
Director of Quality Operations and Engineering
- Reno, NV
- Permanent
- Full-time
- Lead and manage the Quality Operations and Quality Engineering organizational activities and established priorities to meet company and department goals and objectives.
- Develop high performing team and future leaders by coaching and improving individual capability through performance management systems, processes, and talent acquisition.
- People leader responsible for maintaining and improving employee morale to minimize attrition.
- Establish and monitor the team's performance ensuring aligned KPIs to the organization's strategic objectives and with all other functional groups while ensuring compliance to company policies.
- Plans and administers department budget, capital expenditures and direct/indirect labor costs by maintaining inventory and head count controls.
- Reviews and leads reporting of company performance data (sales, profitability, productivity, quality, finances, staffing, etc.) utilizing this data to make department structure and strategy recommendations in support of the business.
- Leads the establishment of company Business Plan KPI targets for Quality across all business units, drives accountability of business units to achieving Business Plan and escalates risk to Sr. Management quickly.
- Leads Quality Engineering continuous improvement cost avoidance projects to reduce total cost of quality, optimize processes efficiency and decrease non-conformance.
- Champion design to quality principals and quality first behaviors, transparency, and collaboration to internal and external stakeholders
- Assure compliance and continuous improvements to all quality management systems as well as the integration with other management systems such as, IATF 16949:2016, ISO 9001, 14001, 45001, etc. required for all vehicle manufacturers suppliers.
- Develop and execute continuous improvement plans on standards, methods, metrics, and procedures for inspecting, testing, and evaluating the precision, accuracy, and reliability of our product and equipment.
- Lead failure investigation and corrective action for production, quality, and customer related failures, and facilitate customer quality & reliability interactions.
- Drive on-time root cause analysis and corrective preventive actions to resolve equipment design and product design deficiencies.
- Be a key player in the local leadership team for all issues by providing leadership during problem resolution events, such as S1, F1, and management of change opportunities.
- Champion and support all corporate Quality initiatives and core business processes such as Hoshin, Obeya, 4M, QRRPR.
- Work closely with three direct reports and collaborate across quality and engineering teams.
- Experience detecting waste and flaws in manufacturing processes is highly desirable.
- Ideal candidates will be able to hit the ground running and preferrably be operating at the director level.
- Ability to travel as required of the position and other duties as may be assigned.
- Basic/Required: Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Quality, Reliability, Continuous Improvement, or related supply chain and manufacturing field.
- 10+ years minimum Quality & Reliability experience required in high volume manufacturing (battery, automotive, semiconductor, medical devices at 1M+ units per day).
- Experience utilizing quality management tools including statistical decision-making methods, process capability analysis, Measurement System Analysis (MSA), Gage Repeatability and Reproducibility (GR&R) and Design of Experiments (DoE)
- Experience in continuous improvement and structure problem solving techniques and tools such as 8-D, fishbone, FTA, FMEA and other quality tools
- Must be team oriented with attention to detail and excellent verbal and written communication skills are required
- Ability to interact effectively with various levels of management is required
- Knowledge of 6 Sigma methods and techniques, process control systems, process capability, measurements, and analysis, FMEA, preventive action, and continuous improvement programs required
- Experience with ISO 9001 quality management systems and auditing
- Proficient in MS Office Suite, especially Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook.
- Must have working-level knowledge of the English language, including reading, writing, and speaking English
- Preferred: Master's degree in Engineering (Mechanical, Industrial, Chemical, or related fields).
- Experience integrating AI and machine learning tools is highly desirable, especially in smart factory environments. Familiarity with Palantir and foundry systems is a plus
- Battery manufacturing experience preferred; automotive or semiconductor backgrounds also highly relevant.
- Previous work experience in a cross-culture; international environment or Japanese business culture a big plus.
- Alignment to Panasonic's seven (7) core principles (contribution to society, fairness and honesty, cooperation and team spirit, untiring effort for improvement, courtesy and humility, adaptability, gratitude)
- Highly inclusive and class-leading healthcare options to include family planning, mental health, and pet insurance
- Employee assistance programs that support total well-being with complimentary session offered each and every month
- Company-matched and fully vested 401K retirement program that starts immediately from date of enrollment
- Annual bonus program, High5 employee recognition and awards platform, quarterly and annual employee recognition
- Simplified access to self-guided and representative-supported short and long-term financial wellness and retirement planning
- Educational Assistance & Reimbursement Program
- Inclusion programs and associated employee resource groups that promote representation and belonging
- Leadership, career, and mentorship development programs opportunities at all levels across the organization
- Several on-site cafes, plentiful snack and beverage kitchens, revolving on-site vendor visits and employee events
- Collaborative and motivating culture routed in continuous personal and professional growth and much more.
- Shuttle rides to and from work