the Quality organization.
• Assesses organizational capability gaps and supports targeted development actions.

Additional Responsibilities

• Supports enterprise risk management, change management, and major transformation initiatives.
• Provides executive-level reporting on Quality Systems health, risks, and improvement progress.
• Performs additional duties and projects as assigned.

Scope

• Multi-plant / Regional (North America)
• Enterprise Quality Management Systems

Education

• Bachelor's Degree required (Engineering, Quality, or related technical discipline preferred)
• Master's Degree preferred

Experience

• 10+ years of progressive experience in Manufacturing Quality and/or Operational Excellence
• Minimum 7 years in Quality Systems or enterprise quality leadership roles
• Demonstrated experience in ISO-based Quality Management Systems
• Experience applying Lean Six Sigma methodologies in operational and quality environments
• Proven success leading cross-functional, enterprise-scale improvement initiatives
• Experience developing and coaching leaders and indirect teams

Skills & Certifications

Technical & Professional

• Quality Management Systems (ISO 9001, IATF 16949, ISO 13485 preferred)
• Continuous Improvement & Process Excellence (Black Belt or equivalent strongly preferred)
• Risk-based thinking and change management
• Audit leadership and corrective action systems

Leadership & Personal

• Strategic Thinking
• Analytical & Statistical Skills
• Influence and coaching without authority
• Training and mentoring capability
• Time and priority management
• Executive-level communication

Software

• Microsoft Office Suite (Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Outlook)
• SAP or equivalent ERP
• Quality Management Systems tools

Our purpose at Avient Corporation is to be an innovator of materials solutions that help our customers succeed, while enabling a sustainable world.

Innovation goes far beyond materials science; it's powered by the passion, creativity, and diverse expertise of 9,000 professionals worldwide. Whether you're a finance wizard, a tech enthusiast, an operational powerhouse, an HR changemaker, or a trailblazer in materials development, you'll find your place at Avient.

Join our global team and help shape the future with sustainable solutions that transform possibilities into realities. Your unique perspective could be the key to our next breakthrough!

We believe that all of our global employees are leaders and that the six most important behaviors for driving our strategy and culture are the same no matter if an employee is a leader of self, a leader of others, or a leader of the business.

By playing to win, acting customer centric, driving innovation and profitable growth, collaborating seamlessly across Avient, and motivating and inspiring and developing others and yourself you will accelerate your ability to achieve Avient's strategic goals, to meet our customer needs, and to accomplish your career goals.

At Avient, we believe a wide variety of thoughts, ideas and backgrounds gives us the creativity to be successful in a rapidly changing world. In support of this, we stress equality of opportunity for all qualified individuals in accordance with applicable laws. Decisions on hiring, promotion, development, compensation or advancement are based solely on a person's qualifications, abilities, experience and performance.

Avient is an equal opportunity employer. We maintain a policy of non-discrimination in providing equal employment to all qualified employees and candidates regardless of race, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, color, religion, national origin, disability, genetic information, protected veteran's status, or other legally protected classification in accordance with applicable federal, state and local law. If you need an accommodation because of a disability to complete an online application, please contact the Avient HR Team by emailing, [e-mail].