Quality Assurance Department Manager

General Description of Major Tasks of Position

Establishes long range (MTP) and short range (MBO) quality objectives associated strategies to achieve targets aligned with corporate plans and objectives.

Oversee all quality assurance aspects at YJBM, including quality management, improvement, and support for new and updated product launches. Interface with all YJBM functions build areas, team leads, and managing quality control of incoming materials. Additionally, the Quality Assurance Manager will collaborate with YMC, YMUS, and other Yamaha departments & subsidiaries on investigations and product improvement campaigns. Drive the development and control of the Quality Management System (QMS) specific to Yamaha and compliance with ISO 9001:2015 and later requirements.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Responsible for overseeing and managing planning, inspections, and conducting process audits, and processing and reporting quality performance data.
• Coordinating and managing problem-solving activities using the PDCA (Plan-Do-Check-Act) cycle to ensure continuous improvement and recurrence prevention.
• Promotes adherence to quality standards.
• Develops quality plans for new development projects, and directs team activities (APQP, etc.) for successful product launch, assuring all activities are completed on time in adherence to development phase gate requirements.
• Responsible for leadership for both direct reports (including quality engineers, inspectors, and supervisors) and indirect reports (such as quality technicians, inspectors, and leads). This includes recruiting, training, and developing staff, as well as performance management and ensuring alignment with quality assurance goals. Additionally, this role involves fostering collaboration and communication among team members to achieve and maintain high-quality standards.
• Responsible for the development and management of process controls, including participation in DFMEA and the creation and maintenance of Control Plans, the implementation of Statistical Process Control (SPC) where necessary, and the application of other statistical methods within YJBM. This role ensures that all processes are monitored and optimized to maintain high-quality standards and improve overall efficiency. Additionally, it involves analyzing data to identify trends, implementing corrective actions, and continuously improving processes to achieve operational excellence.
• Responsible for developing and implementing quality metrics to effectively monitor processes. This includes establishing key performance indicators (KPIs) to track and evaluate operational efficiency and quality standards, ensuring continuous improvement and adherence to best practices.
• Responsible for developing, implementing, documenting, and reviewing Quality Management Systems (QMS), standards, and procedures as required. This includes ensuring that all quality processes are current, effectively communicated, and consistently applied to maintain a high standard of quality and compliance.
• Responsible for quality assurance activities for all incoming materials and subassemblies, including part inspections, documentation, and communication of Non-Conformance Materials (NCMs) to suppliers. This also involves working with Procurement Quality Engineering to enhance supplier quality and ensure compliance with standards.
• Responsible for establishing a monthly quality meeting and reporting of key metrics to Yamaha management team and other necessary members.
• Develop and manage the Quality Assurance budget.
• Participates in VoC (Voice of the Customer) activities as a source of improvement inputs and establishes improvement plans and collaborates with other departments for recurrence prevention on new product.

Minimum Educational and Work Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a related field such as business administration, engineering, or quality assurance required.
• Over 7 years of management/supervisory experience in operations.
• Over 5 years of experience in quality control, production, or a related area.
• Proficiency in using computers, generating reports, and understanding quality assurance and project management tools.
• Ability to present reports & data effectively to all levels.
• May require up to 10% Travel.