Quality- Sr. Quality Excellence Manager

Sherwin-Williams • Minneapolis, MN

4d • $108,531 - $140,086

About The Position

The Sr. Quality Excellence Manager leads strategic quality planning and customer-focused quality work for General Industrial’s liquid business. The role analyzes voice-of-the-customer information, claims, complaints, product scale-ups, innovation projects, and critical-to-quality (CTQ) KPIs. It develops approaches for future organizational needs and test methods, supports advanced investigations with statistical and other complex data analysis, and uses quality and problem-solving tools to determine root causes and actionable solutions.

The position drives compliance and updates quality standards, leads or participates in complex customer- and technical-facing investigations, and provides clear quality data, root cause and corrective action (RCCA), and conclusions to customers and internal stakeholders. It supports customer-centric quality programs, continuous improvement efforts, global work, and divisional projects across multiple sites. The role also develops standard operating procedures, trains site personnel, supports customer complaint-tracking and quality programs, and works with the Operations Manager on quality practices affecting customers.

The role requires a bachelor's degree and 8–11 years of experience in coatings product development, Operations, Quality, Technical, or Sales. It involves a flexible work schedule, approximately 30% travel, and the ability to work in varied indoor and outdoor conditions, including environments with heat, cold, noise, dust, odors, and potentially hazardous materials. The position is not eligible for current or future work authorization sponsorship. It is eligible for a performance-based bonus subject to the applicable company plans.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree.
• At least 8–11 years of experience in coatings products development, Operations, Quality, Technical, or Sales.
• Flexible work schedule to adapt to changes in priorities and needs.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Demonstrated ability to lead a cross-functional team to a successful outcome.
• Presentation skills.
• Results-oriented approach.
• Knowledge of Microsoft Excel, Word, Access, and Minitab.
• Demonstrated success leading root-cause investigations and using analysis tools.
• Previous direct customer interaction.
• Knowledge of complex problem-solving and error-proofing skills.
• Demonstrated problem-solving, project-management, and program-management skills for complex issues.
• Ability to meet the stated physical requirements, including sitting, standing, hearing, seeing, walking, writing, typing, lifting and carrying up to 50 pounds, climbing stairs, bending, reaching, pushing, and pulling.
• Ability to communicate verbally and in writing and to operate a computer and communicate by telephone.
• Ability to tolerate non-toxic paint odors and wear a respirator as required.
• Ability to work in environments that may include heat up to 120 degrees, cold down to 0 degrees, hearing-protection-required noise, toxic, flammable, or hazardous materials, and varying amounts of dust and dirt.
• Ability to travel to other locations, meetings, and/or seminars; travel requirement is 30%.

Nice To Haves

• A major in Chemistry, Engineering, or a related field.
• Knowledge of Business Objects.
• Knowledge of Watson, MES, Product Vision, and Discovery systems.
• Previous international work engagements.

Responsibilities

• Lead strategic planning for General Industrial by compiling, analyzing, and acting on voice-of-the-customer information for the liquid business.
• Plan future organizational and structural expansion and prioritize customer-facing quality work, including claims, complaints, customer certifications, and Customer High Impact Teams.
• Lead strategic planning for new General Industrial test methods, identifying risks from claims and customer complaints while managing market expectations.
• Lead data analysis for liquid complaints, scale-up products, innovation projects, and overall CTQ KPIs.
• Support projects and investigations through complex data analysis and data-collection planning for methods including Principal Component Analysis (PCA), modeling, mixture DOE, nested DOE, and high-fraction DOE.
• Use ARC 301 tools, including Kepner-Tregoe tools such as situational assessment, to help solve problems.
• Own the validity and integrity of data analysis, identify opportunities to improve data or problem definition, and pursue data-driven problem resolution.
• Drive compliance and help update quality standards for technical or business processes.
• Lead or participate in complex quality investigations to determine root cause for customer- or technical-facing issues, including investigations near the boundaries of ownership when needed.
• Lead the advanced testing facility’s organizational needs, capital development, and strategic vision.
• Serve as the primary data analyst for complex complaints that exceed Define and Stabilize, meet ARC threshold criteria, or are requested by leadership.
• Act as a key customer and internal contact for customer-centric quality programs and meetings, including High Impact leaders and quarterly customer continuous improvement meetings.
• Provide quality data to customers and clearly explain RCCA and analysis leading to conclusions on complex problems.
• Present data analysis for complex investigations in a way that supports clear interpretation and sound conclusions internally and externally.
• Develop technical- or customer-facing standard operating procedures and train site personnel on following them.
• Work with the Operations Manager to support quality practices and procedures that directly affect customers.
• Participate in customer- and technical-facing regional and divisional quality and continuous improvement efforts.
• Extract meaningful, actionable findings from quality data and maintain ownership of its integrity.
• Participate in or contribute significantly to global projects.
• Lead divisional quality improvement projects spanning two or more sites.
• Use customer data to help customers analyze and solve complex customer-line problems as requested.
• Provide training on customer complaint-tracking systems and quality programs as needed.
• Manage multiple tasks and projects and prioritize appropriately.

Benefits

• Performance-based bonus, subject to the terms of the Company's applicable plans.
• The company describes a range of benefits related to retirement, health care, well-being, and commuting; specific eligibility and offerings are available through the company's benefits information.

What This Job Offers

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