Senior Director, Quality Assurance

Nidec Motor Corporation • St. Louis, MO

2d • Hybrid

About The Position

We are seeking a Senior Director, Quality Assurance to lead quality governance and assurance across our Motion & Energy (MOEN) business unit. This role is responsible for defining, governing, and assuring Quality Management Systems (QMS), standards, policies, and practices across a global, multi‑segment industrial organization. This role provides independent oversight and advisory leadership to strengthen quality rigor, consistency, and risk management across critical functions—including engineering, new product development, sourcing, and manufacturing engineering—while ensuring protection of both Nidec and its customers. Operating at the business unit level, this role focuses on QMS governance, quality assessments and audits, standards creation, training and advisory support, monitoring, and continuous improvement, while remaining intentionally removed from day‑to‑day execution. This role is empowered to shape MOEN‑wide quality standards and provide independent visibility into quality risk to executive leadership.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering (Mechanical, Electrical, Systems, or similar required); advanced degree preferred.
• 15+ years of progressive experience in engineering, quality, or technical leadership roles within industrial, manufacturing, or engineering‑driven organizations.
• Demonstrated success leading multi-site or multi‑business quality assessments, audits, or transformation efforts.
• Deep expertise in Quality Management Systems (QMS) and engineering quality disciplines across the product lifecycle.
• Strong knowledge of design controls, change management, and root cause methodologies (e.g., DFMEA, PFMEA, 4M, Six Sigma).
• Proven ability to influence senior leaders and cross‑functional stakeholders without direct authority.
• Experience operating effectively in complex, matrixed, global organizations.
• Ability to translate quality data and risk into clear, executive‑level insights and decisions.
• Strong analytical, communication, and leadership presence.
• Ability to work across diverse cultures and geographies.
• Fluency in English required.

Responsibilities

• Lead Quality Governance & QMS: Define, establish, and maintain MOEN‑wide Quality Management Systems (QMS) aligned with Nidec corporate and regulatory standards.
• Align core quality principles with the unique operational needs of each business segment.
• Establish consistent quality expectations across engineering, new product development, sourcing, and manufacturing interfaces.
• Partner closely with MOEN Technology and Operations leadership to embed quality rigor across the lifecycle.
• Drive Quality Assurance & Risk Visibility: Lead cross‑segment quality assessments, audits, and maturity reviews.
• Evaluate engineering and product quality rigor, including design controls, change management, and root cause effectiveness.
• Identify systemic risks, trends, and recurring issues impacting product integrity and customer outcomes.
• Ensure corrective actions are implemented and validated to prevent recurrence.
• Strengthen Engineering & Product Quality: Provide expert guidance on complex engineering quality challenges, failure modes, and prevention strategies.
• Influence engineering and operational decisions through data, governance frameworks, and technical credibility.
• Improve quality outcomes across the full product lifecycle—from concept through production.
• Build Capability & Enable Adoption: Define MOEN‑wide QMS and quality training strategies based on capability gaps and audit findings.
• Promote consistent application and adoption of quality practices across business segments.
• Drive knowledge sharing, benchmarking, and continuous improvement of quality capabilities.
• Monitor Performance & Drive Continuous Improvement: Define quality KPIs, dashboards, and review cadences across MOEN.
• Analyze performance trends and identify early risk indicators.
• Drive MOEN‑wide continuous improvement initiatives informed by QMS performance and audit outcomes.
• Partner & Influence Across the Organization: Partner with executive leadership, platform leaders, and segment teams to embed quality as a business priority.
• Coordinate with Nidec Corporation Japan (NCJ) and peer Quality leaders across Nidec business units.
• Support executive decision‑making by translating quality performance and risk into clear, actionable insight.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior