Quality Manager

Wheeling, IL

Company Overview:

DESTACO, a Stabilus Company, is a global leader in the design and manufacture of high-performance automation, workholding, and remote handling solutions. The company serves customers in variety of end-markets, including the automotive, life sciences, consumer goods, packaging, aerospace, and nuclear sectors.

Built on a legacy of over 100 years, DESTACO offers a comprehensive portfolio of products to engineer precise movement, placement and control solutions that drive productivity and uptime for manufacturers around the world. The DESTACO family of products consists of industry-leading brands such as DESTACO Manual and Power Clamps, Camco and Ferguson Indexers, Robohand Grippers and CRL Manipulators and Transfer Ports.

DESTACO is based in Auburn Hills, Michigan, and operates globally through ~700 employees across 11 locations.

With nearly 90 years of demonstrated expertise, The Stabilus Group is one of the world's leading providers of motion control solutions for customers across a broad spectrum of industries.

Stabilus, approaching 1.5B EUR in revenue, is headquartered in Koblenz, Germany and employs more than 7,000 team members across 34 locations in 18 countries.

Stabilus SE is listed in the Prime Standard segment of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange and included in the MDAX index.

­­Position Summary:

The Quality Manager helps design the quality, design and document control systems for the facility as well as defining the processes and procedures required to implement, support and continuously improve the best-in-class manufacturing organization. This includes the coordination and implementation of systems, processes, programs and policies for quality assurance of products and suppliers. This position is integral to building a collaborative, high performance culture and work team. He/she is responsible for developing and leading a team that meets or exceeds organization goals for customers including safe and effective quality assurance processes, ISO 9000 compliance, on-time delivery, inventory management, and cost reduction initiatives.

The Quality Manager reports to the Plant Manager and is a member of the plant leadership team. This position will be located in Wheeling, IL and requires up to 15% travel. He/she is a key strategic team member leading and directing the plant and sustaining operations with the focus on the full scope of quality management. He/she is responsible for directing and coordinating quality assurance, improvements and governance for all products to achieve plant goals related to safety, quality, productivity, cost and delivery in a low-volume, high mix plant.

This position is of key importance and visibility within the Company and the broader Corporation. Reporting to the position are a quality assurance engineers and quality technicians (approximately 7). The Quality Manager works closely with the Materials, Manufacturing and Assembly Managers and Supervisors to produce products that meet or exceed customer expectations.

Key Job Responsibilities included but not limited to:

As a member of the leadership team, fosters a culture of transparency, disciplined problem solving, high performance work teams, and continuous improvement. Strives to ensure the appropriate team, tools and processes are in place to support these desired cultural traits.

Leads and promotes safety awareness with other key members of the plant team. Promotes accident prevention and employee involvement in regard to a safe work environment. Ensures employees have an understanding of the safety expectations of the organization.

Leads and fosters the continuous improvement roadmap for the manufacturing team. Leverages continuous improvement tools to drive continued operational improvements and ensures engagement of the entire manufacturing team through strong communication and clear direction.

Leads the establishment of best-in-class quality practices, procedures and team. Develops, implements and leads the quality assurance plan for the plant. Participates in production planning to ensure product quality and compliance. Responsible for maintaining and improvement of the plant’s overall quality systems, including certification status.

Develops and builds the plant quality team.

Defines with the Plant Manager the strategies, policies and performance targets for the quality of all products to achieve targets in safety, quality, cost, delivery and productivity. Leads ISO 9000 activities and ensures compliance across the plant.

Plans and reviews quality controls across all plant departments, establishing internal quality audits and preparing for external audits as required. Approves new suppliers in alignment with the global supply chain team supplier requirements.

Reviews and delivers quality reports to management team to anticipate or resolve quality problems to ensure minimum costs and prevent operational delays. Supports effective data and reporting through Oracle.

Resolves quality issues and corrective action reports. Develops and implements ISO 9001 procedures and instructions.

Assists in the development of standard work, operational and working practices and observes workers including observing and leading behavior-based safety observation program to ensure compliance with standards.

Coaches, provides feedback to and develops manufacturing management team members. Motivates and manages the quality team to achieve annual goals/objectives set at the individual and organizational level.

Identifies cost reduction opportunities throughout the quality organization. Leverages existing best practices and continuous improvement tools and discipline to execute process-based improvements within the quality organization, as part of the Company’s standard operating system.

Coordinates and follow up with departments for customer or supplier visits, complaints, or other appropriate quality requirements.

Leadership Competencies aligned with Stabilus and executed in DESTACO with appropriate expectations for the job level:

Attracts, Develops and Retains Talent – Creates a learning environment that recognizes and maximizes the potential of all employees. Develops high potential individuals for future strategic needs.

Results Driven – Produces results that exceed Stabilus strategic objectives via a combination of planning and implementation, while living the Stabilus Values.

Change Leadership – Aligns an organization and its people to drive for improvement and adopt new, challenging directions. Energizes a whole organization to want to change in the same direction. Influences others in a mature and empowering manner.

Experience:

Requires minimum of 5 years of successful experience leading quality in a production environment.

Experience with low volume and high mix production.

Experience implementing lean manufacturing methodologies (Lean 6S, Six-Sigma, Problem Solving, Toyota Production System, etc.).

Experience in collaborating with leaders and leading teams.

Prior successful experience with high performance work teams.

Experience with leading and implementing the following:

Change Management

Coaching and developing supervisors and team members

Performance management process

Talent acquisition/recruitment

Experience with Lean and Behavior-based Safety approach a plus.

Experience with machining processes (mills, lathes, EDM) a plus.