Deputy Head – QA/QC & Technical Services

Little Rock, Arkansas

Position Overview

A leading heavy industrial manufacturing organization is seeking a Deputy Head – QA/QC & Technical Services to serve as the hands-on operational leader for quality execution across a complex manufacturing environment. Reporting to the Head of QA/QC & Technical Services, this position will play a critical role in translating quality strategy into daily plant execution while supporting business growth, customer satisfaction, and operational excellence.

This is a highly visible plant leadership role requiring strong technical judgment, customer-facing credibility, and the ability to drive quality performance across manufacturing, coating, laboratory, NDT, document control, product release, and compliance functions.

The successful candidate will be equally comfortable on the manufacturing floor, in front of customers and third-party inspectors, and presenting to executive leadership.

Key Responsibilities

Quality Operations Leadership

• Lead daily QA/QC activities across manufacturing, coating, laboratory, NDT, document control, and product release functions.
• Resolve quality bottlenecks, testing delays, release priorities, rework activities, and production quality concerns.
• Maintain discipline around inspection, testing, traceability, and customer compliance requirements.

Quality Systems & Compliance

• Ensure compliance with API, ISO, customer, and regulatory requirements.
• Drive NCR, CAPA, audit readiness, and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Maintain audit-ready documentation and support customer and third-party inspections.

Inspection, Testing & Product Release

• Oversee raw material, in-process, and final inspection programs.
• Ensure timely and accurate product release documentation and material test certifications.
• Support laboratory, NDT, calibration, coating inspection, and testing activities.

Customer & Third-Party Interface

• Serve as a primary point of contact for customer inspections, audits, technical reviews, and quality investigations.
• Support customer approvals, project qualification requirements, and technical clarifications.
• Lead complaint investigations and corrective-action activities.

Operational Growth & Integration

• Support quality readiness for new manufacturing capabilities, product qualifications, customer approvals, and process-control implementation.
• Ensure successful integration of new production lines and technologies while maintaining customer and certification requirements.

Leadership & Talent Development

• Develop quality managers, engineers, supervisors, inspectors, laboratory personnel, NDT technicians, and document control teams.
• Build competency matrices, training plans, certification programs, and succession pipelines.
• Act on behalf of the Head of QA/QC when delegated.

Qualifications

Required Experience

• 10+ years of quality leadership experience within steel, pipe, coating, welding, heavy manufacturing, or other process-driven industrial environments.
• 5+ years leading plant-level QA/QC operations.
• Proven experience managing customer-facing quality programs in highly regulated manufacturing environments.

Technical Expertise

• Strong knowledge of API Q1, API 5L, ISO 9001, or similar specification-driven quality systems.
• Experience with quality assurance plans, inspection and test plans, welding procedures, process controls, and product release requirements.
• Working knowledge of NDT methods including UT, RT, AUT, hydrotesting, dimensional inspection, coating inspection, and mechanical testing programs.

Leadership Profile

• Hands-on, plant-focused leader with strong operational presence.
• Ability to make difficult quality decisions under production and shipment pressures.
• Strong communication skills with customers, inspectors, operations, and executive leadership.
• Demonstrated success building high-performing quality organizations.

Digital & Continuous Improvement

• Experience utilizing quality dashboards, SPC, traceability systems, NCR/CAPA workflows, MES, ERP, and data-driven quality management tools.
• Ability to leverage data to improve quality performance, compliance, and operational effectiveness.

Education (Required)

• Bachelor's Degree in Mechanical Engineering, Metallurgical Engineering, Materials Engineering, Welding Engineering, Industrial Engineering, or a closely related technical discipline is required.