Site Quality Manager

ERMCO-ECI; Waddell (AZ); On-site; USD 110,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

ERMCO in Waddell, Arizona is building a new transformer manufacturing operation and seeks a Site Quality Manager to establish and lead quality assurance from day one. You will build the site’s QMS, ensure processes meet ERMCO standards and international norms, and lead a quality team across Operations, Engineering, and Supply Chain.

You will drive continuous improvement, manage audits, and foster a strong quality culture to deliver reliable products for customers and support plant ramp-up.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Quality Management, Manufacturing, or related field.
• 5 years of quality experience in a manufacturing environment, including at least 2 years in a leadership or supervisory role.
• Strong knowledge of ISO 9001 Quality Management Systems, audit requirements, corrective action, NCM, root cause analysis, and continuous improvement.
• Demonstrated experience leading quality improvement initiatives and delivering measurable improvements in manufacturing performance.
• Strong understanding of manufacturing processes, inspection, testing, process control, and quality metrics.

Responsibilities

• Build, implement, and continuously improve the site ISO 9001 Quality Management System (QMS), ensuring alignment with ERMCO requirements, customer expectations, and applicable industry standards.
• Lead, coach, and develop the site Quality team, establishing clear expectations, performance measures, and accountability.
• Establish quality processes, inspection practices, testing standards, documentation, and operating routines to support successful plant startup and production ramp-up.
• Drive the Non-Conforming Material (NCM) and corrective/preventive action processes, including containment, root cause analysis, corrective action, and verification of effectiveness.
• Monitor leading and lagging quality metrics and trends, identify potential risks and recurring issues, and lead structured problem-solving efforts to improve performance.
• Lead internal, external, customer, and ISO audits and maintain site readiness for quality and regulatory assessments.
• Partner with Manufacturing, Engineering, Supply Chain, and other functions to embed a zero non-conformances quality aspirational goal into manufacturing processes and resolve product, process, supplier, and customer quality issues.
• Lead continuous improvement efforts utilizing Lean, Six Sigma, root cause analysis, statistical methods, and other quality tools to reduce defects, scrap, rework, and variation.
• Partner with ERMCO’s established operations to transfer and align quality standards, testing practices, lessons learned, and manufacturing best practices as the Waddell facility ramps up.
• Build a strong accountability driven and ownership quality culture throughout the site by providing training, coaching, and clear standards that reinforce quality ownership at every level of the organization.
• Serve as the site ‘Voice of the Customer’ to all internal functional group members customers, suppliers, auditors, and other external stakeholders as needed.

Skills

Leadership

Quality management

ISO 9001 knowledge

Root cause analysis

Statistical methods

Cross-functional collaboration

Data-driven decision making

Communication

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering/Quality Management

Tools

CQE/CMQ/OE certifications

Lean Six Sigma (Green/Black Belt)

Job description

About ERMCO

Electric Research and Manufacturing Cooperative, Inc. (ERMCO) was founded in 1964 by three electric cooperatives with a mission to deliver reliable transformers to rural communities often overlooked by larger manufacturers. Headquartered in Dyersburg, Tennessee, the company quickly established itself as an innovator—becoming the first U.S. plant exclusively designed to produce single-phase pad-mounted transformers.

Overview

About ERMCO

Electric Research and Manufacturing Cooperative, Inc. (ERMCO) was founded in 1964 by three electric cooperatives with a mission to deliver reliable transformers to rural communities often overlooked by larger manufacturers. Headquartered in Dyersburg, Tennessee, the company quickly established itself as an innovator—becoming the first U.S. plant exclusively designed to produce single-phase pad-mounted transformers.

Over the decades, ERMCO has expanded its capabilities and footprint through facility growth, strategic acquisitions, and continued investment in innovation. ERMCO designs and manufactures a comprehensive portfolio of liquid-filled distribution transformers, including single-phase and three-phase pad-mounted and pole-mounted transformers, supported by a full range of components such as amorphous and silicon steel transformer cores, fuses, bushings, disconnect switches, and circuit breakers.

Today, nearly 3,500 employees across eight sites in North America support the company’s role as a leader in powering energy grids to meet evolving customer demand.

Now more than ever, ERMCO is positioned to be the industry’s Most Valued Partner.

About ERMCO’s Arizona Facility

Electric Research and Manufacturing Cooperative, Inc. (ERMCO) is expanding into the Greater Phoenix market with a new 566,121-square-foot manufacturing facility in Waddell. The site will strengthen ERMCO’s Three-Phase transformer production and create new opportunities to advance automated manufacturing capabilities.

This marks ERMCO’s first expansion west of the Mississippi River. Operational readiness is underway, with the first transformer set to be manufactured in 2027.

ERMCO is offering long-term career opportunities across engineering, skilled trades, and operations. Team members at this facility will help build scalable processes, embed best practices, and drive alignment across the enterprise—playing a key role in shaping how work is done at ERMCO both locally and companywide.

Job Summary

The Site Quality Manager is a key leadership role responsible for establishing and leading all quality assurance and quality control activities at ERMCO’s new transformer manufacturing facility in Waddell, Arizona.

As part of a new plant startup, this leader will help build the site’s quality systems from the ground up, ensuring manufacturing processes, products, testing, and quality practices meet customer requirements, ERMCO standards, and applicable ISO, ANSI, IEEE, and IEC standards.

The Site Quality Manager will lead the site quality team and partner closely with Operations, Engineering, Supply Chain, and enterprise Quality to establish effective processes, solve problems, reduce risk, and build a strong culture of quality and continuous improvement.

This position is on-site in Waddell, Arizona.

Responsibilities

• Build, implement, and continuously improve the site ISO 9001 Quality Management System (QMS), ensuring alignment with ERMCO requirements, customer expectations, and applicable industry standards.
• Lead, coach, and develop the site Quality team, establishing clear expectations, performance measures, and accountability.
• Establish quality processes, inspection practices, testing standards, documentation, and operating routines to support successful plant startup and production ramp-up.
• Drive the Non-Conforming Material (NCM) and corrective/preventive action processes, including containment, root cause analysis, corrective action, and verification of effectiveness.
• Monitor leading and lagging quality metrics and trends, identify potential risks and recurring issues, and lead structured problem-solving efforts to improve performance.
• Lead internal, external, customer, and ISO audits and maintain site readiness for quality and regulatory assessments.
• Partner with Manufacturing, Engineering, Supply Chain, and other functions to embed a zero non-conformances quality aspirational goal into manufacturing processes and resolve product, process, supplier, and customer quality issues.
• Lead continuous improvement efforts utilizing Lean, Six Sigma, root cause analysis, statistical methods, and other quality tools to reduce defects, scrap, rework, and variation.
• Partner with ERMCO’s established operations to transfer and align quality standards, testing practices, lessons learned, and manufacturing best practices as the Waddell facility ramps up.
• Build a strong accountability driven and ownership quality culture throughout the site by providing training, coaching, and clear standards that reinforce quality ownership at every level of the organization.
• Serve as the site ‘Voice of the Customer’ to all internal functional group members customers, suppliers, auditors, and other external stakeholders as needed.
• Must demonstrate flexibility in scheduling to meet operational requirements, including availability for off-hours support, emergency call-ins, planned shutdowns, and weekend work as business needs dictate.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Quality Management, Manufacturing, or a related technical field.
• Minimum of 5 years of quality experience in a manufacturing environment, including at least 2 years in a leadership or supervisory role.
• Strong knowledge of ISO 9001 Quality Management Systems, audit requirements, corrective action, NCM, root cause analysis, and continuous improvement.
• Demonstrated experience leading quality improvement initiatives and delivering measurable improvements in manufacturing performance.
• Strong understanding of manufacturing processes, inspection, testing, process control, and quality metrics.
• Proven ability to build, coach, and develop quality teams and influence quality performance across manufacturing operations.
• Strong analytical and structured problem-solving skills with the ability to use data to identify trends and drive corrective action.
• Excellent communication and cross-functional leadership skills with the ability to engage effectively across all levels of the organization.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and adapt quickly within a fast‑paced, evolving manufacturing environment.
• Experience with a new plant startup, facility expansion, production ramp‑up, or development of a new QMS strongly preferred.
• Experience in transformer manufacturing, electrical equipment, or a related industrial manufacturing environment preferred.
• Knowledge of applicable ANSI, IEEE, and IEC standards preferred.
• Quality certifications such as ASQ Certified Quality Engineer (CQE), Certified Manager of Quality/Organizational Excellence (CMQ/OE), or Lean Six Sigma Green/Black Belt preferred.

Let’s Build the Future Together

At ERMCO, you’ll have the opportunity to do more than manage an established quality system. You’ll help build the quality foundation for a new manufacturing operation, develop a team, establish processes and standards, and influence how quality is embedded into the Waddell facility from day one.

Join ERMCO and TRANSFORM Your Career.

Job Locations

US-AZ-Waddell