Director, Quality Assurance

Cooper Standard•Northville, MI

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Regional Director of Quality is accountable for leading and governing all Quality functions across multiple manufacturing sites within an assigned geographic region, supporting direct OEM customer relationships. This role ensures flawless execution of IATF 16949, OEM customer-specific requirements (CSRs), and Tier 1 launch, manufacturing, supplier, and warranty obligations. This position serves as the senior Quality authority and primary escalation point for OEM customers, driving zero-defect performance, on-time launches, and aggressive reduction of customer complaints and warranty risk.

Requirements

12+ years of progressive Automotive Quality experience
Proven multi-site or regional Quality leadership experience
Extensive experience supporting OEM customers and managing direct OEM relationships
Strong launch, APQP, PPAP, and warranty leadership background
Experience and competency in facilitating DFMEA, PFMEA and Control Plan teams
Executive-level communication and customer-facing leadership
Strong influencing skills across Operations, Engineering, Supply Chain, and Commercial teams
Ability to manage high-pressure customer escalations and protect commercial outcomes
Change leadership and standardization across multiple facilities
Expertise in all AIAG core tools (AQP, FMEA, Control Plans, MSA, SPC and PPAP) and structured problem-solving (5-Why, 8D, KT, Six Sigma)

Nice To Haves

Advanced degree in Engineering, Manufacturing, Quality, or related technical field
Master’s degree or MBA
ASQ Certified Quality Engineer (CQE)
Six Sigma Black Belt or equivalent

Responsibilities

Define and execute the regional Quality strategy aligned to OEM expectations, program commitments, and commercial objectives
Lead, mentor, and develop site Quality Managers and regional technical Quality resources
Establish clear Quality governance, escalation paths, and ownership for customer, supplier, and manufacturing issues
Embed a zero-defect, quality-first, and customer-centric Quality culture across all sites
Ensure consistent and effective deployment of IATF 16949 and OEM CSRs across all regional sites
Own regional accountability for internal, external, and customer audit performance
Drive standardization of Core Tool application (APQP, PPAP, FMEA, MSA, SPC, Control Plans)
Ensure robust change management (engineering changes, supplier changes, process changes) compliant with OEM approval requirements
Own regional Quality performance for all new product and process launches
Ensure disciplined execution of APQP milestones from sourcing through SOP and beyond
Lead successful PPAP submissions and approvals for OEM programs
Ensure Safe Launch / GP-12 / Controlled Shipping processes are properly executed and exited
Partner with Program Management and Engineering to manage launch risk and readiness
Serve as the executive Quality interface with OEM and Tier 1 customer Quality leadership
Lead resolution of customer complaints, line shutdowns, field issues, and quality spills
Ensure consistent, high-quality 8D / KT problem-solving and containment execution
Own and improve OEM customer scorecards
Support commercial discussions where Quality performance impacts awards, sourcing, or recovery costs
Own regional warranty quality strategy and performance
Drive root cause analysis of field failures using structured problem-solving
Partner with Engineering on design robustness, lessons learned, and design changes
Lead cross-functional actions to reduce warranty exposure and cost
Drive improvements in first-pass yield, defect reduction, scrap, rework, and COPQ
Partner with Operations and Manufacturing Engineering to improve process capability (Cpk / Ppk)
Ensure robust layered process audits (LPA) and standardized problem-solving methodologies
Promote consistency in quality standards and execution across sites
Own regional Quality KPIs including customer PPM, IpB, Scorecards, audit findings, and COPQ
Use data-driven insights to identify systemic issues and prioritize improvement actions
Provide clear and transparent Quality status reporting to executive and regional leadership