Associate Director Quality, Data Center Solutions

nVent • Saint Louis Park, MN

1d • Hybrid

About The Position

The Associate Director of Quality, Data Center Solutions is a strategic leader responsible for defining and implementing the Data Center Solutions quality strategy to ensure products, processes, and systems consistently meet or exceed customer expectations. This role drives quality excellence across programs, sites, and functions; strengthens operational rigor; and embeds a culture of prevention, ownership, and continuous improvement as the Data Center Solutions business scales. This leader partners closely with Engineering, Operations, Supply Chain, Program Management, and site quality leaders to harmonize standards, elevate performance, and build sustainable, world class quality capabilities aligned to customer commitments and growth priorities.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Operations, Science, or related technical field required
• 12+ years of progressive leadership experience in Quality, Operations, or Engineering, including global and multi site experience.
• Deep expertise in quality systems, standards, and regulatory/customer requirements.
• Proven success leading enterprise or business level quality initiatives in complex, growing organizations.
• Strong experience building and scaling Quality Management Systems.
• Exceptional analytical, root cause problem solving, and decision making skills.
• Ability to influence and collaborate across Engineering, Operations, Supply Chain, Program Management, and customer-facing teams.
• Strategic approach with strong execution.
• Executive presence with clear, confident communication skills.
• Demonstrated leadership of geographically distributed, cross functional teams.
• Data driven approach with a strong commitment to operational excellence.

Nice To Haves

• advanced degree preferred
• Professional quality certifications (CQE, CQM, CQA) preferred.
• Six Sigma Black Belt or higher preferred.

Responsibilities

• Define and deploy a unified Data Center Solutions quality vision and strategy aligned with DS business objectives, customer requirements, and growth plans.
• Establish and govern quality standards, metrics, policies, and operating rhythms across standard and program-based solutions.
• Provide clear quality insights, risk assessments, and performance updates tied to customers, programs, and execution readiness.
• Lead the Data Center Solutions Quality Management System to ensure compliance with ISO 9001 and applicable industry and customer-specific requirements.
• Integrate QMS processes with digital tools and systems to enable scalability, visibility, and accountability.
• Oversee audit programs (internal, external, customer); ensure timely and effective corrective and preventive action closure.
• Drive disciplined root cause analysis and structured problem solving to eliminate recurring quality and execution issues within Data Center Solutions programs.
• Partner with Engineering, Program Management, Operations, and Supply Chain to embed quality in design, development, validation, and launch.
• Strengthen control plans, inspection strategies, qualification, and validation processes for products and solutions.
• Own and improve customer quality metrics, complaints, escapes, and field performance.
• Strengthen feedback loops between customers, programs, and internal teams to improve product reliability and execution outcomes.
• Ensure effective communication and coordinated resolution of customer quality issues.
• Lead continuous improvement initiatives across Data Center Solutions using data driven methodologies.
• Establish and manage quality dashboards for defect rates, COPQ, audit performance, and customer metrics.
• Identify and deploy digital quality tools to enhance analytics, monitoring, and predictive quality capabilities within Data Center Solutions.
• Partner with Sourcing and Supply Chain to define and implement the Data Center Solutions supplier quality strategy.
• Oversee supplier qualification, audits, and ongoing performance management focused on Data Center Solutions programs and demand profiles.
• Lead and develop a high performing quality organization across sites and functions.
• Coach and develop site and program quality leaders; build depth, capability, and succession.
• Promote a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement across the organization.
• Serve as a trusted quality thought leader and subject matter expert.
• Champion a consistent, scalable Data Center Solutions quality culture.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision plans along with flexible spending accounts, short-term and long-term disability benefits, critical illness, accident insurance and life insurance.
• A 401(k) retirement plan and an employee stock purchase plan — both include a company match.
• Other supplemental benefits may include tuition reimbursement, caregiver, personal and parental leave, back-up care services, paid time off including volunteer time, a well-being program, and/or legal & identity theft protection.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Manager