Quality Manager

ALT is a manufacturer of fabricated sheet metal components – or at least we were for the last 25 years – we're actively transforming ourselves into a company that also designs and sells its own products, and it's going great. Managing the quality system through a transition like that is a fun challenge, and it absolutely requires a system builder, not just someone to execute the day-to-day tasks.

More than just a quality system builder – this posting is a chance to find someone with an earnest desire to join the senior leadership team. Managing the quality department and architecting better quality systems is still the primary function of the role. But as our team grows, we're looking for senior managers who can contribute at the executive level – people who want to help build the business, not just run a department.

The Quality Manager role is demanding on its own, and overseeing a system in transition only makes it more so. We'll work together beyond the job description to build it right – and if you've got more in you than that, even better: we're growing fast and need higher-level contributors. If that sounds like fun, you're the kind of person I'm hoping to meet.

We're very willing to hire a traditional Quality Manager for this role, and I'll cross my fingers that we meet a few leaders along the way. Either way – get me your resume and let's sit down and chat.

Jonah Higgs - Director of Technical Services

Summary: Champions company-wide quality assurance, quality systems, customer quality requirements, and continuous improvement programs by performing the following duties. This is a combination leadership and technical position. Technical efforts are focused on evaluating manufacturing quality challenges, solving problems, improving processes, supporting customer requirements, and developing practical solutions that improve part quality, repeatability, and delivery performance. Leadership efforts are focused on building a culture of quality into the DNA of the company by actively selling, influencing, coaching, and motivating production and supporting team members to make high and consistent part quality a daily priority.

Duties and Responsibilities include the following.  Other duties may be assigned.

1. Develops, implements, communicates, and champions a highly effective company-wide quality system based on management goals, ISO requirements, customer requirements, and company operating needs. *

2. Responsible for effective training, implementation, maintenance, and continuous improvement of the ISO 9001:2015 quality management system. Leads the company in obtaining and maintaining successful audit and certification results. *

3. Effectively interacts with sales, estimating, engineering, pre-production, production, shipping, and leadership teams to ensure products meet internal requirements, customer specifications, quality expectations, and delivery commitments. *

4. Provides hands-on technical quality support by evaluating parts, drawings, specifications, manufacturing methods, inspection results, customer concerns, and process capability to identify root causes and develop practical corrective actions. *

5. Leads and promotes quality performance improvement throughout the organization using effective continuous improvement techniques, disciplined problem solving, root cause analysis, corrective action, preventive action, and practical manufacturing improvement strategies. *

6. Supervises, trains, develops, and holds accountable quality department staff to execute the company quality system, support production needs, and meet department and company goals. *

7. Develops and implements inspection, measurement, training, and verification systems to ensure tests, procedures, work instructions, and customer requirements are properly understood, carried out, documented, and evaluated. *

8. Directly interacts with customers' auditors, quality staff, and technical representatives to ensure compliance with customer specifications, effective corrective action, and professional problem solving with internal teams and customer representatives. *

9. Works with executive management to establish quality objectives, quality metrics, customer quality targets, compliance expectations, and continuous improvement priorities, and ensures that progress is measured and communicated. *

10. Writes clear, concise, and useful technical reports, corrective action responses, management system reports, audit responses, inspection summaries, and customer-facing quality communications as needed. *

11. Develops, sets up, maintains, and improves controls, documentation procedures, quality records, inspection plans, work instructions, nonconformance processes, and related quality system documentation that meet company and customer requirements. *

12. Identifies and implements relevant quality-related training needs and delivers training as needed as part of the company's continuous improvement program. *

13. Collates, analyzes, and communicates performance data, quality trends, defect information, customer concerns, and process metrics against defined parameters and presents results to the management team as required. *

14. Proactively works with and travels to customer locations as needed to promote successful working relationships with customers' quality and leadership teams, resolve quality concerns, and strengthen customer confidence in ALT.*

15. Builds and promotes a company-wide culture of high quality as a fundamental part of ALT's priorities by selling, influencing, coaching, and motivating production team members to make high and consistent parts quality a priority in their daily work. *

16. Leverages AI tools across both technical matters and the human craft of management to improve analysis, problem solving, communication, documentation, training, and leadership effectiveness while maintaining appropriate judgment and accountability. *

17. Identifies and cooperates with potential opportunities for efficiency, productivity improvement, cost reduction, scrap reduction, rework reduction, and improved first-pass yield. *

18. Maintains an organized and clean department and active work areas.

19. Responsible for absolute compliance with and promotion of company safety and personal protective equipment requirements.

20. Protects the organization's value by keeping information confidential.

21. Works with outside companies, vendors, auditors, consultants, and support personnel as needed.

22. Strives to assume the company's commitments and fulfills them with a sense of pride and urgency.

Supervisory Responsibilities:

Directly supervises 2-4 employees in the Quality Department. Carries out supervisory responsibilities in accordance with the organization's policies and applicable laws. Responsibilities include interviewing, hiring, and training employees; planning, assigning, and directing work; appraising performance; rewarding and disciplining employees; addressing complaints and resolving problems.

Qualifications:

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Language Ability:

Ability to read, analyze, and interpret complex documents, drawings, specifications, customer requirements, quality records, audit requirements, and technical information. Ability to respond effectively to sensitive inquiries or complaints. Ability to write clear technical reports, corrective action responses, work instructions, and management communications. Ability to make effective and persuasive presentations to management, customers, auditors, and internal teams.

Math Ability:

Ability to apply the practical statistical methods used in manufacturing quality — process capability studies, measurement system analysis, sampling, and trend analysis — to evaluate process performance and drive improvement.

Reasoning Ability:

Ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts, interpret technical instructions, evaluate drawings and specifications, identify root causes, and draw valid conclusions. Ability to deal with several abstract and concrete variables while developing practical solutions for manufacturing quality challenges.

Computer Skills:

To perform this job successfully, an individual should have knowledge of Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft PowerPoint, company ERP system, quality data entry software, CMM software, and practical AI tools used to support analysis, documentation, communication, training, and management effectiveness.

Education/Experience:

Bachelor's degree (B. A. / B. S.) from four-year college or university; and five or more years of progressively responsible quality experience, including direct experience leading people and building or improving quality systems; or equivalent combination of education and experience. Manufacturing quality leadership experience, technical problem-solving experience, and practical sheet metal manufacturing experience are preferred.

Specialized Training:

· ISO 9001:2015 quality management system training or audit experience

· Root cause analysis, corrective action, and continuous improvement training

· CMM experience (Faro or Romer arm) a plus

Equipment:

· Analog and digital measuring devices

· CMM

· Caliper

· Micrometer

· Measuring tape and other measuring devices

· Protractor

· Height gauge

Knowledge, Skills, and Other Abilities:

· Strong organizational, communication, and people skills

· Analytical, problem solving, critical, and creative thinking skills

· Time management skills

· Excellent oral and written communication skills

· Excellent judgment and decision-making abilities

· Strong conflict resolution skills

· Practical knowledge of sheet metal manufacturing processes, materials, machinery, tolerances, and customer quality requirements

· Ability to work with others in a team-oriented environment

· Ability to take ownership of decisions and take responsibility for their outcome

· Ability to travel when required

· Leadership skills

· Intermediate to advanced Microsoft Office knowledge and skills

· Experienced leader and creative problem solver

· Ability to sell, influence, coach, and motivate team members to prioritize high and consistent quality

· Ability to leverage AI tools for both technical and management tasks while using sound professional judgment

Physical Demands:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to stand, walk, sit, use hands, and talk or hear. The employee is frequently required to reach with hands and arms. The employee is occasionally required to climb or balance and stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, ability to adjust focus, and ability to see color.

Work Environment:

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly exposed to work near moving mechanical parts and fumes or airborne particles. The employee is occasionally exposed to wet or humid conditions (non-weather), work in high, precarious places, toxic or caustic chemicals, outdoor weather conditions, extreme heat (non-weather), risk of radiation, and vibration.