Plant Quality Manager

About the Role

The Plant Quality Manager will be stationed at the Peenya facility in Bangalore, leading the definition and execution of the comprehensive quality strategy at the manufacturing plant. This role ensures product adherence to customer standards through meticulous supplier quality management, process controls, new product introduction oversight, product quality assurance, and customer quality relations. The person will cultivate a culture focused on quality excellence, foster continuous improvement, minimize Cost of Poor Quality (COPQ), and assure conformance to customer, regulatory, and global quality requirements.

Key Responsibilities

• Craft and enforce supplier quality protocols to guarantee incoming materials meet all quality benchmarks.
• Implement supplier qualification, periodic appraisal, and approval mechanisms.
• Conduct and lead supplier audits as well as development projects aimed at enhancing supplier capabilities.
• Track supplier quality indicators such as parts per million (PPM), corrective action timeliness, and rejection statistics.
• Manage issuance and follow-up of Supplier Corrective Action Requests (SCAR), validating their efficacy.
• Work collaboratively with Procurement and Engineering teams on supplier selection and improvement efforts.
• Instill preventive quality planning to decrease supplier-related defects.
• Set up process controls, including control plans, PFMEA, process flow charts, and inspection criteria, ensuring statistical process control and capability indices are adhered to.
• Lead root cause investigations using structured approaches like 8D, 5 Why, Fishbone, Pareto analysis, and DOE.
• Supervise improvements in first pass yield, defect reduction, scrap minimization, and rework control.
• Maintain calibration standards for measurement devices and advance error prevention techniques such as Poka-Yoke.
• Oversee quality roles during New Product Introduction phases, including review and approval of APQP deliverables, PFMEA, control plans, validation processes, and First Article Inspections.
• Facilitate successful transition from prototype to volume production while meeting quality, delivery, and cost targets.
• Ensure product compliance with engineering specifications, manage inspections at all production stages, and lead initiatives towards defect and waste reduction utilizing Lean and Six Sigma methodologies.
• Serve as the primary contact for customer quality challenges and audits, driving resolution and improving customer satisfaction.
• Lead the implementation and continuous enhancement of Quality Management Systems abiding by standards like ISO 9001, IATF 16949, AS9100, or ISO 13485.
• Champion plant-wide quality improvement programs leveraging Lean, Six Sigma, and operational excellence techniques.
• Manage, mentor, and develop a results-oriented quality team including Supplier Quality, Process Quality, and Quality Engineering units, fostering a collaborative environment across departments.

Performance Metrics

• Supplier quality measured by PPM, rejection rates, audit scores, and CAPA efficiency.
• Process quality tracked via first pass yield, process capability indices, scrap and rework rates, and equipment effectiveness.
• NPI success is gauged by launch quality, timely milestone achievement, and approvals.
• Product quality reflected through internal PPM, COPQ, final inspection acceptance, reliability, and warranty claims.
• Customer quality assessed by complaint rates, audit outcomes, CAPA closure, and satisfaction scores.

Work Environment

This role requires regular presence on the manufacturing floor with frequent engagement involving customers, suppliers, engineering teams, operations, and leadership. Occasional travel domestically and internationally for audits and quality reviews is expected.

Qualifications and Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering is mandatory.
• 12 to 15 years of professional background in precision manufacturing, including minimum five years in senior quality management roles.
• Technical expertise with precision machining, quality systems such as ISO 9001, IATF 16949, AS9100, or ISO 13485.
• In-depth knowledge of GD&T, engineering drawings, and quality planning tools like APQP, PPAP, PFMEA, and control plans.