Quality Manager

advance programs•Columbia, MD

11h•$90,000 - $100,000•Onsite

About The Position

The Quality Manager leads and manages all aspects of the Quality Control and Quality Assurance functions across the organization. This role is responsible for establishing and maintaining quality standards, overseeing incoming, in-process, and final inspection of sheet metal, cable assemblies, electronic assemblies, subassemblies, custom parts, and components for conformance. The Quality Manager drives continuous improvement initiatives, manages the corrective action process, leads internal and external audits, and ensures ongoing compliance with ISO 9001:2015 and applicable customer and regulatory requirements. This position requires strong leadership skills and the ability to work cross-functionally with Engineering, Operations, Supply Chain, and senior management to deliver world-class quality outcomes.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree (B.S.) in Engineering, Quality Management, or a related technical field; or a minimum of 6-8 years of progressive quality experience in a manufacturing environment; or equivalent combination of education and experience.
Must be proficient in ISO 9001:2015 standards and have demonstrated experience managing a QMS through external certification audits.
Must be able to read and interpret assembly, and specification drawings and instructions.
Ability to read, analyze, and interpret technical journals, financial reports, customer specifications, and regulatory documents.
Ability to respond effectively to inquiries or complaints from customers, regulatory agencies, and the business community.
Ability to prepare and deliver presentations and written reports to senior management, customers, and external auditors.
Strong interpersonal and communication skills required.
Ability to perform statistical analysis including SPC, process capability (Cp/Cpk), measurement system analysis (MSA/Gage R&R), and other quantitative quality methods.
Ability to compute rates, ratios, and percentages and to develop and interpret control charts, Pareto diagrams, and other graphical representations of quality data.
Ability to define complex problems, collect and synthesize data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions.
Ability to interpret an extensive variety of technical instructions in mathematical or diagram form.
Strong strategic thinking skills with the ability to balance near-term operational quality demands with long-term systemic improvement goals.
Regularly required to stand; walk; sit; use hands to finger, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms; and talk or hear.
Occasionally required to stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl.
Regularly lift and/or move up to 25 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds with assistance.
Specific vision abilities required include close vision, color vision, and ability to adjust focus.
Occasionally exposed to moving mechanical parts and risk of radiation.
U.S. Citizenship is required for all positions with a government clearance and certain other restricted positions.

Nice To Haves

ISO 9001:2015 Lead Auditor certification strongly preferred.
Proficiency with quality assurance tools such as calipers, torque screwdrivers, cable testers, and volt/ohm meters a plus.
Experience with ERP systems and quality management software is a plus.

Responsibilities

Leads, plans, and directs all Quality Control and Quality Assurance activities, including incoming, in-process, and final inspection of manufactured and procured products.
Owns and maintains the company's ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management System, including scheduling and leading internal audits, management reviews, and coordinating external certification audits.
Manages the corrective and preventive action (CAPA) process, ensuring timely root cause analysis, containment, corrective action implementation, and effectiveness verification.
Develops, monitors, and reports key quality metrics (e.g., first pass yield, defect rates, supplier quality) to senior management, identifying trends and driving improvement actions.
Leads and mentors a team of Quality Control Inspectors and Coordinators, including hiring, training, performance management, and workload planning.
Oversee the Material Review Board (MRB) process for evaluating nonconforming material and disposition decisions.
Establishes and maintains quality inspection plans, check sheets, and work instructions for all product lines and manufacturing processes.
Applies statistical process control (SPC) and other quality engineering tools to analyze data, evaluate process capability, and drive continuous improvement.
Manages supplier quality performance, including qualifying new suppliers, conducting supplier audits, and resolving quality escapes from vendors.
Interfaces with customers regarding quality-related inquiries, complaints, and corrective action requests; serves as the primary quality point of contact for customer audits.
Partners with Engineering and Operations to review new product designs, manufacturing processes, and process changes to ensure quality requirements are incorporated from the outset.
Maintains current knowledge of government, industry, and customer-specific quality assurance codes and standards applicable to the business.
Develops and manages the Quality department budget, including staffing, equipment, and calibration resources.