Global Quality Leader
Schedule: Monday–Friday, 8:00 AM–5:00 PM
Work Arrangement: Onsite
Travel: Approximately 15–20%, including domestic and international travel
Position Summary
Reporting to the Sr. Director – Global Quality, this position will provide strategic quality leadership across Oshkosh manufacturing operations and serve as a key customer-facing leader for product quality issues. The role will establish and drive quality strategy across global sites while partnering closely with customers, Operations, Manufacturing, Engineering, and Product Development.
This individual will lead the resolution of significant customer and product quality challenges, including cosmetic defects, assembly issues, and complex mechanical and electronic failures. The position will drive containment, root cause analysis, corrective action, and long-term quality improvements while ensuring clear communication with customers and internal stakeholders.
The role will also lead the integration of reliability and robustness into New Product Development, support warranty reduction initiatives, continuously improve the Oshkosh Quality Management System (QMS), and provide strategic guidance for manufacturing quality.
Key Responsibilities
- Provide global quality leadership and help establish quality strategy, standards, and expectations across Oshkosh manufacturing sites.
- Serve as a key customer-facing quality leader, taking ownership of significant customer quality concerns from initial escalation through resolution.
- Champion customer quality by ensuring timely containment, communication, root cause analysis, corrective action, and sustainable resolution of field and customer-reported issues.
- Lead resolution of product quality concerns ranging from cosmetic and assembly defects to significant mechanical and electronic issues.
- Partner closely with Operations, Manufacturing, Engineering, Product Development, and other cross-functional teams to resolve quality challenges.
- Drive improvements in customer experience and satisfaction through proactive issue prevention and cross-functional alignment.
- Serve as the highest level of escalation within assigned quality workstreams, providing leadership on complex and high-impact quality issues.
- Lead structured root cause analysis and problem-solving efforts using methodologies such as 8D and Six Sigma.
- Lead APQP activities supporting manufacturing and new product launches.
- Ensure manufacturing quality activities, including PFMEAs, Control Plans, and Reaction Plans, are effectively implemented and integrated into manufacturing launch activities.
- Provide hands-on coaching and training in APQP, PFMEA, Control Plans, structured problem solving, and other manufacturing quality disciplines.
- Develop and implement quality training plans for manufacturing teams.
- Lead the integration of reliability and robustness principles into New Product Development.
- Support warranty reduction initiatives through structured problem solving and continuous improvement.
- Develop and institutionalize manufacturing quality tools, standards, and best practices across the organization.
- Continuously improve Oshkosh Quality Management System standards, procedures, and processes.
- Provide strategic guidance and leadership to manufacturing quality teams across global operations.
Minimum Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Operations Management, or a related field.
- 8+ years of related professional experience.
- Demonstrated quality leadership experience within a large-scale manufacturing environment.
- Strong manufacturing quality background with experience addressing product, process, and customer quality issues.
- Experience working directly with customers to manage escalations and drive quality issue resolution.
- Strong root cause analysis and structured problem-solving capabilities.
- Ability to work effectively across Operations, Manufacturing, Engineering, and other cross-functional organizations.
- Strong communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to interact effectively with senior leadership, customers, and working-level teams.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience providing quality leadership within a large, global manufacturing organization.
- Master’s degree in Reliability Engineering or a related engineering discipline.
- Certified Lean Six Sigma Black Belt; Master Black Belt certification strongly preferred.
- Hands-on experience with Design for Reliability, Design for Robustness, or Design for Six Sigma (DFSS).
- Demonstrated experience driving quality improvements within New Product Development processes.
- Strong knowledge of APQP, PFMEA, Control Plans, Reaction Plans, 8D, and Six Sigma methodologies.
- Demonstrated success leading significant quality or continuous improvement initiatives.
- Strong project management, prioritization, and business acumen.
- Ability to communicate complex quality and technical issues clearly to customers and stakeholders at all levels.
- Ability to adapt to shifting priorities, customer demands, and timelines while maintaining a structured approach to problem solving.
- Experience influencing quality performance across multiple manufacturing locations or global operations.
Travel & Working Conditions
- Approximately 15–20% travel, including travel within the United States and internationally.
- This position combines office-based responsibilities with regular interaction in manufacturing and production environments.
- Office activities may include extended computer use, meetings, and detailed analytical work.
- Manufacturing or field activities may involve walking production floors, standing for extended periods, climbing stairs, moderate lifting up to 50 pounds, and exposure to varying temperatures and noise levels.
- Reasonable accommodations will be provided for qualified individuals with disabilities.
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