Heat Treat Quality Manager

Our client is seeking an experienced Quality Manager with a strong background in metallurgy and heat treating to lead quality initiatives within a manufacturing environment. This individual will oversee the quality management system, provide technical metallurgical expertise, support customers and production teams, and drive continuous improvement efforts. The ideal candidate has hands-on experience analyzing microstructures, troubleshooting heat treat processes, and ensuring products meet customer and industry specifications.

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage the Quality Department while promoting a culture of quality and continuous improvement.
• Investigate customer and internal quality concerns, identify root causes, and implement corrective actions.
• Perform metallurgical evaluations including microstructure analysis, hardness testing, and failure analysis.
• Provide technical support for heat treat processes to ensure products meet mechanical property and metallurgical requirements.
• Develop, maintain, and improve quality systems, procedures, and work instructions.
• Lead internal and external quality audits and ensure compliance with applicable industry standards.
• Partner with engineering, production, and customers to resolve technical and quality-related issues.
• Analyze quality data, identify trends, and implement process improvements to reduce defects and improve consistency.
• Mentor and support quality personnel while driving accountability and professional development.
• Ensure documentation, certifications, and inspection records are maintained accurately.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in a Quality Manager, Metallurgist, Metallurgy Engineer, or similar leadership role.
• Strong understanding of metallurgy, heat treatment, and ferrous materials.
• Experience performing microstructure evaluations and interpreting metallurgical test results.
• Knowledge of heat treat processes such as carburizing, quenching, tempering, annealing, induction hardening, or similar.
• Experience leading root cause investigations and implementing corrective actions.
• Familiarity with ISO/IATF or other quality management systems is preferred.
• Strong leadership, communication, and problem-solving skills.
• Bachelor's degree in Metallurgy, Materials Science, Engineering, or a related field preferred, but equivalent experience will be considered.

Preferred Experience

• Commercial heat treating
• Metallurgical laboratory experience
• Microstructure and hardness analysis
• Failure analysis
• Continuous improvement initiatives
• Automotive or industrial manufacturing experience
• Customer-facing technical support