North American Quality Systems Manager

Location:
Memphis, TN (required)

Language:
English

Travel:
15%

This position has primary responsibility for ensuring that the quality systems in North America meet global standards and that the associated processes drive world class product consistency. The position will ensure that quality related projects are identified and conducted on a consistent basis to ensure the continuous improvement of the systems, processes and products while building strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders. This individual must be a strong partner with site Quality personnel, as well as being a strong advocate to the needs of the customer.

The North America Quality Systems Manager will work independently, with limited guidance, to ensure the effective implementation and management of Buckman’s quality program. This person will ensure that risk mitigation strategies for operations are implemented and quality metrics, including audits, are utilized to inform the business of the state of quality of Buckman’s products and practices. This role will be responsible to perform risk assessments and conduct audits as required to identify areas of deficiency and opportunities to improve the underlying systems. This person will work to assure quality standards are consistently applied and will escalate issues to Senior Management as appropriate.

The person must demonstrate skills required to simultaneously manage multiple projects to successful outcomes in terms of deliverables, timing, and cost. Position will also support continuous improvement efforts with other functions. Works within a cross-functional team environment at regional level and engages with Corporate teams, contractors, and vendors. Work will require lifting to 50 lbs., use of additional PPE for job tasks, and involves active movement around facility including accessing multilevel buildings and climbing ladders.

 

Key Outcomes / Responsibilities
 

• Perform all activities with safety as the top priority
• Embrace and champion the safety vision, SHE initiatives, and programs
• Conduct work activities and demonstrate leadership behavior consistent with Buckman 4.0.
• Provides vision and functional strategy, direction/policy from Quality Assurance perspective with appropriate Customer focus. Represents Quality Assurance (QA) as the primary point of contact and guidance for quality programs.
• Maintains robust audit and quality oversight plans, contributes to the QA strategy and through collaboration with stakeholders and, with senior management, refines and adjusts strategies and plans as needed.
• Identifies areas of greatest risk, through intelligence gathering (e.g., data trends, identified quality issues, assessments, audits), to proactively complete risk-based QA assessments and implementation of robust mitigation strategies.
•  Analyzing and reporting the quality data and metrics, and identifying the trends, issues, and opportunities for improvement, using the relevant software and tools, such as Excel, Minitab, and SPC. This may involve compiling and organizing the quality data and metrics, performing the statistical and graphical analysis, generating and presenting the quality reports and dashboards, and providing the recommendations and feedback for improvement.
• Investigating and resolving the quality issues, complaints, and non-conformities, and initiating the corrective and preventive actions, using the established procedures and protocols, such as the corrective action request (CAR), the root cause analysis (RCA), and the 8D method. This may involve identifying and defining the quality problems, determining and implementing the root causes and solutions, monitoring and verifying the effectiveness of the actions, and documenting and communicating the outcomes and lessons learned.
• Partners with internal stakeholders to ensure quality, compliance, customer satisfaction, safety and continuous improvement. Supports internal and external audit activities as subject matter expert for product complaints, effective CAPA investigations and dispositions, and non-conforming material processes.
• Develops and drives standardization of processes and procedures.
• Develops and enhances QA procedures, guidance documents and audit tools to ensure consistent QA practices.
• Ensures rapid communication of QA issues including potential misconduct or issues of significant deviation within project/products to appropriate leaders and colleagues.
• Provides inspection management support as needed.
• Manage personnel or assist with the management of personnel and planning functional group activities to achieve functional area and/or departmental objectives, as applicable.
• Provides training and mentorship in quality systems management to less experienced members of the Buckman organization.
• Primary contact for Internal and external customer issues related to product, process, raw materials, etc.
• Acts as a focal point for ISO and Customer audits of the Quality Management System.  Accountable for maintaining external Quality System certifications.
• Effective continuous improvement of the Buckman’s customer complaint resolution and response.

Skills and Job Competencies
 

• Outstanding communication skills and able to interact with Corporate Staff groups, hourly plant personnel, as well as staff.
• Lead by example.
• Proven track record of managing multiple projects to successful outcomes in terms of deliverables, timing, and budget.
• Outstanding organizational skills.
• Self-managed.
• Possesses excellent problem-solving and critical thinking capabilities.
• Above average computer skills.

Minimum / Required Qualifications
 

• 4-year technical degree from an accredited institution
• 10 years of practical Quality Assurance experience within a manufacturing environment with a demonstrated track record of achievement.
• 2-3 years of management experience with proven track record of managing groups of individual contributors
• Excellent interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills
• Strong team player with an ability to work closely with all functional teams within the plant
• Excellent knowledge of ISO requirements and how to effectively maintain a compliant quality management system.
• Ability to develop new business processes and effective diagnose/improve existing processes.
• Excellent knowledge of the critical elements of a robust quality system and how to leverage. 
• Excellent understanding of quality tools and how their practical application.
• Self-starter with systematic decision making, critical thinking, problem solving, and troubleshooting skills
• Solid Six Sigma or similar continuous improvement and statistical analysis knowledge

Must Have Successful Experiences
 

• Ability to coordinate wide variety of resources across multiple functions to meet quality goals/objectives.
• Excellent and demonstrated Microsoft Suite computer skills
• Successful quality systems and quality assurance experience from a manufacturing organization
• Demonstrated high level of competency in TQM, Six Sigma, DOEs and Lean thinking.
• Experience with detailed project management software a plus
• ISO Auditor experience required.  ASQ certification preferred.
• Experience leading an organization through a quality system implementation to a relevant standard.

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