Quality Assurance Manager, Fabrication

Blue Bird Corporation•Fort Valley, GA

4d•Onsite

About The Position

The Quality Assurance Manager leads Fabrication Quality to ensure products, processes, and systems meet Blue Bird, customer, engineering, regulatory, and QMS requirements. This role partners with Operations, Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Supply Chain, and other leaders to improve product and process quality. The position is accountable for QMS effectiveness, quality performance, defect reduction, corrective action, audits, employee development, and continuous improvement, with a focus on prevention and quality at the source.

Requirements

Ability to lead, coach, and develop supervisors, technical personnel, and hourly Quality team members.
Knowledge of manufacturing processes, PFMEA, Control Plans, FAI, MRB, audits, inspection systems, and quality planning.
Strong problem-solving skills, including RCA, 8D, ICA, PCA, 5-Why, Fishbone, corrective action, and prevention.
Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Quality, Manufacturing, Operations, or related technical discipline preferred; equivalent relevant experience may be considered.
7+ years of progressive Quality and/or Manufacturing experience in a manufacturing environment.
3+ years of direct leadership or management experience.
Demonstrated experience managing a manufacturing Quality function or significant portions of a plant Quality Management System.
All candidates must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident.
Candidates must be authorized to work in the United States and will be required to provide proof of employment eligibility at the time of hire.

Nice To Haves

Six Sigma, Lean, ASQ, or equivalent Quality certification and/or formal training preferred.
Ability to anticipate and understand customer needs and provide guidance
Excellent interpersonal and customer relationship skills to handle difficult and sensitive matters.
Strong project management skills. Exposure to difficult or complex projects a plus.
Ability to influence stakeholders
Effective communication and ability to communicate complex details in a clear manner.
Working in a collaborative team and balancing the needs of individual stakeholders while delivering corporate objectives.

Responsibilities

Lead and develop the Fabrication Quality organization.
Set expectations, accountability, performance objectives, and development plans for the Quality team.
Own plant quality performance, including DPU, PPM, First Pass Yield, defects, scrap, rework, customer concerns, and Cost of Poor Quality.
Lead cross-functional root-cause analysis and corrective action for recurring or significant quality issues using structured problem-solving tools.
Lead MRB, nonconforming material control, containment, disposition, documentation, and timely issue resolution.
Own FAI and quality validation for new products, engineering changes, tooling changes, supplier changes, and process changes.
Partner with Engineering and Manufacturing Engineering to align PFMEAs, Control Plans, specifications, work instructions, inspection standards, and manufacturing processes.
Maintain the Fabrication QMS, procedures, work instructions, records, documentation, and processes to support ISO 9001 compliance.