Quality Manager

Summary

The Corporate Lighting Quality Engineering Manager is responsible for leading the Electronic Device Supplier Quality Engineering (EDSQE) team, helping drive warranty reduction and prevention efforts, interface with customer and supplier while also assisting the Corporate Quality Director. This position helps provide and execute strategic and operational leadership for warranty reduction, supplier quality performance, launch readiness, PPAP compliance, electronic component quality, and corrective action management throughout the automotive lighting product lifecycle.

The manager serves as the primary liaison between customers, manufacturing facilities, suppliers, engineering teams, and corporate quality leadership to ensure customer satisfaction, continuous improvement, and compliance with all applicable quality standards and customer requirements. The role drives proactive quality initiatives focused on reducing warranty claims, improving supplier performance, preventing field failures, and enhancing manufacturing quality results globally.

Core Competencies

• Leadership and Team Development
• Customer Focus
• Strategic Planning and Execution
• Supplier Quality Management
• Warranty Analysis and Reduction
• Problem Solving (8D, Red X, Six Sigma)
• APQP and PPAP Management
• Decision Making and Judgment
• Communication and Presentation Skills
• Analytical Thinking
• Root Cause Analysis
• Project Management
• Risk Assessment
• Continuous Improvement
• Conflict Resolution and Negotiation
• Accountability and Dependability
• Engineering Specifications Interpretation
• GD&T / Blueprint Reading
• Quality Systems and Regulatory Compliance

Key Responsibilities

Supplier Quality Leadership

• Lead corporate supplier quality activities for electronic devices, PCB assemblies, wire harnesses, sensors, controllers, LEDs, and related electronic components
• Establish supplier quality strategies and supplier development initiatives
• Manage supplier performance metrics and scorecards
• Oversee APQP and PPAP activities for electronic device suppliers
• Ensure supplier compliance with customer-specific requirements and internal quality standards
• Direct supplier audits, assessments, and corrective action activities
• Support new product launches and program development activities
• Lead supplier escalation processes when quality performance falls below expectations
• Collaborate with purchasing, engineering, manufacturing, and suppliers to resolve quality concerns

Warranty Quality Leadership

• Lead warranty quality activities related to automotive lighting products
• Establish warranty reduction strategies and annual performance objectives
• Monitor field performance, warranty returns, customer claims, and warranty trends
• Direct teardown activities, failure analysis, and root cause investigations
• Ensure effective implementation of immediate corrective actions (ICA) and permanent corrective actions (PCA)
• Coordinate cross-functional teams to address field issues and customer concerns
• Drive First Time Through (FTT) improvements across manufacturing locations
• Develop and standardize warranty best practices throughout all lighting facilities
• Review and escalate critical customer concerns to senior management as required
• Oversee reporting and presentation of warranty KPIs, trends, and corrective action status

Quality System Management

• Ensure compliance with:

• • IATF 16949/ISO 9001
  • Customer Specific Requirements
  • AIAG Core Tools
  • APQP
  • PPAP
  • MSA
  • SPC
  • FMEA
  • Applicable regulatory requirements

• Promote standardized quality processes throughout all plants and supplier locations
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives utilizing Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, and structured problem-solving methodologies

Leadership and Team Management

• Direct, coach, and develop Warranty Quality Engineers and Supplier Quality Engineers
• Establish clear objectives and performance expectations for team members
• Conduct performance evaluations and development planning
• Build technical competency within the organization
• Promote a culture of safety, accountability, customer focus, and continuous improvement
• Allocate resources and prioritize activities based on business risk and customer impact

Customer and Cross-Functional Support

• Act as the primary quality contact for significant customer warranty and supplier quality concerns
• Support customer meetings, audits, and quality reviews
• Coordinate activities among:

• • Manufacturing Plants
  • Engineering
  • Program Management
  • Purchasing
  • Suppliers
  • Customer Quality Organizations

• Provide executive-level reporting on quality performance and improvement initiatives.

Requirements

Education

• Bachelor's Degree in Engineering, Engineering Technology, Quality, or related technical discipline

Experience

• Minimum 7–10 years of quality engineering and/or engineering experience in automotive manufacturing
• Minimum 3–5 years of leadership or management experience
• Experience with automotive lighting products preferred
• Experience with electronic devices, PCB assemblies, sensors, controllers, and electronic systems preferred
• Experience managing warranty, supplier quality, APQP, PPAP, and launch activities (Program Management)

Technical Skills

• Strong knowledge of:

• • IATF 16949
  • AIAG Core Tools
  • APQP
  • PPAP
  • FMEA
  • SPC
  • MSA
  • 8D Problem Solving/Red X Methodology/Six Sigma Tools
  • GD&T
  • Blueprint Reading

• Strong statistical analysis skills
• Proficient with Microsoft Office Suite and quality data systems
• Experience with customer warranty databases and supplier quality systems

Working Conditions

• Travel domestically and internationally as required
• Ability to visit manufacturing plants, supplier facilities, customer locations, and warranty centers
• Physical ability to lift up to 20 lbs
• Ability to inspect products and analyze failures in manufacturing and laboratory environments
• Overtime and weekend work may be required to support launches, customer issues, and critical quality concerns

Performance Measures

• Warranty PPM Reduction
• Customer Scorecard Performance
• Supplier PPM Reduction
• Supplier On-Time PPAP Approval
• Corrective Action Closure Effectiveness
• Customer Satisfaction Metrics
• Launch Readiness and APQP Milestone Achievement
• Internal and External Audit Performance
• Cost of Poor-Quality Reduction
• Continuous Improvement Project Results

Requirements

• Bachelor’s Degree in quality engineering or related technology or equivalent experience.
• Minimum of 8 years experience in a manufacturing facility that offered the opportunity to gain a well rounded background in quality.
• Six Sigma certification preferred.
• Business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources. 
• Customer needs, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
• Production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture, assembly and distribution of goods
• Machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
• Arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
• Develop, plan and implement short and long term goals
• Strong organizational skills.
• Strong communication skills (both verbal and written).
• Proficiency with database applications and administration systems, specifically Microsoft Office and the use of statistical software.
• Ability to work effectively alone and prioritize.
• Must be a highly motivated, service and team-oriented individual with an attention to detail.
• Enthusiasm for challenge and new initiatives are prerequisites.
• Strong analytical ability
• Supervisory and interpersonal skills are required
• Troubleshooting ability is required
• Strong decision making and problem solving skills
• Demonstrated good internal customer service skills
• Good presentation skills
• Ability to manage multiple projects.
• Detail oriented
• Good computer skills