Quality Manager

Whisker•Juneau, WI

19h•Onsite

About The Position

Whisker is redefining what it means to live with cats—designing intelligent systems that remove friction, elevate the everyday, and celebrate the quiet brilliance of feline companionship. Today, Litter-Robot leads the category. Tomorrow, an entire ecosystem that expands what’s possible for cats and the people who love them. We believe the future is feline. And we’re imagining that future today. We work onsite with our team based in Auburn Hills, Michigan, and Juneau, Wisconsin. Our team of 700+ passionate pet people thrives on collaboration, innovation, and the occasional office cameo from a four-legged friend.

Requirements

BS degree in a scientific discipline aligned with Quality, and/or significant experience in the role
Quality Engineering and/or Management experience in manufacturing and distribution operations
Experience leading and developing teams
Experience working on issues of diverse scope, where analysis of the situation or data requires evaluation of a variety of factors, including an understanding of current business trends
Experience conducting and reviewing Root Cause Analysis and familiarity with various tools such as: 8-Discipline, DMAIC, 5-Why, Fishbone Diagrams, Fault Tree Analysis, Contradiction Matrices, etc.
Experience managing through new product milestones
Ability to effectively lead and manage people, including setting expectations, assessing performance, providing feedback, delegating tasks, having difficult conversations, and engaging and developing employees
Experience in independently producing and completing Quality Engineering Documents
Maintains confidentiality of proprietary information
Ability to maintain a professional atmosphere in a fast-paced environment across multiple locations
High degree of initiative, self-motivation and ability to motivate others

Nice To Haves

Experience with injection-molded plastics, consumer electronics (PCBs, harness, motors, etc)
ASQ Certified Quality Engineer or Certified Reliability Engineer
Six Sigma Green or Black Belt Certification
ASQ Certified Quality Auditor Certification
Experience with ISO 9001 Certification
Experience with creating or reviewing statistical justifications for sample size selection

Responsibilities

Leads and develops a team of engineers and technicians
Establishes and drives a vision for the facility's Quality Department and related methodologies, works to support company vision / directions and align with plant goals.
Develops and leads all Quality related project plans and schedules, and ensures the appropriate Quality plans are followed, implemented, and communicated
Performs independent technical assessments on product Quality, performance, and post-market product Quality analysis: audits, PER pilot runs, first article inspections, process / equipment qualification, etc
Leads internal and external Quality related problem solving activities to drive to root cause identification and issue resolution and prevention
Follows best practices and operational policies in selecting methods and techniques for obtaining solutions. Creates processes and standards when needed
Serves as a liaison between vendors and Whisker management to identify quality issues and develop solutions, provides technical advice and guidance to suppliers to reduce defect rate
Works with the Corporate Advanced Quality Team, Product Engineers, IT, and Program Managers to understand and create Quality control objectives to facilitate successful New Product Development processes, product launches, and support through the lifecycle of the product
Runs point for the plant when external auditors assess Whisker facilities / processes
Ensures transactional accuracy for all nonconforming materials and segregation activities
Tracks and reports out on Key KPIs: FPY, Customer Complaints, Incoming Inspection
Backs up other functions and performs additional responsibilities when required
Directly supervises the department. Carries out supervisory responsibilities in accordance with Whisker policies and applicable laws. Responsibilities include interviewing, training and hiring teams, planning, assigning and directing work, appraising performance, addressing team issues, and upholding safety and quality guidelines.