Manufacturing Quality Director

GE Appliances, a Haier company•LaFayette, GA

About The Position

The Manufacturing Quality Director provides strategic leadership and oversight of manufacturing quality performance, supporting operational excellence, product reliability, customer satisfaction, and continuous improvement. The role develops and executes quality strategies, improves internal and external quality metrics, reduces the cost of quality, and leads the Quality organization. As a member of the plant leadership team, the Director works across functions to establish quality objectives, resolve complex issues, and align quality work with business priorities. The position supports plant operations in LaFayette, Georgia. The Director is accountable for manufacturing quality performance, the quality operating plan, and continuous improvement initiatives. Responsibilities include leading quality strategy and performance reviews; improving measures such as First Pass Yield, Cost of Quality, Service Call Rate, scrap, Overall Equipment Effectiveness, and product damage; directing corrective and preventive actions; and ensuring appropriate containment, root-cause analysis, and lasting corrective actions. The role also oversees quality systems and process controls, including compliance with QMS requirements, applicable ISO standards, internal procedures, and the Manufacturing Change Process. The Director partners with cross-functional teams on supplier, manufacturing, product, field, distribution, and service quality concerns, and leads the development and performance of the Manufacturing Quality organization. The position requires a bachelor's degree in Engineering or a related technical discipline, or an equivalent combination of education and relevant technical experience. Relevant experience may be in Quality Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Design Engineering, Reliability, Product Service, or a related technical function. Candidates must be legally authorized to work in the United States at hire and maintain that authorization without current or future employer or school sponsorship; employment-based visa sponsorship is not available.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Engineering or a related technical discipline; an equivalent combination of education and relevant technical experience may be considered.
Experience in Quality Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Design Engineering, Reliability, Product Service, or a related technical function.
Demonstrated experience with root-cause analysis and structured problem-solving methodologies.
Ability to analyze technical and quality data and translate findings into actionable recommendations.
Strong written and verbal communication skills.
Demonstrated ability to work effectively across multiple functions and organizational levels.
Ability to manage multiple priorities and technical investigations simultaneously.
Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications, including Excel and PowerPoint.
Knowledge of PFMEA, Control Plans, CAPA, SPC, and other quality systems and tools.
Experience supporting New Product Introduction and product reliability initiatives.
Must be legally authorized to work in the United States at the time of hire and maintain authorization without current or future employer or school sponsorship; GE Appliances will not sponsor employment-based visas for this position.

Responsibilities

Develop and execute manufacturing quality strategies aligned with plant and business objectives.
Provide leadership and direction for quality performance across manufacturing operations.
Establish measurable quality objectives, performance targets, and improvement plans.
Partner with plant leadership and cross-functional teams to integrate quality requirements into manufacturing processes and business decisions.
Drive accountability through communication, performance reviews, and corrective action plans; promote quality ownership and proactive problem-solving.
Own improvement of internal and external quality metrics, including First Pass Yield, Cost of Quality, Service Call Rate, scrap, Overall Equipment Effectiveness, and product damage.
Analyze quality performance data to identify trends, risks, and improvement opportunities.
Lead corrective and preventive action plans, including containment, root-cause analysis, and permanent corrective actions for End-of-Line Audit findings and other manufacturing quality issues.
Drive year-over-year improvements in quality performance, process capability, and manufacturing efficiency; champion Lean principles, structured problem-solving, error-proofing, and proactive quality tools.
Develop and execute the manufacturing Cost of Quality operating plan; identify and prioritize opportunities to reduce scrap, rework, warranty exposure, product damage, and other quality-related costs.
Partner with Operations, Finance, Engineering, and other stakeholders to assess financial impacts and deliver sustainable cost reductions; monitor cost targets and address unfavorable trends.
Resolve manufacturing-attributable quality concessions and implement strategies to prevent recurrence.
Ensure compliance with Quality Management System requirements, applicable ISO standards, and internal quality procedures.
Oversee the Manufacturing Change Process, ensuring changes are evaluated, documented, approved, communicated, and implemented; partner with the Change Implementation Board and stakeholders on change control and documentation compliance.
Identify critical manufacturing processes requiring control plans and ensure controls, standards, procedures, and plans are established, documented, current, and followed.
Collaborate with Supplier Quality, Manufacturing Engineering, Product Engineering, Advanced Manufacturing Engineering, Field Quality, Distribution, and Service to resolve manufacturing and customer quality issues.
Address supplier-related defects and proposed supplier changes, and ensure appropriate change control and production readiness.
Work with Field Quality and Service to assess emerging product concerns and field performance and implement manufacturing countermeasures.
Establish quality controls for rework, reprogramming, and corrective actions performed at supplier facilities, distribution centers, or other locations.
Support resolution of Technical Assistance Group concerns and other field service issues attributable to manufacturing processes.
Collaborate with Engineering on product testing and manufacturing control improvements informed by field performance and customer usage.
Lead, develop, and manage the Manufacturing Quality organization, including Quality Leaders, Quality Engineers, technical specialists, and supporting personnel.
Set performance expectations and development objectives; coach, mentor, and provide performance feedback to strengthen capabilities and accountability.
Ensure appropriate staffing, resource allocation, and prioritization of quality initiatives; develop a collaborative, high-performing organization and future quality leaders.
Establish daily, weekly, and monthly quality performance reviews; monitor KPIs, escalate significant concerns, and ensure timely resolution.
Communicate quality performance, initiatives, risks, and corrective action progress to plant and business leadership; translate quality data into actionable business insights.
Ensure initiatives are delivered within established timelines, budgets, and performance expectations.
Influence decisions across functions and organizational levels, balance immediate operational needs with strategic improvements, exercise sound judgment, and support talent development and succession planning.