Quality/Safety Manager (onsite)

Valley Rubber•Falkville, AL

11d•Onsite

About The Position

Position Overview: Own plant-wide quality and safety performance. Build a zero-defect, zero-harm culture through standards, systems, and daily leadership. Lead with extreme ownership, drive KPI results, and partner cross-functionally to serve customers and protect employees. Lead the Falkville facility's Quality and Safety functions for compression molded rubber products (bonded to metal/ceramic) and fabricated steel structures. Establish and improve systems that prevent defects, eliminate safety incidents, and ensure compliance. Serve as the primary voice of the customer and the guardian of safe work, translating strategy into daily discipline, coaching operators and leaders, and driving measurable results.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Safety, or related field; equivalent experience considered.
7+ years in manufacturing quality and/or EHS; rubber molding/bonding and metal fabrication/welding experience strongly preferred.
Demonstrated success implementing QMS/EHS systems and driving KPI improvements in a plant environment.
Hands-on experience with PPAP, APQP, PFMEA, control plans, SPC, gage R&R, and 8D.
Working knowledge of rubber bonding fundamentals: surface prep, blast profile, cleanliness, adhesive systems, cure kinetics, press parameters, and failure modes.
Strong understanding of OSHA regulations and practical application in press, welding, and materials handling operations.
Key competencies Ownership and accountability; bias for action and closure. Floor-centric leadership with excellent coaching and communication skills. Analytical rigor with the ability to translate data into simple actions operators can execute. Calm, structured incident and complaint management. Influences cross-functionally; holds peers and self to standards.

Nice To Haves

Certifications preferred: ASQ CQE/CQA, Six Sigma Green/Black Belt, CSP/ASP, ISO 9001 internal auditor.
Proficient with Excel/Google Sheets, Minitab (or equivalent), and EHS/QMS software.

Responsibilities

Own the Quality Management System (QMS) for Falkville; maintain document control, procedures, work instructions, forms, and records aligned with ISO 9001 principles.
Define and maintain product standards for compression-molded rubber-to-metal/ceramic components and fabricated steel structures, including dimensional, visual, adhesion, cure, hardness, SG, and finish criteria.
Lead incoming, in-process, and final inspection systems; set sampling plans, gage R&R programs, and operator self-inspection standards at presses, bonding cells, and fabrication/assembly.
Establish and monitor quality KPIs: FPY, in-process scrap, external PPM, internal defects per million, COQ, rework hours, MRB backlog, on-time PPAP/FAI. Publish daily/weekly tiered dashboards.
Lead root cause analysis and corrective/preventive actions (8D, A3, 5-Why, Fishbone). Verify effectiveness through data and layered process audits.
Manage nonconforming product, MRB, and quarantine processes; drive disposition speed and learning capture.
Champion process capability and stability: SPC on critical-to-quality attributes; implement mistake-proofing at high-risk steps (e.g., surface prep, adhesive application, load/press cycle, cure time/temperature).
Partner with Engineering/Maintenance on equipment capability, calibration, press temperature mapping, and preventive maintenance affecting quality outcomes.
Coordinate with Compounding/Materials on rubber batch verification (SG, Mooney, cure behavior) and traceability through molding, bonding, and finishing.
Own the Safety Management System and plant EHS programs to achieve zero recordables and zero serious incidents.
Ensure compliance with OSHA and applicable codes for presses, hoists, welding/fabrication, chemical handling (adhesives/solvents), noise, PPE, lockout/tagout, machine guarding, hot work, confined space, and hazard communication.
Lead safety KPIs: TRIR, DART, near misses, SIF/SIFp, corrective action closure time, training completion, LOTO audit scores. Run daily tiered safety reviews and weekly Gemba safety walks.
Conduct and maintain JSAs/JHAs for molding, bonding prep, blasting, welding, grinding, material handling, and crane/rigging. Update after changes or incidents.
Manage incident response, investigations, and learning deployment. Facilitate 5-Why for safety, implement engineered controls where feasible, and verify effectiveness.
Lead LOTO program, powered industrial truck training, crane/rigging certification, respirator fit testing, hearing conservation, heat stress, and chemical hygiene.
Oversee industrial hygiene and exposure monitoring; ensure proper ventilation for adhesives/solvents, welding fumes, and blasting operations.
Drive housekeeping (5S) and walk-path safety; enforce PPE standards and near-miss reporting culture.
Take responsibility for outcomes, communicate clearly, and close the loop on actions.
Build a learning organization: develop training matrices, certify operators on CTQ steps (adhesive application, cure verification, blast profiles, weld procedures), and deliver micro-trainings at shift start.
Lead layered process audits for both quality and safety; coach supervisors and operators; recognize positive behaviors and correct at-risk practices in the moment.
Facilitate daily tier meetings: safety moment, quality alerts, previous shift defects/incidents, top risks, and actions. Communicate quality alerts and safety bulletins with clear visuals; ensure containment and standard updates are executed and verified on the floor.
Serve as primary contact for customer complaints, audits, and specifications. Provide rapid containment, structured RCA, and verified corrective actions with timelines. Translate customer drawings/specs into clear internal standards; manage revision control and change deployment.
Qualify and monitor critical suppliers (adhesives, rubber compounds, metal substrates, coatings). Lead supplier SCARs and incoming quality improvements.
Maintain required OSHA logs, training records, permits, calibration records, inspection reports, PPAP/FAI packages, and device history/lot traceability. Prepare for and lead internal and external audits (customer, ISO, regulatory).
Identify and prioritize high-impact projects reducing defects, injuries, and cost of poor quality; use Lean/Six Sigma tools to deliver measurable results. Implement poka-yoke on mislabeling, part orientation, adhesive lot use, and cure cycle confirmation; digitize checklists where feasible. Partner with Production Control to protect flow while maintaining quality and safety gates.