Quality Manager

About the role

This position covers job functions for the quality department responsible for compliance to the Quality Management System for the campus as well as the day-to-day activities and development of the quality team members.

Responsibilities

• Approve on-time 8D’s to customers after quality events which impact customers.
• Identify projects for continuous improvement and work with cross-functional team to execute.
• Utilize MRB process to drive problem solving to prevent recurrence on major issues.
• Identify projects for continuous improvement and work with cross-functional team to execute.
• Maintain policies, procedures, control plans, failure catalogs, audits, metrology, et al, in a way that fosters an atmosphere of compliance on campus and continually improves customer satisfaction and quality financial performance.
• Flawless launch & change – Ensures team is engaged so that risks are identified and mitigated ahead of launch for newly developed product or process or product changes on the campus.
• Daily execution – This is a critical leadership role requiring significant hands-on tactical leadership engaged with all levels of the organization in addition to the long-term strategic responsibilities expected of a Quality Manager.

Requirements

• Ensures an effective organizational structure and sufficient staffing for the quality department on the campus.
• Leads the day-to-day activities of the quality team and promotes a culture of quality ownership among all cross-functions on the campus through strategic development and communication.
• Maintain the Quality Management System (ISO 9001) of the site. Engage with regional and global QMS leadership to ensure conformance to business segment & corporate procedures.
• Shares in the overall improvement metrics of the site to ensure quality targets are not sacrificed and a joint effort is made toward resource optimization and utilization.
• Identifies & supports training initiatives for workforce on the campus – in and out of quality department.
• Supports regional and global strategic quality initiatives on the campus.
• Able to communicate and coach closure of process and inspection non-conformances is required.
• Facilitate on-time response to customer complaints through approving 8D’s generated by a cross-functional team led by a quality engineer. Diagnose top level causes of customer complaints to drive continuous improvement efforts on the campus and project manage with the cross functional team to ensure execution.
• Candidate must successfully navigate potential applications issues between the customer & Kennametal engineering/sales orgs.
• Facilitate root cause and corrective action for high impact scrap events coming from the MRB process. This can include events which did not go through the MRB process.
• Approves changes to policies, procedures, control plans, failure catalogs, audits and defined metrology methods to support continuous improvement on the campus.
• Work with cross-functional team to address systemic root causes for top quality costs for the campus. This includes open communication and potential travel to customers and/or other KMT sites to find read across opportunities.
• Analyzes statistical and QCPC data from processes to identify proactive continuous improvement opportunities.
• Approves & performs layered process audits (LPA) and works with cross functional team on root cause / corrective actions activities from findings to improve customer and financial performance proactively.
• Responsible for flawless launch of new product on the campus. This also includes verification of effectiveness of changes to existing product or processes and customer specific or regulatory requirements.
• Performs tasks utilizing quality core tools (root cause analysis, FMEA, Control Plan, SPC, LPA, MSA, DOE, etc).
• Must have a base knowledge of SAP or aptitude to be trained in the application.
• Must be able to create process documents and audit processes to requirements, openly communicating findings.
• Must be able to work within cross functional teams through complex tasks exercising strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Must be able to communicate effectively with various levels of the organization (operators, supervision, plant leadership, engineering, quality management, operational excellence management, director levels) and customers.
• Basic project management skills required to drive actions which are agreed cross-functionally to drive targeted improvement.

Skills

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Aptitude to use required computer software including but not limited to SAP, Microsoft Office.
• Knowledge of ISO standards and requirements.
• Ability to use gages and measurement devices that determine compliance to drawing and product specifications.
• Ability to read and understand insert identification chat, routings and operating procedures.
• Ability to determine insert defect criteria with product engineering.
• Experience and skills to complete assigned work within own area of expertise (core tools).
• Works within standard operating procedures and/or scientific methods.
• Six Sigma, ASQ Certification, CQE preferred.