Head of Global Customer Quality

The businesses of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany•Tempe, AZ

2d•$181,500 - $272,300•Remote

About The Position

This role drives Customer Quality engagement for customers across all Business Units (BUs) in the Electronics division. The position collaborates closely with Global Key Account Managers (GKAMs) and Account Teams to nurture customer relationships and deliver exceptional performance. It serves as a communication bridge between EMD Electronics and customers, ensuring needs are understood and addressed while advancing their technology. Additionally, the role represents the Voice of the Customer for Quality to internal stakeholders, aligning services with customer expectations and fostering long-term partnerships.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in engineering, chemistry, or other technical disciplines with 8+ years of manufacturing, business, and quality experience in a fast-paced time sensitive environment.
5+ years of successful Customer Engagement in the semiconductor industry or similar large scale production industry.
Previous experience supervising or managing staff.
External applicants must be eligible to work in the US.
This role does not offer sponsorship for work authorization.

Nice To Haves

Chemical manufacturing and/or semiconductor experience preferred.
Confidence interacting with customers and senior internal leaders.
Demonstrated leadership and coaching experience with global teams.
Excellent communication skills (English) – oral and written.
Ability to collaborate with people from various backgrounds/cultures/functions in a highly matrixed global organization.
Excellent time management and organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple activities, projects, and demands independently.
Semiconductor fab experience
Significant commercial negotiation experience
Moderate Statistical knowledge
Experience in Quality tools for problem solving (5 Why, Model Based Problem Solving), FMEAs, Continuous Improvement (CI) activities, Management of Change (MOC), and Document Control systems.
Experience with ISO9001 Quality Management Systems
SAP experience

Responsibilities

Develop and lead proactive Customer Quality engagement strategy with a focus on strategic customers to drive customer systems collaboration, customer scorecard optimization, and customer quality roadmap engagement.
Act as the second point of escalation for Customer Quality issues.
Develop and mentor a Global Customer Quality Team with an optimal mix of technical and commercial competency.
Drive the development and maintenance of Electronics Customer Quality Roadmaps.
Lead and manage the successful completion of Customer Quality Initiatives and Programs across all Electronics businesses.
Drive team ownership of customer engagement between Electronics and customers for Quality issues.
Ensure the Customer Quality team leads and drives customer taskforces to ensure customer trust in our performance and Quality.
Ensure Customer Quality is a key stakeholder in the troubleshooting and problem solving of Customer Quality Issues including review and approval of 8D reports with high power factor corrective and preventive actions (CAPA).
Drive management of Customer Quality Inquiries with internal and external stakeholders to ensure accurate and timely responses.
Ensure facilitation of Customer Quality Audits to drive preparation, enhance performance, and ensure follow-up and closure.