Quality Control Manager

Quality Control Manager

Position Summary:

The Manager, Product Quality Assurance/Control leads the Quality function for the Winchester manufacturing operation and is accountable for the effectiveness of the site Quality Management System. This role establishes quality priorities, develops the quality team, and partners with Operations, Engineering, R&D, Supply Chain, suppliers, and customers to ensure product conformance, regulatory and customer compliance, and continuous improvement. The manager provides leadership for process control, nonconforming material management, corrective and preventive action, product qualification, complaint resolution, audit readiness, quality metrics, and defect and scrap reduction.

Responsibilities

• Lead all site quality assurance and quality control activities supporting manufacturing, warehouse, laboratory, and product release operations.
• Provide leadership, direction, coaching, performance management, succession planning, and development for the Quality Supervisor, Quality Engineers, Quality Analysts or Technicians, and other assigned quality personnel.
• Establish annual site quality goals, priorities, and key performance indicators and communicate performance, risks, and recovery plans to plant and functional leadership.
• Own the site Quality Management System and ensure quality policies, procedures, work instructions, records, and document controls are implemented, maintained, and continually improved, including maintenance of ISO 9001 or other applicable certifications.
• Drive compliance with product, customer, regulatory, internal audit, social compliance, and applicable quality system requirements.
• Lead internal, customer, and external audit readiness; coordinate responses to findings; and ensure corrective and preventive actions are completed and verified for effectiveness.
• Act as the primary site quality representative for customer audits, customer quality concerns, certification requirements, and compliance reviews.
• Direct process control and product assurance activities, including incoming, in-process, first article, finished goods, and dock audit requirements.
• Lead product and process qualification activities, including PPAP, control plans, process flow diagrams, PFMEA, Gage R&R, and validation or launch readiness requirements.
• Own the nonconforming material process, including containment strategy, quality holds, disposition coordination, rework controls, release decisions, and effectiveness monitoring.
• Lead structured root cause analysis and corrective and preventive action for internal defects, scrap, customer complaints, supplier issues, and recurring process failures.
• Own and monitor site quality KPIs, including customer complaints, internal defects, scrap, cost of poor quality, corrective action effectiveness, audit performance, and supplier quality performance.
• Analyze quality performance, process capability, scrap, defects, audit results, and complaint data to identify risk and prioritize improvement opportunities.
• Partner with Operations, Engineering, Maintenance, R&D, and Supply Chain to improve process capability, reduce variation, prevent defects, and support safe and reliable production.
• Lead the customer and consumer complaint investigation process and ensure timely communication, containment, root cause determination, and corrective action.
• Partner with suppliers and internal supplier quality resources to address incoming material issues and improve supplier performance.
• Support new product introductions, prototypes, trials, engineering changes, pre-launch activities, and production launches from a quality planning and execution perspective.
• Promote a culture of quality ownership, safety, integrity, accountability, and continuous improvement throughout the facility.
• Support the plant PEAK initiative and applicable PACS or quality system ownership requirements.
• Perform other duties as assigned based on business needs.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Quality, Engineering, Manufacturing, a technical or science discipline, or a related field.
• Minimum of 5 years of quality leadership experience in a manufacturing environment.
• Management experience with demonstrated ability to lead and develop direct reports and work effectively in a matrix organization.
• Working knowledge of quality management systems and ISO 9001 or equivalent requirements, including certification maintenance, audit preparation, and corrective action management.
• Experience with product and process qualification tools, including PPAP, process flow diagrams, control plans, PFMEA, and measurement system analysis.
• Proficiency with structured problem-solving and corrective action methods such as 8D, 5-Why, A3, DMAIC, or similar approaches.
• Ability to interpret drawings, specifications, inspection and test results, process capability data, and quality performance trends.
• Strong leadership, project management, judgment, organization, written communication, and verbal communication skills.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook; experience with SAP or other manufacturing and quality systems preferred.

Preferred Qualifications & Skills:

• Experience in plastics manufacturing, injection molding, structural foam, rotational molding, metals, electrical commodities, or another high-volume manufacturing environment.
• Lean or Six Sigma experience and hands-on application of statistical analysis, sampling, reliability, process capability, and measurement techniques.
• ASQ Certified Quality Auditor, Quality Engineer, Manager of Quality/Organizational Excellence, or comparable certification.
• Experience managing customer complaints, supplier quality concerns, regulatory compliance, product qualification, and multi-shift quality support.
• People leadership, talent development, succession planning, strategic planning, customer focus, cross-functional influence, and professional judgment.
• Quality systems governance, certification maintenance, audit leadership, risk management, corrective action, process control, and continuous improvement.

Physical Requirements & Work Environment:

• Regular presence in manufacturing, quality laboratory, warehouse, and office environments.
• Frequent walking and standing throughout production and support areas.
• Exposure to manufacturing equipment, powered industrial equipment, noise, temperature variation, and other operational conditions.
• Required use of appropriate personal protective equipment in designated areas.
• Must be able to walk, bend, kneel, stoop, climb, reach, and grasp for varying periods during working hours.
• Ability to occasionally lift up to 40 pounds.
• Occasional weekends, holidays, travel, o