Regional Quality Manager

Position Summary

The Quality Manager is responsible for overseeing all quality control and assurance processes in the coil coating facilities, ensuring compliance with ISO 9001, ASTM standards, and customer specifications. This role ensures the integrity of coated aluminum products by implementing statistical process controls (SPC), failure analysis, root cause investigations, and corrective action plans.

Key Responsibilities

Quality Assurance & Compliance

• Develop, implement, and maintain a Quality Management System (QMS) that complies with ISO 9001, ASTM, and industry-specific standards.
• Ensure compliance with customer specifications, environmental regulations (EPA), and OSHA.
• Maintain documented Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), work instructions, and inspection criteria for all quality-related processes.
• Lead internal and external audits, ensuring all quality processes meet customer requirements.

Process Control & Defect Prevention

• Implement Statistical Process Control (SPC) to monitor process stability and detect deviations before defects occur.
• Conduct Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA) to assess potential process risks and establish preventive actions.
• Utilize Six Sigma, Lean Manufacturing, and Root Cause Analysis (RCA) tools to identify and eliminate sources of variation.

Quality Control & Product Testing

• Oversee laboratory testing of substrates, pretreatment layers, coatings, and final cured products to ensure adherence to:- Coating thickness, adhesion (crosshatch/tape tests), gloss, hardness (Pencil Test), solvent resistance (MEK rub test).
  • Color matching using spectrophotometry.
  • Bend, flexibility, and impact resistance (T-bend, mandrel, impact tests).
  • Corrosion resistance (salt spray, humidity testing, cyclic exposure testing per ASTM B117).
  • Film weight measurements and cure temperature verification using IR sensors and temperature profiling tools.

Customer Complaints & Corrective Actions

• Serve as the primary liaison for customer complaints, claim investigations, and resolution of nonconforming product issues.
• Lead Root Cause Analysis (RCA) and issue Supplier Corrective Action Reports (SCARs) for raw material defects.
• Implement 8D problem-solving methodology and ensure effective containment, corrective, and preventive actions are in place.

Supplier Quality Management

• Develop and enforce Supplier Quality Assurance (SQA) programs to ensure incoming raw materials meet specifications.
• Conduct supplier audits to verify incoming substrate cleanliness, coating performance, and consistency in aluminum alloys.
• Collaborate with Purchasing to ensure only pre-approved vendors supply raw materials and chemical coatings.
• Establish dock-to-stock programs for high-reliability materials to reduce incoming inspections.

Continuous Improvement & Lean Initiatives

• Champion Kaizen, 5S, and Continuous Improvement projects to reduce scrap, rework, and downtime.
• Work closely with Production and Maintenance teams to optimize oven curing profiles, coating application parameters, and tension leveling settings.
• Train operators and technicians on proper inspection techniques, defect detection, and best practices.
• Lead projects to improve first-pass yield (FPY), reduce material waste, and increase processes.

Working Conditions

• Split between lab/office and production floor requires hands-on interaction with coating process.
• Exposure to solvents, chemical coatings, high temperatures, and moving machinery, requires the use of PPE (gloves, safety glasses, hearing protection).
• Flexibility to support off-shift troubleshooting and urgent quality-related issues.