Director of Total Quality - Manufacturing

About the company

At RS, we are redefining how the world builds reliable energy infrastructure. We design and manufacture advanced composite utility poles that are lighter, stronger, and longer‑lasting than traditional materials such as wood, steel, and concrete. Our poles are engineered for superior performance in the most demanding environments, providing utilities with a durable, low‑maintenance, and sustainable solution for a more resilient grid. With operations in North America and customers across 30+ countries, RS is a leader in grid resilience, driven by our values of Safety, Respect, Resilience, and Teamwork.

The opportunity

We are seeking a Director of Total Quality to lead and align quality performance across multiple manufacturing sites. In this role you will lead and strengthen process discipline and ensure consistent product performance by embedding quality into daily operations at our Humble, TX facility. You will guide plant quality teams, align cross‑functional partners, and drive consistency in systems, metrics, and execution in a multi‑site, matrixed environment.

What you will do

• Shape and advance the Quality System by establishing a scalable, enterprise Quality Management System aligned with ISO standards, including governance, core processes, and operating routines.
• Implement enterprise frameworks to measure and report on total customer experience, linking VOC, field performance, and operational quality to drive continuous improvement.
• Translate company strategy into clear quality standards and operating practices across sites, embedding quality into operational and strategic decision‑making.
• Apply structured, data‑driven methods to identify root causes, resolve systemic issues, and deliver sustained performance improvement across sites.
• Develop enterprise dashboards and reporting mechanisms that transparently communicate quality performance, highlighting trends, successes, and opportunities.
• Improve process capability, stability, and overall quality performance, reducing defects, scrap, rework, and cost of poor quality while increasing consistency.
• Establish and govern material quality, configuration control, and disposition processes to prevent non‑conforming product use.
• Partner with Engineering to assess and mitigate quality risk in engineering changes, new product introductions, and production readiness (DFMEA, PFMEA, control plans, PPAP/FAI).
• Build customer quality scorecards and deliver customer‑facing outputs (8D responses, technical communications) while embedding lessons learned across sites.
• Lead resolution of customer complaints, returns, and warranty issues with containment, root cause analysis, corrective action, and verified effectiveness.
• Own the end‑to‑end customer quality system from VOC to CTQ, manufacturing controls, field performance, and continuous improvement.
• Align cross‑functional priorities and customer‑impacting decisions with governance, risk assessment, and brand commitments; define and champion quality for the brand.
• Establish enterprise approaches to quality escape prevention, escalation, and rapid response for high‑visibility events.
• Define supplier quality expectations and drive supplier performance through evaluation, containment, corrective action, and root‑cause prevention.
• Lead internal and external audits, ensuring timely resolution of findings and maintaining compliance with ISO 9001 and applicable regulatory and customer standards.
• Deploy training initiatives that enhance technical rigor, problem‑solving capability, and customer‑centric decision‑making; mentor quality professionals across sites.
• Strengthen quality ownership and accountability within Operations, making quality a daily discipline.

What you bring

• 10 + years of experience in quality within a manufacturing environment, including multi‑site leadership.
• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, quality, manufacturing, or a related technical field.
• Ability to influence across functions and communicate effectively in a matrixed organization.
• Experience embedding quality into engineering and production systems (FMEA, control plans, change management, production readiness).
• Experience with customer‑facing quality issues and supplier quality systems.
• Lean or Six Sigma experience preferred.
• Strong grounding in Quality Management Systems and ISO 9001.
• Strong problem‑solving capability using structured, data‑driven methods.
• Willingness to travel between manufacturing locations.
• Leadership competencies: ability to influence and align stakeholders without direct authority; calm, structured leadership under pressure; customer advocacy and brand stewardship; data‑driven decision‑making; executive presence; high accountability with bias for action.

What we offer

• Competitive salary and performance‑based incentives.
• Comprehensive health, dental, and vision benefits.
• Employer‑paid life and short‑term disability insurance.
• Generous paid time off and Employee Assistance Program.
• Optional additional coverage including life and long‑term disability.
• Opportunities for growth and leadership impact within a global, forward‑thinking company.
• Retirement savings plans with company contributions, 5 %‑401(k) matching program.