Quality Manager
About the role
Reporting to the General Manager, the Quality Manager leads the plant Quality and Laboratory functions and is accountable for the effectiveness of the Quality Management System, customer protection, product conformity, and quality performance. The role establishes standards, develops people, uses data to identify risk, and coordinates disciplined problem solving across Production, Engineering, Maintenance, Materials, suppliers, and customers. The Quality Manager serves as the plant management representative for IATF 16949 / ISO 9001 and ensures third-party certification is maintained.
Responsibilities
- Lead the plant Quality and Laboratory functions by setting priorities, measurable objectives, staffing plans, budgets, and resource needs aligned with plant goals and customer risk.
- Own and continually improve the Quality Management System, including IATF 16949 / ISO 9001 compliance, third-party certification, internal audits, management review, document control, and timely closure of findings.
- Ensure customer, regulatory, drawing, specification, control plan, inspection, and process requirements are understood, implemented, verified, and sustained.
- Protect the customer through effective containment, nonconforming material control, traceability, escalation, stop-ship or production decisions, and verified corrective action.
- Lead customer complaint response and structured problem solving, ensuring immediate containment, evidence-based root cause, assigned actions, due dates, and verified effectiveness before closure.
- Monitor quality performance, including complaints, PPM, scrap, rework, cost of poor quality, audits, process capability, and corrective-action aging, and convert results into improvement priorities.
- Lead quality planning for new programs and process changes using APQP, PPAP, PFMEA, Control Plans, MSA, SPC, capability studies, launch readiness, safe launch, and change control.
- Partner with Operations to maintain production quality controls, including first-piece approvals, machine handoffs, layered process audits, reaction plans, inspection frequency, and shift communication.
- Maintain effective supplier quality, laboratory, calibration, gauge, test equipment, and measurement systems in partnership with Purchasing and Engineering.
- Develop practical quality procedures, work instructions, visual standards, training, and continuous-improvement initiatives that reduce variation, scrap, rework, inspection burden, and quality-related cost.
- Provide timely quality reporting and risk escalation to plant leadership, collaborate across Linamar facilities, and remain accountable for issues through verified closure.
- Lead, coach, and develop Quality Department employees, ensure dependable multi-shift coverage and qualified backups, and address performance gaps consistently.
- Exercise approved authority over product disposition, containment, inspection, quality holds, resource deployment, and corrective-action priorities, including stopping production or shipment when conformity, traceability, customer protection, or compliance is at risk.
- Model Linamar Core Values and Leadership Behaviors through sound judgment, respectful communication, teamwork, follow-through, and focus on safe, sustainable results.
- Perform other duties as assigned.
Requirements
Bachelor's degree in engineering, quality, manufacturing, business, or a related technical field, or equivalent expertise gained through professional experience, training, or certifications. ASQ certification such as CQE, CQM/OE, or equivalent is preferred.