Senior Quality Assurance Manager Steel & O’Brien | DCC Manufacturing Lead quality across our manufacturing sites Reporting to the Vice President of Quality, the Senior Quality Assurance Manager leads quality assurance and compliance across supported data center cooling (DCC) fabrication and manufacturing sites. This hands-on role sets quality priorities and consistent standards, supports product conformity and customer satisfaction, and strengthens process controls and sustained performance. You’ll oversee quality systems, ISO 9001 readiness and maintenance, inspection standards, audits, and corrective and preventive action (CAPA). Working with Operations, Engineering, Supply Chain, and site Quality teams, you’ll build scalable programs, develop quality capabilities, and resolve complex or recurring issues. What you’ll do - Set quality objectives and a roadmap across supported sites, including standards, owners, milestones, staffing recommendations, and success measures.
- Standardize receiving, in-process, and final inspection, testing, and calibration controls with Engineering and site Quality teams. Ensure acceptance criteria, sampling plans, and escalation rules address requirements and risk.
- Oversee nonconforming product controls, containment, segregation, disposition, and release. Resolve escalated issues through designated technical and approval authorities.
- Lead cross-site reviews of defects, scrap, rework, first-pass yield, customer complaints, and cost of poor quality. Set improvement priorities and verify sustained results.
- Partner with Operations and Engineering on new products, process changes, weld and fabrication controls, and production readiness to prevent quality failures before scale-up.
- Own quality system governance and standardization, including gap assessments, risk reviews, certification plans, and management review reporting. Maintain controls for document approval, revisions, change control, records, training, and competency evidence.
- Direct internal, customer, and certification audits. Assign qualified auditors to preserve objectivity and impartiality, and hold process owners accountable for closing findings effectively.
- Work with Engineering and functional owners to identify applicable standards, customer specifications, contractual obligations, and product-related regulatory requirements, and translate them into documented controls.
- Maintain applicable controls for material certifications, heat and lot traceability, weld procedures and qualification records, inspection and test results, and certificates of conformity.
- Lead escalated customer quality concerns and significant supplier issues. Coordinate containment, communication, recovery plans, investigations, and corrective action ownership.
- Establish supplier quality and documentation expectations with Supply Chain; support supplier qualification, performance reviews, and risk-based audits.
- Oversee customer quality packages and Production Part Approval Process (PPAP) submissions when required, ensuring records support acceptance and authorized product release.
- Own the CAPA framework and lead complex, recurring, or cross-site investigations. Set response priorities based on risk and customer impact; coordinate root cause analysis, corrective actions, due dates, and effectiveness checks.
- Apply Lean, Kaizen, process mapping, 5 Whys, and structured problem solving to prevent recurrence, reduce variation, and improve controls. Report systemic risks, overdue actions, trends, and resource needs to the Vice President of Quality.
- Lead cross-site quality programs and coach assigned Quality managers, engineers, technicians, inspectors, and process owners. Manage direct reports’ priorities, onboarding, development, performance, and succession planning; assess staffing and technical capability needs.
- Influence cross-functional leaders, resolve competing priorities, and present quality risks, trends, and recommendations to senior leadership.
- Engineering and qualified technical personnel retain responsibility for technical interpretation and procedure approval within their designated authority. Inspection acceptance, product disposition, and release follow established approval authority. Functional process owners remain accountable for execution within their departments.
What you’ll bring - Bachelor’s degree in quality, engineering, manufacturing, business, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and relevant experience.
- At least seven years of progressive manufacturing quality assurance, quality systems, or related experience, including at least three years leading quality teams, major programs, or complex cross-functional initiatives.
- Demonstrated ownership of quality performance and quality system programs. Multi-site leadership and standardization experience strongly preferred.
- ISO 9001 Internal Auditor or Lead Auditor credential required; Lead Auditor preferred. Hands-on experience maintaining or implementing an ISO 9001 quality management system and supporting certification or surveillance audits required.
- Lean and/or Kaizen certification required, with demonstrated application and measurable results.
- Metal fabrication, welding, material traceability, drawings, measurement methods, and customer quality documentation experience strongly preferred.
- Microsoft Office proficiency, particularly Excel; experience with Dynamics 365 Business Central or a comparable ERP system. Power BI experience preferred.
Work environment and travel This role includes office work and regular time on the manufacturing floor. Site safety practices and personal protective equipment are required. Travel to supported sites, suppliers, or customer locations is required as business needs dictate. Salary Range: $ 150-200K, 15% annual bonus Attendance Requirements: Attendance on a regular, consistent basis is mandatory. Accommodations: Essential functions of this position may include but are not limited to lifting, reaching, bending, stooping, twisting, kneeling, crouching, carrying objects, ascending/descending stairs and commuting to work location. If you are an individual with a disability and need a reasonable accommodation to perform the essential job functions under the Americans with Disability Act (ADA) or other state or federal law, you may request the accommodation below. Accommodations requested:
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