Quality Manager

Primary Responsibilities

Fort Madison’s Site Quality Manager is responsible for driving improvement, zeroing in on strategic opportunities and facilitating a culture of high-quality standards. Under your leadership, you will drive change initiatives, proactive quality management and continuous improvement projects. By understanding all customer demands/ requirements, you will be responsible to lead the site towards exceeding these expectations. Minimizing plant risk due to quality breaches is top priority.

Operational Excellence:

• Develop and champion annual quality goals, as well as build and execute programs to accomplish them.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives with the objective of increasing quality metrics expectations.
• As a member of the broader Axalta Quality Team, you will represent the site for quality by communicating quality news, metrics, milestones, and continuous improvement projects aligned with business strategies and priorities.
• Coach and train site management and their respective teams regarding customer expectations.
• Develop and implement strategies quality function structure, training needs, and quality initiatives (ex. Kaizens), problem solving methodology, etc..

Quality Excellence:

• Has the authority to stop any process or product delivery in case of non-conformance (safety/regulatory issue, customer requirements, etc.)
• Has the authority to immediately implement any corrective action to contain quality issues
• Enforce the control plan per the customer requirements and standards
• Manage and lead your team, utilizing IATF-16949 automotive standards, on conducting quality investigations, audits and resulting corrective actions including supplier, customer, and internal concerns. Will include some travel to supplier, customer, and other Axalta locations.
• Prepare and facilitate customer onsite meetings and audits.
• Maintain site quality certifications (ISO 9001-2015) and support IATF-16949 requirements.
• Measure and report on all site quality metrics including supplier quality, internal quality, and customer complaints.
• Monitor Supplier Quality program and assist Procurement with supplier development.
• Responsible for complaint management for both customers and suppliers. Ensures that complaints are managed in due time while utilizing problem solving techniques and tools
• Manage and maintain the following quality platforms:
  • Customer quality portals
  • Quality Management System
  • Salesforce.com (customer complaint management system)
  • ETQ (internal quality issue management system)
  • SAP
• Support the process of managing distressed & at-risk inventory and raw material approval process.
• Work with other site departments and leadership to ensure quality standards and culture remain a priority throughout the entire end to end process
• Function as the Technical lead for all customer discussions (internal, external and regulatory)

Culture Champion:

• Commitment to the highest of ethical standards and adherence to all regulatory, environmental, and Axalta processes
• Cultivate a strong team culture by enhancing and building highly effective and collaborative cross-functional relationships throughout the business.
• Through integrity and dependability, build relationships at all levels to drive/ support change initiatives that help teams deliver value.
• Continuously identify ways to improve by engaging with staff and bringing perspective on new ideas.
• Provided continuous training, coaching, and development of site personnel. Recognizes growth opportunities for high potential talent at the site and works with leadership team to develop career paths and mentor employees.
• Capitalizes on new knowledge by sharing and/or implementing best practices with a focus on standardization across the entire organization (Axalta as a whole).
• Represents the customer within the site and acts accordingly to ensure quality is integrated throughout the end to end manufacturing process

Minimum Requirements

• Bachelor of Science degree in accredited field
• Industrial experience: Minimum 7 years industrial/manufacturing setting experience, with a focus on quality management and quality systems
• Leadership experience: 2 years minimum experience in leading and managing people, identifying strategic needs and driving them to completion.
• Experience in automotive industry (supplier to industry) preferred
• Experience with customer specific requirements/standards with a background of interacting/communicating with customers and/or commercial sales teams
• Quality training such as Six Sigma, Lead Auditor Training, Red-X
• Strong knowledge of ISO 9001-2015 requirements, and ability to be trained as lead IATF-16949 auditor (~1-week course)
• Strong knowledge of quality tools including FMEA, 8D, 5Why, PPAP, APQP, MSA/ Gage R&R
• Lean manufacturing knowledge an asset
• Effective communication and strong interpersonal skills
• Must have exceptional skill in drive for results, ability to influence and establishing strategic vision
• Excellent organizational and problem-solving skills
• Positive attitude and behavior to mentor and challenge ways of working
• Travel: 10% (customers, suppliers, headquarters, etc.)

Overview

Axalta has remained at the forefront of the industry by investing in its innovative solutions. We engineer technologies that protect customer’s products - whether they are battling heat, light, corrosion, abrasion, moisture, or chemicals – and add dimension and beauty with colorful finishes. We have a vast and ever-evolving portfolio of brands primed to play an important part in everything from modernizing infrastructure around the world to enabling the next generation of electric and autonomous vehicles.  

Axalta operates its business in two segments: Performance Coatings and Mobility Coatings, which serve four end markets, including Refinish, Industrial, Light Vehicle and Commercial Vehicle, across North America, EMEA, Latin America and Asia-Pacific. Our diverse global footprint allows us to deliver solutions to over 140 countries and coat 30 million vehicles per year. We’ve recently set an exciting 2040 carbon neutrality goal, in addition to 10 other sustainability goals, and we take pride in working with our customers to optimize their businesses and achieve their goals.