Quality & Continuous Improvement Director
Location: Columbus, OH
Employment Type: Direct Hire
Compensation: Starting at $100,000 annually, with higher compensation available based on experience
Position Summary
We are seeking an experienced Quality & Continuous Improvement Director to provide leadership for quality systems, compliance initiatives, and operational improvement efforts within a manufacturing environment. This position is responsible for establishing quality standards, driving process improvements, reducing defects, and ensuring products consistently meet customer and regulatory requirements.
The successful candidate will be a hands-on leader who can work effectively with manufacturing, engineering, supply chain, and executive teams while building a culture focused on quality, accountability, and continuous improvement.
Work Environment: Approximately 70% office-based and 30% manufacturing floor involvement.
Quality Leadership
- Establish and execute quality objectives that support business goals and customer expectations.
- Promote a culture of continuous improvement and operational excellence throughout the organization.
- Partner with leadership teams to identify and implement quality-focused initiatives.
- Drive accountability for quality performance across all departments.
Quality Systems & Compliance
- Lead the ongoing development and improvement of the Quality Management System (QMS).
- Ensure compliance with ISO 9001 requirements and applicable industry regulations.
- Oversee internal audits, external audits, corrective action programs, and document control processes.
- Develop and maintain standardized quality procedures and best practices.
Manufacturing Quality
- Implement quality controls and process monitoring throughout production operations.
- Lead efforts to reduce defects, scrap, rework, and warranty-related issues.
- Facilitate root cause investigations and corrective action activities.
- Develop quality metrics that provide visibility into operational performance.
Customer & Supplier Quality
- Serve as the primary escalation point for significant customer quality concerns.
- Support customer audits, inspections, and quality reviews.
- Develop supplier quality expectations, performance measurements, and improvement plans.
- Collaborate with suppliers and internal stakeholders to improve overall product quality.
Team Development
- Lead, coach, and mentor quality personnel.
- Build organizational capabilities to support future growth.
- Develop training programs that strengthen quality awareness and process discipline.
- Encourage collaboration between quality, operations, engineering, and supply chain teams.
Reporting & Performance Management
- Develop executive-level dashboards and quality performance reports.
- Track key metrics including defect rates, scrap, rework, customer complaints, warranty costs, and corrective action effectiveness.
- Present quality trends, risks, and improvement opportunities to leadership.
- Monitor cost-of-quality performance and recommend corrective measures when needed.
- Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Quality Management, Manufacturing, Industrial Technology, or a related field.
- 10 or more years of quality leadership experience in a manufacturing environment.
- Experience leading quality systems, compliance programs, and continuous improvement initiatives.
- Strong knowledge of root cause analysis, corrective actions, process improvement methodologies, and quality management principles.
- Proven ability to lead cross-functional teams and implement organizational change.
- Excellent communication, leadership, and problem-solving abilities.
- Experience within electrical equipment, industrial equipment, power distribution products, control panels, or related manufacturing sectors.
- Knowledge of fabrication, machining, welding, assembly, or custom manufacturing processes.
- Experience supporting Engineer-to-Order (ETO) or Configure-to-Order manufacturing operations.
- Strong understanding of ISO 9001 requirements, audits, and compliance activities.
- Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, ASQ, or similar quality certifications.
- Measurable reductions in defects, scrap, rework, and customer complaints.
- Strong audit performance and timely corrective action completion.
- Effective and sustainable quality management systems.
- Improved customer satisfaction and operational efficiency.
- Development of a high-performing quality organization capable of supporting continued growth.
This role offers the chance to influence quality strategy across an entire manufacturing operation while partnering with senior leadership to drive meaningful improvements. The successful candidate will have a direct impact on product quality, customer satisfaction, compliance performance, and long-term operational success.