Quality Assurance Manager - 1st Shift

IDEAL Industries, Inc.•Sycamore, IL

45d•$86,958 - $116,995•Onsite

About The Position

IDEAL Industries, Inc. has built a reputation for over a century by crafting iconic tools and practical technology required in aerospace, data communications, electrical, wire processing and construction. The global family of IDEAL brands includes IDEAL Electrical, Anderson Power, and Enatel. A vibrant and dynamic company, IDEAL is best known for our wire connectors, the gold standard for making electrical connections around the world. Nearly every commercial jet is assembled using IDEAL wire strippers and, as part of the critical equipment on NASA missions, our tools even help NASA astronauts fly to the moon. Most important, our products benefit skilled tradespeople, who reach for IDEAL tools every day. IDEAL is propelled by the concept of Building an IDEAL World. Our family-run business is committed to building ideal relationships with customers, employees, and communities by crafting some of our industry’s most innovative and trusted tools. The Quality Assurance Manager is responsible for leading, developing, and managing the plant's quality management system (QMS), quality engineering, and quality inspection functions. This role ensures that all products — spanning residential and industrial electrical markets — consistently meet or exceed customer expectations, internal standards, and all applicable domestic and international regulatory requirements. The Quality Assurance Manager drives a culture of data-driven decision making, continuous improvement, and operational excellence. This position directly leads a team of Quality Engineers and Quality Technicians and reports to the Plant Manager.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Quality Assurance, Engineering, Manufacturing, Business Administration, or related field.
5–10+ years of progressive experience in quality assurance, quality control, or manufacturing environments.
2–5+ years of leadership or supervisory experience managing QA teams.
Demonstrated experience implementing and maintaining Quality Management Systems (QMS).
Experience with regulatory compliance (e.g., ISO standards, FDA, OSHA, or industry-specific requirements.)
Proven track record of leading teams, process improvement initiatives, and driving continuous improvement.

Nice To Haves

Certified Quality Manager (CQM) – ASQ (highly preferred)
Certified Quality Engineer (CQE) – ASQ
Six Sigma certification (Green Belt required; Black Belt preferred)
ISO 9001 Lead Auditor certification or equivalent quality systems certification
Lean Manufacturing certification (preferred, especially in industrial environments)

Responsibilities

Own, maintain, and continuously improve the plant's QMS in compliance with ISO 9001:2015 and lead the transition to ISO 9001:2026 upon publication, including gap analysis, updated documentation, internal audits, and staff training aligned with the new standard's emphasis on quality culture, ethical behavior, and enhanced risk-based thinking.
Plan, schedule, and lead internal audits; manage external/third-party certification audits and customer audits. Ensure audit findings are resolved with robust corrective and preventive actions (CAPA).
Develop and maintain quality policies, procedures, work instructions, and other controlled documentation in accordance with QMS requirements.
Serve as the plant's subject matter expert on UL standards, qualification testing, and the UL approval/listing process for electrical products, including managing UL file reviews, follow-up inspections, and new product submissions.
Ensure product compliance with global regulatory and market-specific requirements including, but not limited to: RoHS, California Proposition 65, CE Marking, ASME standards, DIN standards, REACH, WEEE, CSA, ETL/Intertek, and country-specific regulatory bodies.
Monitor evolving regulatory landscapes across global markets and proactively communicate impacts to engineering, product management, and operations teams.
Champion a data-driven decision-making culture across the quality organization and plant floor. All quality decisions, dispositions, and improvement initiatives must be supported by quantitative analysis.
Apply and coach the team in the use of statistical quality methods and tools including: Statistical Process Control (SPC), Measurement System Analysis (MSA), Design of Experiments (DOE), Hypothesis testing, regression analysis, ANOVA, Reliability analysis, Acceptance sampling plans, Pareto analysis, cause-and-effect diagrams, FMEA (Process & Design).
Develop and maintain quality dashboards and KPIs (PPM, COPQ, first-pass yield, scrap rate, customer complaint rates, audit scores, etc.) and present actionable insights to plant leadership.
Apply Six Sigma methodology (DMAIC/DMADV) to lead and facilitate cross-functional improvement projects that reduce variation, eliminate defects, and improve process capability.
Familiarity with Lean Manufacturing principles (5S, Kaizen, value stream mapping, waste reduction) and their integration with quality systems.
Drive root cause analysis using structured problem-solving methods (8D, 5-Why, Ishikawa, fault tree analysis).
Lead or sponsor continuous improvement initiatives aligned with plant goals and customer requirements.
Oversee the selection, calibration, maintenance, and effective use of both legacy and modern quality and inspection equipment including: Coordinate Measuring Machines (CMMs), Vision inspection systems, Optical comparators and profile projectors, Hardness testers, surface roughness testers, Pin gages, thread gages, ring gages, go/no-go fixtures, Calipers, micrometers, height gages, dial indicators, Electrical test equipment, Force/torque measurement devices.
Manage the calibration program ensuring all measurement and test equipment is traceable to NIST or equivalent national standards and within calibration intervals.
Evaluate and implement emerging inspection technologies (e.g., inline automated vision, AI-assisted defect detection) where ROI and quality improvements justify adoption.
Directly manage, mentor, and develop a team of Quality Engineers and Quality Technicians, including performance management, goal setting, training plans, and succession planning.
Foster a team culture of accountability, technical curiosity, and continuous professional development.
Ensure adequate staffing and skill coverage across shifts and product lines.
Conduct regular team meetings, performance reviews, and cross-training initiatives.
Establish and maintain incoming inspection criteria and supplier quality requirements.
Lead supplier audits, corrective action requests (SCARs), and supplier development activities.
Collaborate with procurement and engineering to qualify new suppliers and manage approved supplier lists.
Monitor supplier quality performance metrics and drive improvement where needed.
Serve as the primary quality contact for customer complaints, returns (RMA), and quality escalations.
Lead customer complaint investigations, ensure timely and thorough root cause analysis, and implement effective corrective actions.
Support customer audits and quality-related inquiries.
Participate in new product development and design reviews (APQP, PPAP concepts where applicable) to ensure quality is designed in from the start.