Description

Mini-Circuits designs, manufactures and distributes integrated circuits, modules, and sub-systems for high performance radio frequency (RF) and microwave applications. With design, sales and manufacturing locations in over 30 countries, Mini-Circuits’ products are used in a range of wired and wireless communications applications. Our products are also used in detection, measurement and imaging applications, including military communication, guidance and electronic countermeasure systems, commercial, scientific, military land, sea and aircraft; automotive systems, medical systems, and industrial test equipment.  

Mini-Circuits’ sells its products to over 20,000 customers globally through our direct sales force, applications engineering staff, sales representatives, as well as through our extensive web site.  

Position Summary:  

The Vice President Quality is responsible for the leadership and harmonization of the global quality function across all Mini-Circuits product design and manufacturing sites.  This responsibility is focused on defining, articulating and executing (through the local quality assurance teams and with the support of the local general managers), a consistent set of global quality policies, metrics and reporting process.  The unification of quality practices must consider the unique differences in manufacturing processes at the various locations, while incorporating best in class practices, policies and procedures.    

The VP Quality must work in support of the local managers to assess their quality systems, identify gaps and opportunities for improvement and support the acquisition of talent and systems to achieve the corporate global quality standards and objectives.  In addition, the role has the direct responsibility for consolidating and reporting quality metrics for the entire enterprise across all product lines.   Local quality management is solid line reporting to the local general managers, dotted line (indirect) reporting into the VP Quality.
 
Salary Range: $200,000 - $250,000 per year  

• • Identify and drive approved unified quality procedures and compliance projects at all sites ensuring consistency, best practices, while adapting to product and manufacturing process uniqueness. All processes and products must meet high internal standards and regulatory requirements and ultimately deliver high-quality, cost-effective products to the customer.
  • Responsible for ensuring that all quality systems across all manufacturing sites are in full compliance with applicable regulatory requirements and are aligned with corporate quality policies.
  • Establish corporate guidelines for quality data collection and reporting and provide technical direction and support to all sites on the implementation of quality data collection, metrics analysis, trending and report generation in accordance with these guidelines.
  • Assess, analyze and work with the local general managers to ensure that all QA responsibilities including training, internal audits, investigations, complaints, change control, document control, incoming inspection, manufacturing/lab oversight and failure analysis are implemented and maintained across all manufacturing sites in compliance with all corporate quality policies and programs.
  • Maintain a strong independent role as it relates to compliance-related decisions.
  • Support regulatory audits, ISO inspections, customer audits as the company’s quality representative.
• QUALITY ASSURANCE
  • Work with local general management, design team and local quality assurance teams to ensure that site-specific quality systems and quality requirements for new product launch and investigations are established and followed at the site level.
  • Establish and actively maintain internal/external customer and supplier relationships.
  • Establish and implement periodic internal audit function to effectively assess compliance of processes that are in place in all locations.
  • Escalate key product issues and critical quality system failures to local management (and executive management as required).
  • Maintain awareness of compliance and regulations trends/changes and redesign processes and practices accordingly.  Work with corporate and/or industry groups to understand best quality assurance practices and propose process and systems upgrades across the enterprise with the executive and local management.
  • Take the lead in customer review and discussions on customer quality complaint / RMA activities.
• LEADERSHIP
  • Develop, implement and communicate a clear strategic vision for site quality to maximize employee alignment and engagement, and performance.
  • Establish and actively lead the company’s quality leadership team, providing input and direction to quality programs, policies and quality plans.
  • Take the lead in review and negotiation of customer quality contractual request (contract review, etc.)
  • Coach and develop both direct and, as appropriate, indirect reports through ongoing, example-based performance feedback, annual performance reviews and the provision of training and development opportunities. Ensure that performance issues are managed in a consistent and timely manner.
  • Actively demonstrate and perform all work in support of the core values and guiding principles.
  • Lead change in the organization to continuously adapt to a dynamic business environment; apply learning to enhance organizational performance within the spirit of the company culture.
  • Deliver quality presentations at management review.

Qualifications:

• BSEE, Business, Manufacturing, Operations or another related field of study is required.
• MSEE / MBA preferred.
• Minimum 10 years’ experience in a manufacturing quality business (or any of its support industries) within manufacturing, electronics preferred.
• Exposure to a variety of quality (and preferably reliability engineering) roles and processes and direct experience in a manufacturing environment and exposure to supply chain management via a computer based, enterprise-wide resource management system.
• In-depth working knowledge of product qualification concepts (DFMEA, PFMEA) and reliability-problem solving systems (8D, Gage R&R, SPC, 5 Why, etc.)
• An established leader who can demonstrate his/her ability to lead change and implement sustainable quality systems in support of a complex commercial operation.
• High aptitude for quality function problem-solving (root cause analysis, etc.)
• Show insight and good judgment in assessing complex or uncertain alternatives, including the risks of each. Considers the impact on other parts of the organization before making decisions.
• Ability to be hands-on as needed as the organization grows and change.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively with a team of engineers to create and support the activities during the life cycle of products, from conception through production and product release within stated time frames
• Sensitivity to cultural dependencies is a must.

Physical Demands:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk and hear. The employee frequently is required to stand, walk, sit and use hands to operate a computer keyboard. The employee is occasionally required to reach with hands and arms. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 10 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, and ability to adjust focus. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Additional Requirements / Skills:

• Comply, understand, and support corporate safety initiatives to ensure a safe work environment
• Ability and willingness to abide by Company’s Code of Conduct
• Valid driver’s license and ability to drive for extended periods of time
• Ability to travel up to 25% domestically and internationally

Disclaimer: The listed qualifications and requirements for each position are intended as guidelines.  Mini-Circuits reserves the right to hire outside of these guidelines at Management’s discretion.

Mini-Circuits is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of actual or perceived age, race, creed, color, national origin, sexual orientation, military status, sex, disability, predisposing genetic characteristics, marital status, familial status, gender identity, gender dysphoria, pregnancy-related condition, and domestic violence victim status or protected class characteristic, or any other protected characteristic as established by federal or state law.