Quality Manager

Overview

Element has an opportunity for a Quality Manager at our Warren, MI lab to drive a culture of quality assurance and quality improvement. Reporting directly to the Business Unit (BU) Quality Director for Connected Technologies & Mobility with dotted line to the location General Manager, this role is an essential member of the management team and responsible for the overall quality performance that includes the Element Quality Management System (eQMS), improving First Time Right, maintaining, and developing relationships with customers and improving processes. have a sound working knowledge of ISO/IEC 17025 requirements.

In this role, you will interact with clients, accreditation bodies, and customers, and will be responsible for advising operational colleagues of the importance of quality, accuracy, and integrity in the provision of the inspection and testing services we provide.

You will be involved in leading quality at a local level and supporting several other locations within the general vicinity, working closely with the BU Quality Director and location General Managers to ensure that Element quality policies, processes and procedures are effectively implemented. As a quality leader within Element, you will be capable of driving a culture of quality assurance and quality improvement, working closely with your operational colleagues and the wider Element quality community.

Located in the Detroit metropolitan area, the Warren 11 Mile facility provides complete full-vehicle, subsystem, and component testing for automotive, transportation, aerospace, defense, commercial, and industrial customers.

Responsibilities

• Conducts maintenance and scope extension of all accreditations (e.g. ISO/IEC 17025), and any other regulatory requirements
• Implements and maintains the QMS, ensuring the necessary controls are in place to govern the inspection and testing undertaken
• Effectively manages the day-to-day implementation of the QMS and support colleagues in its implementation
• Prioritizes activities to meet the needs of the business, colleagues, and our customers
• Embeds and drives a culture of quality assurance and quality improvement in all parts of the laboratory operations
• Ensures the continued fulfillment of customer expectations through the implementation of the QMS, e.g. through effective contact review, reporting and in communication with customers or approval bodies
• Ensures that all accreditations are maintained and extended, as agreed with operational management and the BU Quality Director, to service our customer base and retrain our competitive position as a leader in materials testing
• Manages American Association for Laboratory Accreditation (A2LA) and other assessments and visits from and other regulatory bodies as required
• Ensures that any findings from assessments are responded to in line with the Element established quality requirements and, in the timeline, and format dictated by the assessment bodies
• Establishes and implements appropriate Quality Assurance/Quality Control (QA/QC) programs to reduce the cost of poor quality and improve compliance to regulations, standards. company objectives and customer requirements
• Ensures training in the electronic quality management system (eQMS) is effective and that colleagues implement the system across the facility
• Drives and monitors the implementation of eQMS ensuring full usage of the available modules
  Provides quality training to colleagues when onboarding and provide refresher training to existing colleagues
  Implements method audits, system audits, and proficiency testing in line with the established schedule(s) and ensure these are maintained up to date
  Manages calibration program (where applicable), and ensures the program meets the requirements of the facilities
  Compiles and submits monthly Key performance indicators (KPI) such as First Time Right (FTR), customer complaints and non-conformances (NCR/Incident)
  Maintains good working relationships with operational colleagues within the locations and with the wider quality community

Skills / Qualifications

• Bachelors degree (e.g., technical) preferred or equivalent qualification and required experience
• Minimum 5-7 years of work experience in an ISO quality environment
• Experience of working in an ISO / IEC 17025 environment is a prerequisite
• Experience with A2LA, ISO 17025, and Quality system rules, regulations, including planning and implementation as applicable to the location
• Effective organizational and time management skills with the ability to prioritize activities and manage deadlines
• Excellent communication skills (written, verbal, presentation) with all levels in the organization
• Experience in participating in quality investigations, undertaking root cause analysis, developing corrective action plans, and ensuring the effectiveness of actions undertaken
• Requirement to keep up to date with changes in the quality landscape and maintain personal professional development
• Quality management system (eQMS) experience including but not limited to: Creating, maintaining, revising, implementing SOPs/policies, review/approval of quality critical documentation
• Ability to identify quality and technical problems and work with colleagues to determine effective and sustainable solutions
• Strong leadership skills and the ability to collaborate with colleagues and work effectively as part of a team
• Proficiency with standard office software, computers, and familiarity with electronic management systems (eQMS**); ability to learn and use Element electronic Quailty Management System (i.e., Intelex) program used to manage all quality documentation (e.g., Site/Corporate level - SPs, SOPs, Forms, CAPA, Audits, etc., and associated records where applicable)
• Ability to travel up to 25%, which may include overnight stays up to a week in duration

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