Full-time
Quality Manager
Posted on 13 May 26 by Melissa Wheeler Poole
- New Bern, NC
- $ - $
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Job Description
Quality Manager
Position Summary
The Quality Manager is responsible for leading plant-level quality compliance, product quality improvement, and manufacturing process capability within a high-volume manufacturing environment. This role plays a critical leadership position in driving a strong quality culture, improving product and process performance, and resolving both in-plant and field quality issues through structured root cause analysis and corrective actions.
The Quality Manager partners closely with operations, engineering, and frontline teams to ensure products consistently meet customer expectations, regulatory requirements, and internal quality standards. This role is hands-on, highly visible on the plant floor, and essential to rebuilding trust, engagement, and accountability within the quality organization.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead and promote a strong quality culture across the plant by coaching, influencing, and partnering with hourly and salaried teams.
- Advise and lead corrective actions, continuous improvement efforts, and process enhancements to improve product and process quality.
- Drive root cause analysis and corrective action for internal defects, customer complaints, and field performance issues.
- Monitor and analyze quality data, trends, and KPIs to improve customer satisfaction and manufacturing outcomes.
- Lead quality-focused engineering and process improvement initiatives to enhance product consistency and capability.
- Apply Lean and Six Sigma tools to solve business and quality challenges.
- Improve process discipline through the deployment of foundational quality tools such as standard work and layered process audits.
- Drive process capability through the use of SPC, CpK analysis, and statistical quality methods.
- Champion enterprise-wide quality and operational excellence initiatives at the plant level.
- Develop and strengthen the site quality management system using ISO/QS/TS principles to ensure repeatable, high-quality manufacturing processes.
- Ensure compliance with all applicable government regulations and industry standards related to product and process quality.
Required Education, Experience & Skills
- Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical, Chemical, Polymer, Materials Science Engineering, or a related applied science discipline.
- 5–8 years of quality and/or process management experience, including direct responsibility for developing and implementing product or process quality systems.
- Strong working knowledge of ISO/QS/TS-based quality systems.
- Proficiency with quality and data analysis tools such as Excel, Minitab, Access, and PowerPoint.
- Ability to work in a manufacturing environment, including standing, walking, lifting (up to 50 lbs.), and navigating active production areas.
- Willingness and ability to wear required Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and work in varied temperature conditions.
Work Environment
This role operates within a manufacturing plant and office environment. Exposure to moving machinery, elevated noise levels, and temperature variations is expected. Regular use of computers, phones, and other business communication tools is required.
5 Must-Haves for Success in This Role
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Rebuild Rapport and Trust with the Hourly Quality Team
Ability to re-engage inspectors and technicians through visible leadership, listening, coaching, and fair, consistent expectations. -
Hands-On Plant Floor Leadership
Comfortable spending significant time in production areas, observing processes, and partnering directly with operations and quality personnel. -
Strong Root Cause & Corrective Action Expertise
Proven ability to lead structured problem-solving that delivers sustainable, data-driven solutions—not temporary fixes. -
Quality Systems & Process Discipline
Deep understanding of ISO/QS/TS systems and the ability to strengthen process discipline through audits, standard work, and SPC. -
Change Leadership & Culture Building
Capable of influencing without authority, driving accountability, and embedding a proactive quality mindset across all levels of the organization.